confirmations, bishop donnelly was a man of peace, he was hard working and always present when it mattered. with his extraordinary brother priest, father martin donnelly, with whom he retired, their service cannot be measured in ears but rather in devotion to inviewing real mean. may god grant him eternal rest as the joy of his spirit is released to eternity. mr. speaker, i yield back my remaining time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from indiana seek recognition? the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> i rise today to reaffirm my support for one of our closest allies israel as they combat a surge of violence from the terrorist group ham ause. the history of jewish people is faith, honor and most importantly survival and this situation is no different.

ham ause uses tactics that are beneath the dignity of the human race as they carry out attacks. israel has proven time and time again, it is willing and waiting partner in the struggle for peace in the region. it continues to endure after attack yet faced with the pure evil that halmause represents, no one should find fault in israel's measured response and efforts to ensure these attacks are halted for good. we must continue to show our unwaivering support for our ally israel. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair lays before the house the following message. the clerk: section 202-d provides for the automatic termination of an emergency

unless within 90 days of the anniversary date the president publishes in the federal register and transmits to the congress stating that the emergency is to continue beyond the anniversary date. i have sent to the federal register for publication the enclosed notice stating that the national emergency with respect to lebanon of august 1, 2007 is to continue in effect beyond august 1, 2014. certain ongoing activities such as continuing arms transfers to hezbollah which include sophisticated weapons systems contribute to political and economic instability in the region and continue to constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the united states. for this reason, i have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared executive order 13441 with respect to

lebanon. signed barack obama, the white house. the speaker pro tempore: referred to the committee on foreign affairs and ordered printed. under the speaker's announced policy of january 3, 2014, the stewartn from utah, mr. is recognized as the designee of the majority leader. mr. stewart: i ask that all members have five legislative days to include extraneous material. we live in a dangerous world, seems like there is chaos and darkness all around us and i have seen the results of abusive power in a very real way. every time we turn on the television or read the news, we get the feeling that the world is being turned upside down. the wheels have come off the train and we are going off the

cliff. russia takes crimea and sends troops into eastern ukraine. tens of thousands of deaths in syria with millions of receive few guess, iran working toward a nuclear weapon. isis creating a terrorist state. chinese threatening. the list of concerns is very long indeed. but no where is the strife and uncertainty more dangerous, more strategic and more critical to u.s. interests than what we are witnessing in israel and their military operations in gaza. israel is the most important ally in the region that we have. it has the only democratically elected government in a violent part of the world. it has a vibrant, free capital is particular society that

respects human rights, that respects women's rights and minority rights, even the religious minorities. let me say this as clearly and as unambiguously as i can, israel is our friend and our ally. tonight we stand with israel and state that israel has a right to defend itself. let me set the stage for the crisis that is happening right now. september, 2005, israel withdraws from gaza strip, home to some 1.8 million members. thousands of israelis are uprooted and missile fire from gaza into israel increases. a few short months later in january 2006, ham ause deposes fattah and becomes the ruling party. union s and all european

consider it a terrorist organization. abbas and the palestinian authority, skipping ahead to may, 2004, rocket attacks from gaza increase. june 12, 2014, three israeli teenagers are killed. the aides with israel defense forces in clamping down and increases significantly. as a result of that, ham ause leashes -- halm aslaunches rockets. it's goal is to stop the rockets. they span to an offensive grouped war which purpose is to destroy the military use. we will talk more about these tunnels. to date, israel has uncovered more than 66 access shafts to 30

tunnels. palestinian militants have fired to date more than 2,000 rockets towards israel since the fighting began on july 8. let me put that in perspective before i turn it over to my colleagues. imagine if you will that al qaeda or isis in iraq has pledged the utter destruction of the u.s., something which is not hard to imagine and now place a f rmp i gmp ate off our shore. they say it is a supply ship and has no military purpose and has civilian and imagine they start lobbing hundreds of rocks and missiles specifically targeting cities where millions of innocent families live. what would we do? what should we do? would you expect your president to protect you? of course we would. we would defend ourselves.

we would seek for the elimination of the threat. we would protect our own people, our values, our way of life. any nation would. and every nation should be able to do that. and that is all the state of israel is asking, the right to defend itself. that is why we are here tonight. o defend a an ally against i have and rockets invited my friends and colleagues to talk about defense of israel and their right to protect themselves. i would like to begin with my wenstrup. r. he sits on the house armed

services. and i yield three minutes of my time to dr. wenstrup. mr. wenstrup: i thank the gentleman from utah for bringing us together to allow us to share our message in support of israel. the fear that has engulfed innocent citizens in this conflict is unthinkable. in southern high and across and the impending threat of possible destruction. imagine that fear amplified and extended continuously over weeks by an enemy that seeks to eliminate your country. the continued success of the iron dome has protected countless innocents and weakened the threat posed by the terrorist organizations that surround them and i'm proud to

say america has been a strong partner in pioneering this technology. while israel protects their people, ha mmp arch s urges palestinians to become human shields to protect their rockets. we hope a peaceful resolution. unfortunately they continue to reject ceasefire deals. they refuse to acknowledge israel's right to exist. they used tunnels to ambush soldiers. can you imagine a terrorist group with tunnels built to infiltrate your town, your village, your city. the construction materials used to build these tunnels were intended to construct schools and hospitals, but hamas would continue their aggression with israel than better the lives. hamas would fire rockets from playgrounds and homes than work

towards peace. the american public stands with israel and a commitment to a free society, especially in the face of rising anti-semitism across the globe. rael cannot let them dig tunnels. every nation has the right and responsibility to defend itself and israel is no different. with that, i yield back to the gentleman from utah. mr. stewart: thank you, dr. wenstrup. i would like to yield three minutes to mr. steven king, a colleague and the gentleman from iowa. he sits on the agriculture, small business and judiciary committee and has been a strong defender of israel. mr. king: i thank the gentleman for yielding and leading on this discussion about the sovereignty and safety and protection of israel, our strongest ally in

the middle east, where there are property rights, where they are available to everyone, an israeli citizen whether they happen to be of jewish descent or any other descent. and the allies that israel has been deserve that support and stronger support. and so many messages that have been sent from this administration to the contrary. we need to be standing on the floor of the house of representatives sending a message to israel, benjamin netanyahu and members of the israeli defense force, we stand with you, israel. any nation that is surrounded by enemies and tunnels that are dug through and kill innocent people, celebrate that, any government that is formed for the purposes of eradicating israel from the face of the earth, and mr. speaker, i would point out that this new

government that was formed among the palestinian authority, the palestinian unity government includes hamas terrorist leaders in the cabinet. the political arm of hamas which was the palestinian authority has openly embraced hamas itself. and this congress and the administration itself and the american people need to understand that there is a palestinian anti-terrorism act of 2006 which prohibits the u.s. from sending foreign aid to palestinian authority governments that includes hamas terrorists and says we are not going to fund hamas terrorist organizations. we are watching that the operations that were so utterly necessary, the israeli defense forces going into gaza and losing israeli soldiers and yes they have to defend. thousands of rockets have been fide into israel. and living under that threat of a people that outside your borders would raise their children to carry suicide vests

to kill israelis to teach those things to the young people, that hatred is on one side of that border, it's on the gaza side and west bank and all around israel. it's not from israel out. i'm amazed how how patient they are, tolerant they are and how they have suffered and waited until it had to be before the order was ordered to go in and try to take out some of the rocket locations and these rockets are mounted in schools around children and using human shields -- i guess i can't say hoping, willing to accept the casualties of children because that is a media message to the world. this is an appalling set of neighbors that israel has. they want to live in peace. they have the right to live in peace. we stand with israel. israel stands to defend itself. we need to make sure they have

the resources to do so and the moral and the support from the united states. i would point out also that the statement was made by the newspaper in israel, said secretary kerry's latest attempt for a ceasefire over the weekend, officials described it as a strategic terrorist attack, closed quote. that is not a strong message, i would say, mr. speaker. not a strong message to come from our secretary of state. we are presenting the policy of the president of the united states. our policy is that we stand with the israeli people and stand for their self-defense. and i yield back to the gentleman. >> this is a photograph of these tunnels, these aren't dark, two-foolt holes in the ground. these are expensive, sophisticated, complicated

things that have been put together. they run for miles, they're dug more than of feet beneath the ground so they avoid seismic detection. some of them are large enough to drive a vehicle through them. you think what is their purpose? is it to smug -- it's to smuggle men, it's to smuggle weapons and material, it's unfortunately, in some cases, to smuggle and hide those who have opinion captured and kidnapped. hamas operatives have been intercepted emerging from the tunnels with trankalizers and handcuffs, obviously to kidnap israeli people. how much better would it have been for the people of gaza if this money had been diverted to building infrastructure and schools and hospitals and other things that the citizens there could use. so thank you, mr. king, for your comments.

i'd like now to recognize my good friend mr. daines of montana. he's a successful businessman, he sits on the homeland security, natural resources and transportation and infrastructure subcommittees. i yield three minutes to my friend, mr. daines. mr. daines: i thank the gentleman from utah for putting on this special order and i want to thank, congressman stewart, for your service to our country. a b-1 bomber pilot, holds the world record for the fastest nonstop flight around the world. thank you for your service to our country, chris. our closest ally, israel's security is critical. both of our nations were founded by those seeking political as well as religious freedom. israel is the beacon of democracy in the middle east. our continued support for israel is crucial to bringing

peace, stability, and security to this most important region of the world. daily rocket fire from gaza is one of the many threats facing the israeli people. i was in israel last year and as i stood at the board we are sir ark i could hear mortar and rocket fire in the distance. since its founding in 1948, israel has faced a number of exiss ten rble threats from all sides, including invasion by its neighbors and terrorism from radical groups operating within israel, fwa sa, and the west bank. this past march, representative from montana's crow tribe presented a formal resolution to israeli ambassador ron dermer in my office here in washington. the resolution from the crow legislature to the israeli people affirmed their support of israel's right to exist and recognized their shared challenges of maintaining

political and territory independence and a deep connection to to their ancestral homelands. but during this meeting, in my office with crow tribal leaders and israeli ambassador dermer, israeli ambassador dermer's cell phone went off but it wasn't a call. it wasn't a text message, it wasn't an email. it was an app he had on his phone that many israelis have to warn them of impending rocket attacks. it was a sober realization that each time his phone made that noise, fearful israeli families had seconds to scramble for their lives. as the israeli people remain steadfast in confronting these threats, they deserve our unyielding support now and in the future. america's commitment to israel

must never waiver. we must stand with israel. i yield back my time. mr. stewart: thank you, mr. daines. i agree, we must stand with israel. all of us here tonight agree, we must stand with israel. i'd like to recognize my colleague and good friend, mrs. hartzler of massachusetts, for five minutes. mrs. hartzler: thank you, gentleman from utah. appreciate you leading this critical special order tonight. it's been a -- been a dangerous few weeks in israel. we've been watching the dwms between israel, hamas, and gaza, as israel shows restraint while protecting its citizens. quite simply, israel is under siege by a radical faction that displays blatant disregard for its citizens. hamas is using its citizens as human shields, building bombs in the basements of schools and homes and prohibiting families from evacuating areas where rockets are being launched.

israel has shown tremendous restraint and has every right to defend itself against these unwarranted attacks. over 2,000 rockets have been launched into israel, reaching even tel aviv and jerusalem. over 80% of the country's citizens have had to h.u.d. until bomb shelters for parts of three weeks now. over six million men, women, and children are endangered, yet israel has agreed to cease fire after cease fire. unfortunately, hamas has not abided by these calls, firing dozens of rocket into israel even when israel was ceasing its efforts to protect its citizens so that humanitarian assistance could arrive to people in the gaza strip. israel has gone above and beyond for years now to help the people of gaza and give them an opportunity for a better life. nine years ago, israel moved to totally -- moved totally out of gaza, giving the land, farms, and greenhouses to the people of gaza.

10,000 israeli lives were disrupted as they moved to israel. generous people all over the world raised money to buy the tractors and farm equipment for the people of gaza. the area could have become the jewel of the mediterranean and a peaceful neighbor to israel. a model of a two-state solution. instead, theyer to down the groan houses and instead of -- greenhouses and instead of building roads and homes they built tunnels with the intent to attack and kill israelis. they turned the area into a terrorist military outpost system of here we are today. while hamas has been on -- is bent on killing innocent israelis, israel is intent on preserving their lives. as they seek to stop the rocket fire in the gaza strip, israel goes to great lengths to save innocent lives. it drops leaflet into the neighborhoods warning of an impending military attack to take out the rocket launchers which are often strategically

placed in the neighborhoods. it calls the residents of the house to warn them and sends text messages to the home and knocks on the house by dropping a small, nonpenetrating bomb on the roof to let people know they're serious. hamas has responded by stopping people from fleeing and forcing them onto rooftops as human shields. thankfully, the iron dome missile defense system has stopped hamas' deadly rockets from reaching their targets in israel. as prime minister netanyahu said, israel uses its missile defense system to save human lives. hamas uses its people to save its missiles. we need to be standing strong for the only democracy and our greatest ally in the middle east. we need to let other nations know we will never abandon israel and they need to join us in speaking out against this affront to national sovereignty and human decency. we need to help israel stay

safe. it's same -- it's time for hamas to agree to a cease fire. any loss of life is tragic and hamas needs to end their blatant disregard of life for their citizens and agree to end the attacks. please join me in praying for the peace of jerusalem. yield back. mr. stewart: thank you. we have so many people who want to join in this conversation tonight and we are grateful for this -- for the many who participated. it's my honor to introduce mr. engel, ranking member of the foreign affairs committee, sir, we're kwlad glad to have you with us. he represents new york. i yield three minutes. mr. engel: i thank the gentleman for yielding to me. i want to thank my colleagues for their excellent rars, i agree with every word that's been said. and i think perhaps i'll start off with a bit of good news because everyone can see this tonight. at a time when the pundits say that the two parties can't agree on anything that nothing gets done, that there's too much fighting -- there's one

thing on which we agree that is that the support for israel in this congress is strong and it's bipartisan and that's the way it should be. and it's bipartisan for a number of reasons. first of all, veil the only democracy in the mideast. we share common values with israel. and we understand that the people of israel right now are besieged. hamas is a terrorist group. it's not a fight between israel and palestinians. it's a fight between israel and a terrorist group. as someone who was in new york on that fateful day of september 11, 2001, israel has endured many september 11 2001's. my colleague said it right before, the difference between the hamas terrorists and israelis is israel uses its missiles to protect its citizens and hamas uses its citizens to protect its missiles. it's terrible when any

civilians die and my heart breaks for casualties on both sides. but you know what? hamas, they use their citizens as human shields. they build their bomb factories and they build their missile factories in mosques an school yards, even in the united nations schools, there were missiles that were found. they do this deliberately because they don't, apparently, value human life at all. let's just imagine, us in the united states, if we had a terrorist group over the board for the canada who was firing rockets, hurting people in new york or michigan, wouldn't we respond? if there were terrorists in mexico that were firing into arizona or texas or california, would we just simply let our people be targets? wouldn't we respond? wouldn't we go over the border and try to root out the terrorists? root out their missiles? root out their tunnels? that's precisely what israel is trying to do. now, i'm introducing the emergency iron dome replacement

act. the iron dome, which has been israeli created and american funded has saved countless numbers of israeli lives, and by the way, hamas has the nerve to talk about civilian casualties, when it has targeted day after day, month after month, week after week, year after year, they target israeli civilians. that's what they do. israel targets the missiles and there are some civilian casualties because of the way the palestinians put their missiles in the densely populated areas, but hamas has deliberately been trying to kill innocent israeli civilians system of the iron dome replacement act which the united states has funned, we hope will continue and i know there will be strong bipartisan support on both sides. now any cease fire should contain the total disarming of hamas. any cease fire should contain the destruction of the tunnel which is, as my colleague very adeptly pointed out, those tunnels are made for terrible

purposes. now the concrete that was coming into gaza, they could have built schools and mosques and skyscrapers, but what did they do? they built tunnels so they can try to kill israelis. and the media? shame on some of the coverage we've seen in the media. there's no moral equivalency between a terrorist group and a nation that values its citizens and wants to protect its citizens. no moral equivalency what is over. israel is trying to protect its citizens. hamas only wants to kill. read their charter. read what they say about jews. read what they say about israel. they want to destroy every last person in israel system of i think the media ought to really be a little more even-handed and not the way it's been portrayed until now. so let me conclude by saying this, the bond between israel and the united states is unbreakable. unshakeable. has always been. and will always be. the united states will always

stand by the people of israel, particularly in the fight to exist and in their fight against terrorism. i thank my friend and i yield back. mr. stewart: thank you, mr. engel. thank you for your servicen the foreign affairs and you bring up such a great point. s that bipartisan issue. there is agreement on both sides of the aisle. we've got service members, we've got military members, we have got school teachers, we've got businessmen, we've got people from all backgrounds who want to speak on this tonight. frankly, we've got more people who want to join in the special order than we have time for. i would like to now turn three minutes over to mr. collins from georgia he has a unique perspective as a member of the house foreign affairs committee as well he also served as a chaplain in the air force since 2002 and a combat tour in iraq in 2008. mr. collins, thank you for your service and i wreeled you three minutes. mr. collins: thank you you as well for yours and thank you

for doing this tonight. we stand with israel and it's amazing to me at times that that is caused -- is called into question. israel has proved capable of defending itself and it's amazing to me that the world doesn't want to acknowledge that. this commitment i have to israel has -- is now and continues to be unwavering even in the midst of the conflict between israel and hamas taking place in gaza. i'm in firm support of israel and hope this conflict will be resolved quickly. negotiations for a permanent cease fire will occur soon in my hopes for this area. netanyahu gave ok after a 10-day operation. can you think of if the u.s. was being targeted and wait a day to

execute a ground excursion? absolutely not. israel and egypt tried to negotiate a ceasefire with hamas. we see the true stripes of hamas when they will not come to the table and they want to put their own citizens up as human shield. you know, i received a lot of feedback from the people in the 9th district and from the beginning, when the three young israeli teens were kidnapped, georgia empathized with the hope that they would be returned to israel unharmed. their bodies were discovered in a palestinian-controlled area and murdered at the hands of hamas. my constituents would agree that peaceful solutions to end this conflict is preferred. hamas on more than one occasion has rejected ceasefires. israel is willing to agree to. fighting terrorism is a constant

fight and another reason we must continue to combat terrorism not on american soil but supporting allies. our support is shown in many ways but the biggest in the iron dome defense systems and hundreds of rockets have been intercepted and have protected those in israel who are being terrorized by hamas. hamas is hiding while israel is protecting their people with the iron dome. these are the things that must be looked after and a peaceful solution needs to be found soon. the administration needs to get its priorities correct and israelis understand this and that is why they need to continue to protect themselves and the resources to go into gaza should be used to build schools, hospitals and infrastructure, instead of the things that the palestinians are not getting and this is why the united states must continue to support israel and we must continue to support their fight against terrorism and we must

continue to maximize our efforts towards the peace that will last in israel. mr. stewart: i'm now happy to introduce the newest member of congress from florida. clause clause we are living in a time of significant crisis at home and worldwide. we have a humanitarian and national security crisis on our own border and all americans are deeply concerned and looking for solutions. we see a border crisis in the middle east that makes our own border crisis pale by comparison. we see our friend and ally, israel, attacked physically, but also sadly enough, attacked in the media. it's our solemn duty, i believe, to address this crisis as well

as our own crisis on our own border. israel's border has been attacked by over 2,000 rockets launched by hamas with total disregard for innocent lives. they set up their rocket launches in apartment buildings, osques, u.n.-sponsored schools using humans as shields. hamas is maximizing collateral damage. meanwhile, elements of the media fuel anti-jealy propaganda, adding to israel's dilemma, falsely asserting that the israeli defense forces are committing war crimes. but the fact is, israel is responding with careful precision, taking extraordinary steps that few nations would take to protect lives on both

sides of this fight. israel's iron dome is shooting down rockets that would otherwise kill israelis. israel's warning civilians in gaza in advance of attack. israel takes extraordinary steps to minimize collateral damage. israel wants peace. hamas seeks the destruction of israel. this cannot happen. the united states must stand firmly with israel and against hamas and take a leadership role in convincing the world to do likewise. and we must remember the threats , the threats that extend beyond gaza and hamas. hezbollah, the islamist militant group based in lebanon poses thousands of rockets on another part of israel's border. isis evolved from al qaeda in iraq has declared a caliphate in

major areas of syria and iraq, threatening the entire region, but especially israel. iran, the world's exporter of terrorism, committed to the destruction of israel, continues to hold nuclear ambition, raising security issues not only for israel, but for the entire world. we cannot waver in leading the international community towards a long-term verifiable solution. the middle east is a more dangerous place than at any time in history. with israel threatened on several fronts by well-armed and well-funded terrorists. diss -- distressingly close, this cannot happen. this is not a time for partisan bickering between democrats and republicans, nor between the congress and the administration. it is a time nor national discourse to educate the public

about the dangers out there, with the goal of national unity and resolve to stand behind israel. the only democratic state in the world's most dangerous neighborhood, speaking as a freshman congressman, the newest congressman, i pledge to work with my colleagues to seek better ways of working together in support of the state of israel and its right to exist. in these times of peril, it's our duty to work as a time, stand with israel, together we can seek a path to lasting solutions in the middle east. the alternative cannot happen. america must come together to support israel. i yield back. mr. stewart: thank you. and welcome you. it's my honor to introduce my good friend and someone i have come to respect and admire ms.

wall walorski. mrs. walorski: i thank the gentleman. as with past conflicts in the middle east much of the media focus has been on the death tolls on each side. but what this reporting neglects to mention is hamas' destruction of its own people. one of the most important duties of any nation is the protection of its people and the protection of innocent civilians. israel goes to great lengths to avoid targeting civilians to sending out warnings to evacuating warnings. yet hamas' leaders are willing to sacrifice its own people. hamas continues to force civilians including women and children to stand in harm's way and act as human shields. for the terrorist leaders and properties causing israeli

strikes on targets to result in innocent lives. the 34th commandant recently wrote, there is a clear and obvious moral chasm between hamas and israel. hamas has targeted civilians and they continue to do so. it is their standard targeting procedure and one of the reasons that makes them a terrorist organization. sadly, though, what we are seeing is nothing new. this is the third time in less than six years that fighting has broken out between israel and hamas. in order to secure peace and stability in the middle east, america and our allies and anyone else concerned about the safety, should focus about keeping the weapons out of the hands of hamas leaders. we must condemn iran, who is supporting and arming hamas. iran supplies hamas with rockets and training. just yesterday, iran's supreme

leader declared on iranian national tv this quote, he said, everyone, whoever has the means, especially in the islamic world, they should do what they can do nations. palestinian we must stand strongly with israel as it exercises its legitimate right to self-defense. we must call on the international community to condemn hamas for the human rights violations. everyone wants the current conflict to end, but how it ends is critically important. it can be over when there are no rockets and no tunnels and when hamas has been completely disarmed militarily. i yield back. mr. stewart: beautifully said. i now would like to introduce someone i have tremendous

respect for. he brings great experience to vietnam a u.s. army veteran, i yield to you, your time. mr. frelinghuysen: i thank the gentleman for yielding. i stand with israel. there are certain principles that govern the conduct of nations that is so basic, some fundamental, that the world should never have to be reminded of them, the most fundamental of these is simple and straightforward, a nation has a right and obligation to defend its people and territory from attack. unfortunately, however, this fundamental principle does not bear repeating tonight because too many around the world seemed to have forgotten it or too many seem to think it only applies to every nation but one, the state of israel. but make no mistake, it applies to israel just as it applies to every nation on the face of the

earth. every nation, e has the obligation to defend its people and territory. with thousands of rockets launched against israel by hamas is a deliberate attack on the state of israel and the israeli people. i stand with israel's right to exist in peace and protect itself. i stand with israel in terms of its efforts to defend itself and support the very important iron sling gram and david people that keep the israeli people. i stand with israel to defend itself against hamas. mr. speaker, i stand with israel. i thank the gentleman, and i yield back. mr. stewart: thank you for your comments and your leadership.

it's my honor to introduce mr. lance from new jersey. he served for many years on the new jersey state legislature and serves on the powerful house energy and commerce committee. i yield to you three minutes. mr. lance: mr. speaker, for those of us in the united states who value israel, its people and ts value, these are hard heartbreaking times. most say credit lands are brutalized by terror. though we may be far and distant, our spirit, support and resources are needed. the united states stands in solidarity with israel and its fundamental right to defend itself. the ongoing crisis in israel may feel a world away to some, but the significance cannot be

understated. a free people and democratic ally of our nation faces continued war by elements of hate and intolerance, similar to those who have claimed the lives of millions, forever scared the face of the earth and brought this battle to our shores 13 years ago. to know terror, look at their tactics. while israel uses weapons to shield women and children, hamas uses women and children to shield weapons. when israel offers a ceasefire, hamas orders more rocket launches. when israel offers compromise, hamas calls for more bloodshed. israel needs and deserves the support of the world community not a lecture. if the united states were under daily rocket assaults,

assuredly, the press would not question our right to keep americans safe. many of us in congress have worked together in a bipartisan fashion to support israel. look no further than the iron dome capability at the center ofial's current apparatus. it has been the guardian of a people under siege and it was constructed with the help of american ingenuity, american technology and american funds. countless other measures have sought to assess israel including recent legislation to disrupt international financing capabilities of terror networks. how can israel negotiate? the answer is moral authority. israel stands for peace, democracy, the rule of law, uman rights, liberty and

two-state solution and peace through strength. in this time of great moral crisis, now is not the time for neutrality. nearly 800 people nearly stood until solidarity with israel at this month at the new jersey headquarters of the jewish federation of greater metro west as we rallied for israel. tonight, that energy is here in washington as i join lawmakers in further conversation as to how best the united states can assist our friend in need. israel must never israel must never lose its resolve, its purpose or forget its proud history and the united states must support our great ally as it fights to preserve its very existence. i yield back. mr. stewart: thank you, sir, mr. lance. as manager of this special order i have to be prepared to fill the time if we need to, to

fill any gaps in the conversation and very clearly that's not been necessary tonight. we have so many eloquent members who are anxious and are stating this case so powerfully. i'd like to reck news -- recognize mr. franks of arizona, also serves on the armed services and judiciary committees and is also chairman of the constitution subcommittee. mr. franks. mr. franks: i thank the gentleman. mr. speaker, congresswoman michele bachmann and i recently introduced h.res. of 22 to -- r. hes 622 to defund the palestine -- h.res. 622 to defund the palestinian authority. may we all remember that yasser arafat, the founder of the palestinian authority proclaimed early on, quote, we plan to eliminate the state of israel and establish a uh purely palestinian state. we will make life unbearable

for the jews by population warfare. we palestinians will take over everything including all of jerusalem, close quote. mr. speaker, mahmoud abbas has taken this to its insidious end by publicly uniting with the terrorist group hamas, which is really the muslim brotherhood. let me make this very clear, mr. speaker. the hamas and palestinian authority have now become one and the same. yet even as hamas has continued to launch cowardly attacks from neighborhoods in gaza, hiding behind innocent women and children and making civilian casualties a deliberate strategy, president has responded by heralding president mahmoud abbas as a man of peace. in spite of the president's failure to do so, congress must continue its steadfast commit. of supporting israel to protect against hamas' thirst for death and the first step in doing that is to defund the

palestinian authority. i yield back. mr. stewart: thank you, mr. franks. i'm happy to introduce a friend of mine, someone i've come to respect greatly. he's a colonel in the national guard, i was only a major when i separated from the air force, so i salute him every time i see him. >> i thank the gentleman. we've heard much tonight about israel and the rockets and everything that's happening in that part of the world but one thing we haven't talked about much is the united nations human rights council, which really can't be taken seriously as a human rights organization, and i'll tell you why. mr. perry: let's talk about some members on it. cuba, russia, congo, ivory coast, venezuela and china. when you think about cuba and vens way lark they outlaw

political demonstrations in their country, yet they're on the human rights council judging israel. think about ivory coast and congo who allow genital mutilation in their country and yet they're judging israel this commission established a commission to probe alleged war crimes in violation of international by israel for defending its citizens against rocket and -- rocket attacks and terror tunnels. really? a commission to probe the war crimes from israel? what they should be doing instead is focusing on hamas, which uses its citizens as human shields. while its commanders flee to bunkers. if hamas uses human shields to protect its rockets, is that israel's fault for defending itself? but somehow as americans we're told that that's what we should believe. everybody, everybody in this

chamber, every american is saddened by the tragic loss of innocent life on both sides of the conflict. however, let's be clear. it's hamas. a designated terrorist organization that's refused to de-est ka late this conflict. recently e-- to de-escalate this conflict. recently i heard in gaza, where should the palestinians go? there's nowhere to go to avoid rockets from israel. where should they go? stay right there and quit firing on israel. quit digging tunnel into israel. that's what they should do. then this problem would relieve itself. who dug these tunnels? who fired over 2,000 rockets into israel? they don't have to go anywhere. they just need to quit attacking israel. no u.s. funds should go toward the palestinian authority or its institutions so long as hamas is part of a unity palestinian government. secretary kerry's recent

actions have actually hampered a cease fire. this administration continues to befriend our enemies and make enemies of our friends and it must stop, mr. speaker. it's critical for the u.s. to reiterate our support for our ally, our only ally there, which is israel. including its right of its people to live in peace and to defend itself. with that, mr. speaker, i yield back. mr. stewart: thank you, mr. perry. once again, i have the honor of introducing a member with a unique background, mr. ben voleyow of michigan. attacks enced rocket in his service, i think he speaks with some authority of the subject. mr. bent voleyow --

mr. benivolio: i rise in support of israel and its right to self-defense as it faces ongoing threat from rockets from gaza. picture the scene, you're walking down the streets of tel aviv. you see men, women, and children of all ages. to your right, an elderly man with a walker. a few paces ahead a mother with her stroller. it's peaceful. it's calm. it's the embodyment of urban normality. and suddenly you hear it. everyone instinctively know what is it is and in a split second, everything changes. it's the red alert siren a rocket is racing toward the city at breakneck speed, only seconds remain to find refuge in a bomb shelter. and the rocket could land anywhere. on a preschool, on a hospital, on a random family home, or perhaps on the mother and her stroller up ahead.

mr. speaker, this is the threat that israel faces. hamas and other terrorist groups in gaza which deliberately target israeli citizens and civilians while indiscrim -- which indiscriminately kill, maim, and terrorize and whose sole purpose is to destroy the state of israel. when faced with such a complete absence of basing moral inhibition by a brutal enemy, it is israel's right, nay, its duet, to forcefully respond in order to eliminate the threat. it's not disproportionate. it's self-defense. pure and simple. and it's precisely why the state of israel deserves our unwavering support at this time. it's also why no government that claims to be interested in peace can credibly partner with a group like hamas.

it's pastime for palestinian authority's president to dissolve this unity governing arrangement with this appalling terrorist group. we can't have it both ways. we can choose to make peace with hamas or with israel. as for me, i've made my choice. i'm proud to support the jewish state and i stand with israel because israel embodied all the values i embrace, peace, democracy, tolerance while the values of hamas, hate, extremism, violence violate everything i believe in. thank you and i yield the floor. mr. stewart: thank you. the gentleman from michigan has stated it once again very powerfully. now in conclusion, mr. smith of new jersey a senior member of the committee on foreign affairs, has great experience and is unquestionably, like many of us a strong supporter of israel. mr. smith. mr. smith: thank you very much. i thank my good friend from

utah. i thank him for his service to our country and for bringing us together this evening. i rise today to call on the president of the united states to give israel the robust and vigorous support it deserves. since the latest round of prounvoked rocket barrages were launched on july 6 by hamas, israeli citizens have lived under a relentless rocket attack, mortar fire, even attack from hamas drone aircraft in a foiled sea raid. israel has lived under a media attack, a calculated campaign to isolate israel for defending itself. major articles in international newspapers around the world grossly -- take a grossly anti-israeli stance. make no mistake, mr. speaker, a major purpose of hamas' rocket ttacks is to provoke counterattacks to have civilian deaths and launch a media campaign against israel.

hamas is guilty of sacrificing innocent lives and using women and children as human shields in a brutally cynical attempt to manipulate world opinion and isolate israel. the facts on the ground of hamas attacks were clear from the start and follow long established patterns. it's time our government did a much more powerful and unambiguous message that the u.s. fully supports israel's right to defend itself. the administration should emphasize that israel's actions in its own defense are legal, that they are right, and that the u.s. stands with israel, without any ifs, and, or buts, or any other qualifiers. as of yesterday, since the start of israel's operation protective edge, 2,500 rockets have been fired at israel from gaza. 1,875 of these have landed in israel. 495 have been shot down by iron dome. also as of yesterday, the idea

-- the authorities have uncovered in gaza 32 tunnels with more than 60 access shafts, some of which were in mosques and houses. anyone who has read today's feature in the "new york times," tunnels lead right to the heart of israeli fear, understand what these tunnels mean. the tunnels are about 50 feet underground, mostly undetectable like this one to my left and underground equipment cannot discover their whereabouts. the story quotes delyle bran dice who lives in a kibbutz who says, it's a pastoral environment i live in, the quiet of the green trees, but it's not pleasant that you sit ne day on the patio drinking coffee with your wife and terrorists rise up from the ground. that's what happened to him. perhaps this gives us some

insight into the dimension of the hamas terror. i note, mr. speaker, that despite the rocket attacks, by hamas and tunnels, israel continues to permit the transfer into gaza of humanitarian supplies and goods. israeli's -- israel's humanity while under fire and its continued effort to do everything it can to separate terrorist militants from civilians only underscores the evil nature of hamas. mr. speaker, hamas was designated a foreign terrorist organization in 1997 and has adopted a charter, the famous covenant of the islamic resistance. that charter remains its ideological program. the leader spoke on "the charlie rose show," in response to a question, do you want to coexist with the state of israel, he said no. they don't want peace, or recon sailuation or coexistence.

it wants to utterly destroy the state of israel. i have further comments i'll be saying later on thetching about the charter. please read the charter. it couldn't be clearer that they want to destroy, hamas wants to destroy israel. i thank my good friend for yielding. mr. stewart: thank you, mr. smith. powerfully said. as we wind down our time tonight, let me finalize with these thoughts. there's a great line from a speech that would have been given by john f. kennedy in november of 1963, if he'd been allowed to give that speech before he was anass nated. he said this people, this generation, not by choice but by destiny are set to be the -- are said to be the watchmen on the wall of world freedom wetch may not like the fact that we have to lead in the world. we may not like the responsibility. we may not like the cost. we may not like the hassle or the criticism or sometimes the hatred. that is directed toward us. but it doesn't matter. we have to lead.

if we don't do it, who will? if we don't lead, we give power to our enemies and we weaken our friends. we have a chance here tonight to we have a chance here tonight to make a statement to the world, to the people of israel, we stand by your side. to the peace-loving people of gaza, we stand with you as well. but to the terrorists who seek for the destruction of israel and to the leaders of hamas who seek only for death and destruction, we, the american people, will always stand in your way. with that, mr. speaker, i yield ack my time. the speaker pro tempore: under the speaker's announced policy of january 3, 2013, the gentlewoman from new york, ms. meng, is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader. ms. meng: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their

remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of my special order. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. meng: mr. speaker, as we gather this evening to discuss anti-semitism, it is a plague that has ravaged the world for thousands of years, yet in the last few weeks, it has reared its ugly head globally in a way we have not seen in a long time. it is truly shocking from berlin to new york we're hearing chants of gas the jews, and this is not hyperbole. we are actually hearing chants of gas the jews around the world. these are not isolated incidents. we are seeing hundreds and thousands of people rallying and sometimes attacking synagogues in europe. it's one thing to protest against events going on in the middle east, but there is simply no justification and no reason for doing it right outside any jewish place of worship. these are brazen acts of

anti-semitism. now, i cannot possibly understand anti-semitism to the same extent as my jewish friends, but i think it's crucial that non-jews speak out forcefully against this disease, because to effectively combat anti-semitism we need non-jews to step up and also lead on this issue. i'd like to focus my remarks today on two related issues. the international and domestic dimensions of anti-semitism. with regard to anti-semitism beyond our borders, i would like to focus on one case out of france. i'm focusing on france because i think it is really the frontline right now in the war against global anti-semitism. and i think it's an instructive case for how policy leaders here can face this issue. in france right now, there is a war. on the one hand, we see some of the most widespread and atrocious acts of anti-semitism. but on the other hand, we see a

government, most particularly the prime minister, acting forcefully against anti-semitism. the words and actions of the french government, most particularly the prime minister's recent assertions that anti-zionism is anti-semitism, are unprecedented and should be acknowledged as such. so what we have here are two sides. virulent anticentralites on one side and on the other, a democratically elected government that appears resolved to take them on. rather than throw our hands in the air and say that france is a horribly anticentral ethic place and all the jews should leave, we ought to get in this fight. anti-semitism is a complicated issue, not a black and white issue. yes, france has a deep history of anti-semitism, but it is also a country that has had a jewish president and one that nearly elected another a couple years ago. it has the third largest jewish

population in the world and there's a reason for that. it is also a country that historically has proven itself capable of changing. we need to recognize this history and work with france's leadership and civil society to fight this battle and remain hopeful. what happens here will, i believe, effect the future of the jewish people. this brings me to the domestic dimension of our problem. we obviously have anti-semitism in this country as well. although not to the degree we see it in europe. it is essential that jews and non-jews speak about this problem to their own communities and we have to continue to encourage that here in congress. in new york, mr. jeffries and i are leading a program whereby jewish, asian understand and african-american college students are gathering to discuss foreign policies and the perspectives of their respective communities in relation to key foreign policy issues. we must speak regularly about

israel, b.d.s. and other issues of importance to our jewish friends and neighbors. not just when there's a major international incident. the reason i say this is because it's also far easier to hate someone you don't know than to hate someone that you do know. mr. speaker, as we head into the august recess, i urge my colleagues of all stripes to discuss the dangers of anti-semitism with their communities and to build bridges between communities. so so that we may reduce hatred and bigotry. i also urge my colleagues as states men and women to engage the international community in a positive way on this issue and believe in and fight for a europe and wormed of lesser anti-semitism -- world of lesser anticentral -- central -- anti-semitism with that i'd like to yield to the gentlelady from florida, the first jewish woman elected to congress, a tireless advocate and one of the great jewish leads of our time -- leaders of our time.

ms. wasserman schultz: i thank the gentlelady from new york, particularly for her leadership in stepping up and bringing to the floor of the united states house of representatives the incredibly important topic of anti-semitism. not just nationally, but globally. cause the -- much of the conflict that exists worldwide today unfortunately stems from poisonous anti-semitism. the gentlelady from new york represents the district that my parents grew up in. and a -- neighborhoods and communities with a proud jewish immigrant tradition. and also represents a community that -- in the asian american community -- that has come and joined that proud and vibrant

ethnic community of immigrants, who have contributed so much to the united states' rich tapestry of diversity. and it's diversity that we celebrate. but unfortunately it's not diversity or difference that everyone celebrates, as we've seen with the poisonous rise in anti-semitism. so from the bottom might have heart, as a jew, and as the representative of a significant jewish population myself, thank you so much for your leadership in bringing this important issue to the floor of the house of representatives. because it's only through shining a light on anti-semitism that we are going to be able to help educate people and fight back. and i rise today, mr. speaker, to condemn the alarming increase of anti-semitism that we've witnessed over the last few weeks. while the antidefamation league released a terrifying report just last month about anti-semitism growing throughout the world, tragically my own constituents

have personally experienced terrifying and heinous crimes against them just this past week. on monday morning, congregants and neighbors were horrified to find that swastikas had been spray painted on the walls of a synagogue in miami-dade county. in miami beach over the weekend, a jewish couple found their car had been egged and the words hamas and jew had been smeared on their car. these deplorable acts are atrocious and despicable, for all of us who care about the rights of minority populations in this country, who celebrate the rich diversity that makes up our great nation, we cannot and we must not be silent. it is amazing to many of us that these actions are occurring in 2014, not in 1930 nazi germany. but unfortunately we're also witnessing what antidefamation league director and holocaust survivor abe foxman called the worst anti-semitism since world war ii. in france, as the gentlelady

from new york detailed, in an episode that is chillingly reminiscent of crystal knox, we witnessed angry riders throw fire bombs at synagogues and ran sack and destroy jewish-owned businesses. in belgium a cafe actually publicly displayed a sign saying dogs were allowed in the cafe but jews were not. thankfully we have seen the leaders of european countries, including germany, france and italy, condemn this kind of behavior. there are countless voices across europe speaking up in the face of barberism. but this anti-semitism is real. this hatred is real. and the violence is real. many not close to this issue may ask why. to us, it's very clear. this recent surge of anti-semitism is borne out of kneejerk reaction to the conflict raging in israel and gaza. but this con flation of antisesmtism with the recent actions of israel in defense of

her people is completely misplaced. israel's actions are a direct response against rocket attacks from a terrorist organization whose stated mission is israel's destruction and who thrives on a continuing narrative of anti-semitism and hatred. unfortunately we only see a few lone voices around the world pro testing against a hamas government that knowingly and willingly puts its citizens, its children, in harm's way, placing them in jeopardy and sacrificing their lives to engender sympathy for their evil cause. we hear little from much of the world against the terrorist organization that chose to invest in rockets and building tunnels for plotting murderous attacks against innocent civilians instead of investing in homes and schools and hospitals for its citizens. instead of condemning these cowardly practices by hamas, we have however seen people rage equally against israel, israelis and jews anywhere. the words and phrases that these protesters are using cannot be spoken on this house

floor. they have been dug up from the worst episodes of human history. that is why i am proud to stand with my colleagues tonight, to stand with president obama and secretary kerry and send a clear message that these actions will not be tolerated. we must stand by the commitments we made as a community and as the world to never again stand silent in the face of this kind of horror. this kind of bigotry. this kind of injustice. we will not stand idly by as speech turns into violence against innocent people. never again. thank you and i yield back my time to the gentlelady and ppreciate once again her time. ms. meng: with that i'd like to yield to my friend, mr. deutch of florida, a ranking member of the subcommittee of middle east and north africa, mentor on many of those issues and a good friend and a fellow wolverine,

a tireless fighter and defender of israel, mr. deutch. mr. deutch: thank you, thank you to my friend from new york, ms. meng. i appreciate very much your dedicating this hour to this important topic. i appreciate your leadership, i'm proud to be here with you and with my friend and my neighbor from florida, ms. wasserman schultz, a powerful and eloquent spokeswoman on these issues that mean so much not just to the jewish community but to all of america. and i am glad to be here with you, to condemn the increase of antisesmtism around the world. anti-semitism isn't a new issue. faced by jews. for centuries jews have been targeted, persecuted, sometimes by their governments, sometimes by their neighbors, used as scapegoats for economic down turns and disasters and commonly accused for being disploil to their home country -- disloyal to their home country.

but this hatred unfortunately is far from gone. it continues in a range of manifestations. from holocaust denial to suspicion of jewish influence over international affairs and tragically even in the shooting of innocent jews. in recent days, we've seen a new face on this age-old bigotry. we're seeing demonstrations around the world that claim to be protesting israel's actions against hamas, but too easily and far too often political opposition to israel's policies and actual hatred toward jews are con flated and are indistinguishable. it's clear unfortunately that many people are using the current conflict, a facade of anti-zionism or anti-israel sentiment as a thin veil to cover up a much --vale to cover up a much more deep-seated

hatred for jews. it moves far beyond a political statement when your intention is to insight violence and to insight violence against jewish targets especially. since the military operation egan on july 8, over 100 anti-semitic incidents have been reported in the united kingdom alone. on july 18, four teenagers assaulted a rabbi. in belfast separately, a synagogue wag damaged when bricks were thrown through the -- was damaged when bricks were thrown through the windows. in france, a kosher store was the target of a molotov cocktail. last month two jews were sprayed with tear gas. in paris, two synagogues were attacked on july 13 while the mob chanted death to the jews.

molotov cocktails were thrown to the -- thrown through the ndow of a jewish community center. these remind us of jews killed at a jewish day school. in germany, long counted, appropriately so, for its extensive protective policies against anti-semitism, jews are witnessing anti-semitic slogans and chants that seem so out of date and out of place. only a few days ago, a jewish man wearing a yarmulke was assaulted on the streets of berlin and hit in the face. a group of anti-israel protests on their way to attack a synagogue were arrested for conspiracy to commit a crime. , statements, the screaming in frankfurt, you jews are beast, in paris, death to the

ews, in germany, chants of hamas, hamas, jews to the gas. all over the world, not just statements, but the vitriol found on social media as well is not only abhorrent, it is chilling. but these incidents as my colleagues have described are not taking place only abroad. just this past weekend, as my friend from florida related, a synagogue in her district was vandalized with the word hamas and swastikas. nearby, jews woke up to find one of chair cars eggs -- egged and the other covered with swastikas.

in my home state, at a rally, the crowd yelled throw the jews into the sea. an employee of mine talked about an occurrence last weekend he said i was walking home alone from synagogue, minding my own business. when i got to the crosswalk i waited for the light to turn to cross safely. while waiting, a car pulled up in front of me where a young man rolled down the window and yelled, jew, hitler was right. and then drove off. i remind you, this was not at a rally, he said. i was wearing a yarmulke, i was walking from synagogue, i was enjoying shabbat. there are many, more more examples domestically, including a jewish summer camp in california where graffiti was found that read jews equal killers and jews are children killers. it's unacceptable that radical groups are used the conflict between israel and hamas as pretext for their own

anti-semitism. last month i joined my colleagues in a letter to secretary kerry urging the state department's continued focus on combating anti-semitism worldwide. i applaud the statements of condemnation by european leaders, including those in france, germany, and italy and their stated goal of ensuring safety to their own communities is to be admire bud there's more that needs to be done rerid societies of this baseless hatred toward jews. a number of leaders in the u.s., europe and israel have voiced concern about the rise of the numb of hate speech and violence and many believe the animosity has risen to the worst level seen since the holocaust. we must continue to speak out on these issues, which is why i'm so grateful to have this opportunity tonight. we have to use this opportunity educate and to combat anti-semitism in all of its forms. when we combat anti-semitism,

we stand not just against hay trad for the jews, we stand against -- tai hey tread for the jew well, stand against hatred. when we stand against anti-semitism and speak out against hatred, every minority group that's the target of hatred, every one of those groups, benefits from our willingness to speak out. i'm glad to have that opportunity to do that here on the floor tonight and with that, i again would like to thank my friend, ms. meng, for bringing us together today and i yield back. ms. meng: in conclusion, we stand today united as a congress to condemn acts of anti-semitism through the world and right here in our communities. hate is never the answer. we must always speak up. i'd like to end by reciting a

well known poem by martin mueller, first they came for the socialists and i did not speak out because i was not a socialist. then they came for the trade unionists and i did not speak out because i was not a trade unionist. then they came for the jews and i did not speak out because i was not a jew. then they came for me and there was no one left to speak for me. hank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back her ime. under the speaker's announced policy of january 3, 2013, the chair recognizes the gentleman from arizona, mr. franks, for 0 minutes.

mr. franks: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i would now yield five minutes to the gentleman from new jersey, mr. smith. mr. smith: i thank my good friend for yielding and thank him for his leadership and his eloquent remarks a few moments ago on hamas terrorism and the fact that we need to do much more than we have to try to mitigate and end and disarm this organization that's committed -- that is committed to the demise of the state of israel. hamas, mr. speaker, as we all know is a terrorist organization and as netanyahu put it so well. it's like al qaeda, it's just like boko haram. they kill people they murder, they rape, they abduct and do all kinds of terrible terrorist activities in order to promote their ends. yesterday, the leader of hamas spoke to charlie rose who asked, do you want to coexist with the state of israel? the hamas leader said,

completely matter of factly, no. it is clear, mr. speaker, that hamas doesn't want peace or reconciliation or coexistence. hamas seeks only the total demise of israel. i'd like to quote, mr. speaker, briefly from the hamas charter and i encourage members of this body and americans and people around the world to read the hamas charter. article 13 says, and i quote it, initiatives and so-called peaceful solutions and international conferences are in contradiction to the principles of the islamic resistance movement. the hamas charter says, it continues, there is no solution for the palestinian question except through jihad. initiatives proposes -- initiative, proposals, and international conferences are l a waste of time and vain

endeavors. close quote. it gets etch worse, mr. speaker. article 20 compares the israeli society with nazism. article 28 charges so-called zionism with massive conspiracy, which aims at undermining societies, destroying values, corrupting consciences, deteriorating character and inighting islam. article 32 charges that the plan of the so-called zion system bodied in one of the greatest liables in all of human history, the protocols of the elders of zion. all of this, mr. speaker, recalls the three-d test of anti-semitism. demonization, double standards, nd delegitmyization. -- and delegitimizeation. he proposed what he called a simple test to help us

distinguish legitimate criticism of israel from anti-semitism. as he put it this three ds are demonization, when israel's actions are blown out of all sensible proportion. when comparisons are made between israelis and nazis, this is anti-semitism. not legitimate criticism of israel. second, the double standard. when criticism of israel is applied selectively. when israel is singled out by the united nations for human rights abuses while the behavior of known and real and major abusers such as china, iran, cuba, and syria is ignored. this is anti-semitism. d the third d, delegitimizeation, as he puts it, when israel's fundamental right to exist among all peoples in the world, this too is anti-semitism. and this, too, is exactly what hamas is engaged in. from its origins to the present

day, the hamas movement has been poisoned by anti-semitism and the murderous nature of this evil has not diminished, it has gotten worse. jews today continue to die because of it. five i.d.f. soldiers were killed yesterday, 48 have died since july 8, and of course we are deeply saddened by these deaths as well as all who have died in the conflict and we must not forget that it is anti-semitic hatred that is driving this conflict and causing all of these deaths. and so today, mr. speaker, i call on president obama to give israel our government's full support and to make unmistakably clear our government's position that israel, in response to hamas' unprovoked attacks, is fully in the right to defend itself, include to search out and destroy hamas terror tunnels

and those who launch rockets at israel. again, i thank my good friend mr. franks for his leadership and again for his strong and eloquent statement earlier on during the special order on hamas. i yield back. mr. franks: i thank the gentleman. mr. speaker, i just suggest to you that the time that i have been in congress, nearly 12 years now, about 12 years, and i do not know of a greater defender of humanity and truth and the kind of principle that made america what we are than one congressman chris smith. and i just consider it a privilege for the time i've had to be able to serve with him. mr. speaker, 30 years ago, soviet marshal olgurkov announced that flight 7 of korean airlines had been terminated, that the soviets had shot down a civilian airliner killing all 269

passengers aboard. president reagan immediately addressed the entire nation about the tragedy and resolutely called for justice and action. he then proceeded to accelerate work on america's missile defense system. he worked with congress on the reagan defense buildup he built relationships with european allies and enforced strong sanctions that ultimately bankrupt and brought down the once unshakeable soviet union. mr. speaker, last week another ivilian airliner, flight mh-17 with 298 innocent people aboard was also shot down and this time by russian-backed separatists. on that same day in which the conflict in israel also escalated to new height the "new york times" reported president obama's schedule as, quote, a cheeseburger and fries at charcoal pit at delaware, a speech, and two fundraisers in

delaware. where would america be if we had elected barack obama in 1980? and where will this president's leadership take us tomorrow? with that question, i yield ack. the speaker pro tempore: under the speaker's announced policy of january 3, 2013, the chair recognizes the gentleman from michigan, mr. bentivolio were 30 minutes. mr. bentivolio: thank you, mr. speaker. as i have said several times in recent weeks, i want to bring attention to the flight of christians in the middle east. any person watch the news for the last several months will have seen an increasingly violent, chaotic, unpredictable environment. the middle east and iraq in particular is not stable. this creates an enormous problem for christians in the region.

christians in michigan and in my district have repeatedly raised the question of ongoing persecutions of christians in iraq. recently, the last remaining christians in mosul were forced to flee, isis had take then city. for the first time in well over 1,000 years, sunday mass is no longer being said. my colleague, friend and mentor, representative frank wolf, has characterized the situation facing christians in iraq as genocide. that analyst is about -- that analyst is about as accurate as it -- that analysis is about as accurate as it can get. christians have been targeted and killed for their faith. we are seeing genocide. the eradication of a specific group of people, namely, christians. . isis is trying to push

christians out of territory that they control, they are also destroying the physical traces of christianity. churches, monday stares -- monasteries and religious sites are being destroyed and desecrated. even jonah's tomb has been destroyed. and the shrine has been blown up. as a christian, it is an incredibly heartbreaking series of events that i have watched unfold. i have seen an advocate for human rights and religious freedom, i have been an advocate for human rights and religious freedom since i took office. and what really bothers me is the fact that neither the president nor the state department have addressed the challenge facing christians in iraq. christians in my district have been asking me what can be done for iraqi christians.

but as i have said many times before, there is only so much that can be done when the president has not taken action. the government and military of iraq are weak, ineeffectual and unable to defend the people of their country. the u.s. withdrawal from iraq has left the power vacuum that has allowed a group like isis take control and force the radical beliefs on an increasingly large portion of the population. i am worried that what we have seen is only the beginning. christians are being targeted now. but i suspect that they will eventually begin to target muslims who don't share their beliefs as well. radical islamists are trying to shape and form an iraq that adheres to their beliefs. they're destroying iraq's cultural and religious heritage. its history. it faces -- if they succeed, there will be nothing left of

it. christians and iraqi christians don't want to leave iraq and many in my district, many in my district wish that they never had to. however, it has become too dangerous to stay. when faced with death and other forms of violence, most christians have chosen to flee. genocide is indeed a brutal thing. as i discussed in a previous speech on the house floor, there is a severe problem in u.s. foreign policy that needs to be examined. the u.s. began the iraq war with the goal of ridding the region of a tyrannical government that we argued didn't protect its people. however, a decade later, at the conclusion of the u.s. military mission in iraq, the people are perhaps worse off than they were before the u.s. invasion. what did we miss? if the u.s. is leaving iraq in a considerably worse state than when we arrived, there is

something that went wrong. that's the question that needs to be asked. and what needs to be considered. it's not that we can afford to make these kind of mistakes. it's that people who live there absolutely can't afford the consequences. we need to put pressure on the kurdish government to continue protecting iraqi christians. we need to analyze where our foreign aid is going and who it is going to. i have heard from many of my constituents from iraq. the aid we are sending to iraq isn't making it to the christian communities, at least not in any adequate fashion. if we are going to be giving foreign aid, humanitarian or otherwise, to a country or government in order to protect its people, then they better do it. if we are propping up a government or nation that doesn't protect its people from radical threats, religious and ethnic persecution and

genocide, then it's time to re-evaluate that relationship and figure out a better path forward. i have said before and firmly believe, if countries in the middle east are unable to provide security and stability for all of their people, then they will never be stable. they will continue to be at risk. we have to encourage stable societies, rment for religious freedom, democracy and the rule of law. we can't just build strong governments and militaries or the u.s. will always face the problems we are seeing in iraq. if iraq's christians are forced out entirely, i don't think there will be much hope left for the country. i would like to seecal dean christians and other iraqis one day be able to return home. at the moment, i am not sure when that will be possible. that depends on iraq's resilience and ability to manage radical threats.

i will remain hopeful and i ask that others also pray for those who are still there facing a dire situation. mr. speaker, i yield back. excuse me. i yield to the gentleman from texas. mr. gohmert: i'm very grateful to my friend for yielding and i'm very grateful for his strong stance on the issue of israel and just wanted to add an exclamation point to the gentleman's comments. there's been a lot of discussion about israel tonight and about what is being done against the interests of israel. but, mr. speaker, i think it bears pointing out that this administration could do much to help our friend israel.

and that when anyone in this administration says to the world, and in particular the people in the middle east, including the terrorists in the iddle east, that we see israel , a country whose leaders are , whose and hamas leaders are sworn to the destruction of israel and the death of jews, then the world gets the wrong impression. they get the impression that we e terrorism and love of life in israel, terrorism by hamas, love of life in israel, as equals. that is a despicable thing to show the world from the united states, from any administration official. it is important that we let the world know that when a nation

that is such a dear friend as srael is attacked repeatedly by rockets intended to kill innocent children, women, others around the country, then they have the right of self-defense, to go in and clean up those who would destroy them. that means when they go in to shut down the tunnels by which terrorists are allowed to enter their country and kill people, that we don't have some do-gooder from the united states rush in and say, hold on, hold on, we realize you're destroying the tunnels that are allowing israelis to be killed, we realize you are shutting down the rocket missile sites from which rockets are being launched to kill israelis, but we want to give hamas a

breather so these terrorists bent on killing israelis can regather their forces and get a better run at their death to israelis. that is a disastrous foreign policy. equals, put equals as terrorists and a country that loves life, and it loves life so much that unlike any military operation i'm aware of , notifies the people they're about to bomb before they bomb so people can clear out. that's extraordinary. the burden of proof on israel that is placed there by some in this administration and by others who love the terrorists and hate those who simply want to live in peace is unbearable. it's time the united states showed itself to be a friend of

israel. the good news is, in this body, in this house, and even at the other end, in the senate, though we disagree profoundly so many issues, when israel comes up, we're more unified on our friendship with israel than we are about any other issue i'm aware of. and that's as it should be. when the leader of israel, prime minister netanyahu, came and spoke a few years ago right here at this podium, both sides of the aisle stood and applauded repeatedly. that's as it should be. as he pointed out right here, if israel's -- if israel lays down its weapons, there is no israel. if the palestinians lay down

their weapons, there is no war. the war ends. that's all they're asking for. i used to wonder, why in the world do israelis try to give away land trying to buy peace when every time they give away land they're attacked from that piece of land? and after spending time in israel, i began to understand, when you see the coffee shops, the different places where people would gather that would have someone loaded up with suicide bombs, walk in and blow up as many innocent people as they could, or see an area where that's where the terrorist bomber came walking up onto the school ground, then you realize, look, they're willing to even give away their precious land that god gave to them over 3,000 years ago if they could just buy a little

peace. but the lesson should come back loudly, there's never been a time in israel's history when it has given away land trying to buy peace that that land was not ultimately used as a staging area from which to attack it. so i think it was pretty clear this administration showed its rds, when as a method of thumping, figuratively speaking, israel, the f.a.a. suspended flights into tel aviv. they were not at risk anymore than other flights through american airlines around the world. especially in countries where there are terrorists. but it was a message to israel that, hey, you better do what we tell you or we're going to hurt you economically. that message was clear and it wasn't missed by the israelis. and then to have that followed

by the secretary of state putting a terrorist organization and a country that's one of our dearest friends together on equal standing was further insult to the injury, literal injury, that this country had caused israel. it is time that we recognize what my dear friend mr. bentivolio has said clearly, it's time we stand with israel. it's time we make clear to israel's enemies, you take on israel, you take us on. you may not get that from this administration, they may still be playing patty-cake with terrorists, but in this congress, from both sides of the aisle, we stand with israel and i thank my friend so much for helping make that clear. mr. bentvolio: i'd like to thank the gentleman from texas for his wisdom on this and so

many other important issues facing us today. mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. mr. bentvolio: mr. speaker, i move that the house do now adjourn. the speaker pro tempore: the question is on the motion to adjourn. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. the motion is adopted. accordingly, the house stands adjourned until 10:00

that he has abused his executive authority, that he has stepped out of bounds of the constitution and boehner said, we've had enough. we're going to sue him and they're pointing to a provision of the -- of obamacare. of course the health care law that the democrats passed without any republican support, and they're saying that a certain delay in one of those provisions is outside of the law. what congress didn't approve it and we're seeing -- we're suing you because of it. >> what's this resolution do? say it passes the house. what does it mean?

>> it authorizes the house, the chamber, the actual chamber, to sue president obama. to sue the white house. now the debate over one facet of this debate is whether or not they even have standing to do so. a lot of legal scholars say they do not. other says they do. en this is something that's going to be tied up in the courts for a lightning time. so you're not going to see any decisions based on this legislation, based on this suit pre-election. but just the fact that they're going through all these motions is certainly, you know, it's red meat to republicans and democrats have been fundraising on it as well. it's political fodder for both sides. and certainly an exciting debate for us. >> the speaker tweeted this week, we will pass, debate and pass the resolution authorizing the lawsuit openly, transparently and in regular order. what's the response been by the white house and by democrats generally? >> predictably they say that the republicans don't have standing, they say that this is just another instance of the republicans focusing on

undermining a president that they simply don't like, rather than doing other business, rather than focusing on the economy and other issues that people care about more. again, this is -- this plays into the republican narrative that obama has exceeded his executive authority and that's going to rally the republican base, you know, the democrats have the flip side and that's going to rally their base, their fundraising on it. how is this going to affect independents? that's the big question mark right now and we won't know that until after the elections. >> is there any senate involvement? this is a house resolution, so the senate get noes say in it? >> senate has no say in it. >> speaker boehner met with a number of reporters and the hill headline sums it up. boehner impeachment is a democratic scam in the hill d. he said in particular, it's all a scam started by democrats at the white house and we have no plans to impeach the president. how did this grow out of this -- comment come out of this

whole talk about the lawsuit? >> right, another interesting facet of all of this. again, both sides, huge disagreement, you'd be shocked to hear that there's a partisan disagreement about where the debate began. senior white house advisor who has had a christian science monitor breakfast on friday, and he mentioned that this lawsuit is the first step towards impeachment. this didn't come from nowhere. sarah palin, former representative and west of florida, these guys have been pushing an inpeachment resolution for a long time. but republican leaders have not yet gotten on board. so there is a distinction there between some of the tea party conservatives, both in and out of congress, and the leadership. so when boehner says he's not going to do it, he's just pushing back against some of the rank and file, some of the sarah palin types around the country who have been pushing to impeach obama for quite some time. >> there have been some news reports this week that indicate that there's talk about impeachment, it's actually driven fundraising for the democrats. >> it certainly has.

it actually began, their fundraising kick began last thursday when rules committee passed the lawsuit resolution, then when pfieffer mentioned the impeachment thing, then they jumped onboard with the impeachment thing and you've seen all these email blasts, like forget the last count, it's probably approaching 20 that we've seen since thursday, mentioning impeachment, mentioning the lawsuit, asking for money from democrats and they've done quite well. they've raised over $2 million in just a matter of days. the greatest four-day haul in this election cycle. so it's working for the democrats and that's why they're still beating the drum. >> can the same be said for republican candidates? is the impeachment issue working as a fundraising snool >> i haven't seen direct evidence of it but you can imagine that it would be. in a lot of these conservative districts, they agree with boehner and the republicans that obama has exceeded his executive thord -- authority. and they will jump onboard. they want to see boehner suing the president over what they feel is executive overreach.

>> mike willis of "the hill." thank you for the update. >> thanks, appreciate it. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2014] >> also likely this week in the house, action on a republican proposal for border security funding. for more on that, we spoke with a clip reporter. -- capitol hill reporter. >> the spending process for c.q. roll call. what will the focus of this republican bill be like? what is money being allocated in this? >> about 2/3 of the money is going toward border security. most of it going to the department of homeland security . they're looking to beef up funding for i.c.e., which transports the migrants once they're apprehended at the border, houses them initially, and also deports the immigrants after their case.

also a lot of money going to putting more judges on the border, including teleconferencing technology to allow for quicker immigration hearings before a judge. which they're hoping to get done within seven days after migrants are apprehended at the border. >> an article pointed out that this bill was not only far less than what the president had proposed, but quite a bit pare d'back from the bill that helped -- pared back from the bill that was introduced last week. why was that $1.5 billion not accept snble >> we don't know exactly what was cut out, but chairman ronalders floated the initial $1.5 billion proposal and it just didn't seem like it was getting enough support. so in order to shore up as much support from conservatives in the caucus as possible, they really had to pare down that spending. a lot of people were worried that the money wasn't necessary. >> what was the reaction from the conference when it was released today? >> it seemed to -- they seemed to get pretty decent support, although there was a group of conservative republicans who

said they were still concerned about the money, they were concerned that it didn't include changes to an executive order that came out in 2012 that deferred action on immigrants who arrived in the u.s. as children. they were concerned that that issue was not addressed. some are also concerned that the senate's going to turn around and jam them with a comprehensive immigration overhaul that they are fundamentally opposed to. they're about to say no money at all. the president can deal with it using his own executive powers right now. and that no additional money is needed. >> one of the headlines in your piece says, no wildfire, no iron dome funding, referring to the money going to the israeli missile defense program. why weren't those figures included in the house bill? the iron dome was included in the senate proposal, correct? >> yes. the senate proposal gave about $615 million to fighting wildfires out west. and about $225 million for the iron dome missile suppression system in israel. on the house side, chairman

rogers says he was hoping to address the iron dome issue separately. that's something they think they can get taken care of pretty quickly. as for the wildfire issue, that is something they've been grappling with for a long time. the administration wants to fundamentally change the way that wildfires are funded, it's currently not considered a natural disaster. under fema's program. but chairman -- house budget chairman paul ryan is against the approach proposed by the administration. so it seems like chairman rogers and leadership just stepped off and decided that that was something they could deal with later. >> let me ask you about an item you tweeted out last week. the tweet, 2008 antitrafficking law emerges as a potential bargaining chip as democrats hope to move border sum meble. what's that law -- supplemental. what's that law all about? is it included in the house proposal and how does it effect the overall debate with the senate? >> that easily passed both chambers of congress in 2008 as an ty trafficking bill. but -- anti-trafficking bill. but conservatives say it

encourages immigrants to come across the border because it gives them their day in court, per se. but they say a lot of imgraments come and don't show up at their immigration hearing. democrats are scared that if, you know, do you include changes to the law, which means you allow all central american or you immediately deport all certain american children, they're worried or sorry, you allow central american children to self-deport immediately if they would like, they're concerned that it's not giving those children due process. right now mexican and canadian immigrants are allowed to choose to self-deport. >> and lastly, about the process for debate in the house this week, what's it look like in they just have a few days left, obviouslyy. >> yeah, it looks at this point that they're going to take up the measure on thursday under a closed rule which means there are no amendments and looks like they'll send it off to the senate really quickly and run away from town for about five weeks. > the appropriations

rainstormer for c.q. roll call. read more at rollcall.com, cq.com as well. thanks for the update. >> thank you. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2014] >> on the other side of the capitol today, the senate confirmed robert mcdonald as secretary of veterans affairs. mr. mcdonald, a west point graduate, and former c.e.o. of procter and gamble, was confirmed -- confirmed in unanimous 97-0 vote. >> sunday on book tv's in depth, former republican congressman from texas and presidential candidate ron paul. he's written more than a dozen books on politics and history with his latest "the school revolution" on america's education system. join the conversation as he takes your calls, emails and tweets, live for three hours sunday, august 3, at noon eastern. and tune in next month for author, historian and activist. in october, supreme court expert discusses court sessions.

in december, american enterprise institute, president and noted musician, arthur brooks. in depth, on c-span2's book tv. elevision for serious readers. for over 35 years, see pan brings public affairs event -- c-span brings public affairs events from washington directly to you. putting you in the room at congressional hearings, white house events, briefings and conferences and offering complete gavel to gavel coverage of the u.s. st -- of the u.s. house, all as a public service of private industry. we're c-span, created by the cable tv industry 35 years ago and brought to you as a public service but your local cable or satellite provider. watch us in h.d., like us on facebook and follow us on twitter. >> the head of the u.s. pacific command briefed reporters at the pentagon today. one topic he addressed was a stow-away on a u.s. air force cargo plane.

>> i know there's been some breaking news here out of europe. so if you'll just bear with me. i'm going to read you this short at the same time here. during a routine postflight maintenance inspection of an 86 airlift wing assigned c-130-j aircraft on sunday night, the body of an apparent stow-away was found crapped in a compartment. american and german emergency responders were summoned, removed the body and transported it to a german facility for autopsy and further investigation. the deceased was an adolescent black male, possibly of african origin. the aircraft had just returned from supporting africa command operations, which stopped in a few countries. at this point it is unknown where or when the deceased entered the landing gear rear well. the body did not impact the

function of the aircraft, nor would it be visible during standard inspections. the body was only discovered during a detailed postflight inspection by maintenance personnel following. laboratory results that were taken from samples from the body confirm negative test results for communicable diseases and the cause of death as well as the other circumstances surrounding this incident remains under investigation. thoughts and prayers certainly go out to the young man's family, who no doubt must be grieving and worried right now. ail leave it at that. >> just to follow on that. how long was the plane in germany before -- >> i don't know. >> it was inspected? >> i don't know. i'd have to refer you to ucon for more detail on that. if it occurred -- if the body was found during a postflight inspection, my guess is very shortly after it got there. because it's normal practice

that you do pre and postflight aircraft inspections. >> no i.d.? >> no i.d. >> there was a report that the flight originated in mali but you said it stopped in a few countries in africa? >> i can't confirm that initial press report about mali. don't know that. again, i'd refer you to africom and ucom for those kinds of details. it did have -- the aircraft did stop in numerous countries in africa on its routine missions it was conducting. i don't have the list. i don't have more detail about the missions the aircraft was conducting either. >> you said it was sunday night they found this? >> yes. >> why are we just hearing about this now? >> i think, i mean, a process needed to be undertaken to safely remove the body, to determine the status and to take it to the lab and also there needed to be -- because

it's a foreign national on a foreign base, there needed to be a level of consultation with the german government so it took a little time for that process to work. to work its way time for that process to work its way through. ofthere have been a couple cases of people in africa right now who have ebola. >> there was concern. again, the body was tested before, for communicable diseases, and none were found. >> is the lead on the investigation the german authorities? is, aunderstanding combination. i would refer you to european command. >> in addition to being a tragedy for this young person, this is also a security breach. supposedese aircraft's regarded at all times? accent will be part of the