Condemning the Ongoing Palestinian Rocket Attacks on Israeli Civilians

Floor Speech

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Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 951, which does not merely condemn the ongoing Palestinian rocket attacks on Israeli civilians, but also clearly articulates that the United States stands shoulder to shoulder with the people of Israel in their time of need.

Since the inception of the Palestinians' latest war against Israel, which started in September of 2000, Palestinian suicide bombers have struck at crowded buses, hotels, cafes, and other civilian targets, shedding innocent blood in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and other communities.

Additionally, during the war in Lebanon during the summer of 2006, Hezbollah rockets rained down on Israeli civilian populations, claiming dozens of innocent lives. And then, Mr. Speaker, there is Sderot and other Israeli communities bordering Gaza where every day ordinary people must cope with the fear that a rocket could fall at any moment, killing or maiming them and their loved ones.

Last month, as the international press covered a Palestinian demonstration against Israel, Hamas and other Palestinian jihadist groups launched rockets that struck Sderot and elsewhere. The scene was terrifying. A father of four died of shrapnel wounds after a rocket struck his car, and a 10-year-old boy lay severely injured after being struck in a supermarket as his 8-year-old sister tried to comfort him. These are just a few instances of Israeli suffering in the border communities broadcast internationally, but the trauma endured by innocent Israeli civilians in such attacks has been ongoing and extensive.

The psychological impact from continued rocket attacks has affected all segments of the population. However, the brutal impact has been most vivid on the Sderot children. Reports indicate that almost one-third of the people between the ages of 4 and 18 have suffered post-traumatic stress disorder, and I have spoken to some children that were under this situation. Many more exhibit feelings of severe anxiety and feelings of helplessness that warn of more serious problems to come. And, Mr. Speaker, the rockets continue to fall.

With the help of Iran and Syria, Hamas and its accomplices are developing, acquiring, and firing rockets with longer range, more accurate lethality. It is an unfortunate situation, Mr. Speaker, and we have to do something. Yet, even though Palestinian extremists continue to target innocent men, women, and children in clear violation of international law, the response of other nations and other international bodies, such as the United Nations, has often been openly hostile to the Israelis, the very people under attack.

In multiple U.N. forums, not a word is uttered about the Hamas rockets falling from the sky, and Israel is denounced for inflicting suffering on Gaza when it defends itself against those who attack its citizens, including through an economic blockade, a blockade which does not apply to food, medicine, and other vital necessities.

While the European Union earlier this week denounced Israel's actions against those who launch rockets against the Israeli people, it said next to nothing about the countless Israeli victims of Palestinian violence. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, it is vital that Congress takes a stand against this double standard.

This resolution states that the Palestinian extremists behind the rocket attacks against Israeli civilians are in clear violation of international humanitarian standards as they not only brutally target civilian populations, but use peace-loving Palestinian civilians as human shields against Israel's self-defense measures.

Furthermore, this resolution calls on the President to direct the U.S. permanent representative to the U.N. to introduce a resolution at the U.N. Security Council condemning Palestinian rockets and other attacks against innocent Israeli civilians and direct the Secretary of State to raise this issue in all applicable bilateral and international fora.

Finally, this resolution sends a message to the very people under daily attack by these rockets, our Israeli friends and allies, that the Congress of the United States stands firmly behind them in their struggle against Palestinian extremists. Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to support this critical resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I really urge strong support for this resolution. We can't put up with this any longer. And I really appreciate this resolution. I want to thank the author and the chairman on this. And I urge strong support, as I said.

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