House Proceeding on Jan 7th, 2009 :: 2:26:10 to 2:31:55
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2:26:07 to 2:26:30( Edit History Discussion )

Eliot L. Engel: elected to the following standing committees of the house of representatives. >> mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that the be considered as read and submitted for the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the resolution is adopted and the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. without objection, the gentleman from new york may

2:26:10 to 2:31:55( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Eliot L. Engel

2:26:31 to 2:26:51( Edit History Discussion )

Eliot L. Engel: proceed for five minutes. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i rise this afternoon in support of the beleaguered people of the state of israel. i rise in support of the only democracy the middle east. i rise in support of the country in the middle east that has the same values that our

2:26:52 to 2:27:14( Edit History Discussion )

Eliot L. Engel: great country, the united states of america, has, principles of democracy and principles that are so important to every man, woman, and child. the people of israel have for

2:27:15 to 2:27:35( Edit History Discussion )

Eliot L. Engel: 60 years been vilified by undemocratic powers and by powers that would wish to destroy it. for the past several years, day in and day out, the people of israel have had to endure rocket attacks coming from the terrorist organization that

2:27:36 to 2:27:57( Edit History Discussion )

Eliot L. Engel: runs gaza called hamas. israel is supposed to just accept these attacks on its citizens and do little or nothing about it, if you would listen to the united states, -- to the united nations if you would listen to the international community if you would listen to the hypocritical demonstrations going on in london and all the arab capitals and every place

2:27:58 to 2:28:20( Edit History Discussion )

Eliot L. Engel: else and even some in the united states. every country, every government's primary responsibility is to protect its citizens. and the people of israel and the government of israel should not be held to any other standard than that. the terrorist organization that runs gaza called hamas, bought

2:28:21 to 2:28:42( Edit History Discussion )

Eliot L. Engel: and paid for by iran, thinking that it can use terrorism as a way of somehow getting its state, must understand that in order to gain acceptance of nations in the free world , that it needs to renounce terror, that it needs to recognize israel's right to

2:28:43 to 2:29:05( Edit History Discussion )

Eliot L. Engel: exist, and that it needs to abide by all previous resolutions that were signed by the palestinian authority. it doesn't do it because it's a terrorist state. it doesn't do it because it's -- because it vows to destroy the state of israel. it doesn't do it because like hezbollah and osama bin laden

2:29:06 to 2:29:26( Edit History Discussion )

Eliot L. Engel: and like al qaeda, it thinks it can use terrorism to establish and get its aims and goals but it cannot. we stand in a bipartisan fashion with the people of israel because if we in the united states had missiles being fired onto our innocent

2:29:27 to 2:29:49( Edit History Discussion )

Eliot L. Engel: civilians from states across the border, we would move across the border and try to stop those terrorists from killing our people. that's what israel's doing. many of us on the foreign affairs committee this morning met with the israeli ambassador and we saw a tape where israel takes great precaution to try

2:29:50 to 2:30:11( Edit History Discussion )

Eliot L. Engel: to prevent civilian casualties. but what hamas does is it builds its bomb factories and it builds its terror weapons in the heart of the densely populated areas of gaza and uses its own people as human shields. so when the israelis destroy these missile-making and bomb-making terror factories,

2:30:12 to 2:30:33( Edit History Discussion )

Eliot L. Engel: innocent civilians very unfortunately get killed. but it's the palestinians that support hamas. it's the hamas organization that is the response -- that is responsible for these killings. israel has an absolute right to defend itself. we all want a cease fire. we all want peace in the region. we all know ultimately peace

2:30:34 to 2:30:54( Edit History Discussion )

Eliot L. Engel: will come when there's a two-state solution, an israeli-jewish state and a pal stain-arab state. most israelis do accept that there ought to be a pal stainian state but the pal stain -- palestinians, hamas, does not accept the viability of israel as a jewish state. so let's put things in

2:30:55 to 2:31:17( Edit History Discussion )

Eliot L. Engel: perspective here. if you have people that want to destroy you and want to kill you and don't recognize your right to exist, how can we have peace in the region? we ought to note that israel pulled out of gaza several years ago and left gaza to the palestinians and what did it get in return? it got missiles fired on its

2:31:18 to 2:31:39( Edit History Discussion )

Eliot L. Engel: citizens. in return for israel's leaving gaza. the palestinians used to say, well, it's the occupation. that's what drives everything. what occupation is there in gaza in there is none. israelas left gaza. and the people of gaza could have built a democratic government living in peace with its neighbors.

2:31:40 to 2:31:55( Edit History Discussion )

Eliot L. Engel: instead, they chose to embrace terrorism and try to kill as many israelis as they can. in conclusion, mr. speaker, let me say that support for iael in this congress is strong and bipartisan and will remain so. because we understand that the democratic nation of israel has