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[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 8 (Wednesday, January 14, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H299]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

                    MORAL CLARITY--ISRAEL VS. HAMAS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, as the fighting in the Middle East 
rages on, many in the media and the elites in Europe have asserted with 
self-righteous indignation that Israel's response to Hamas' acts of 
terror is not appropriate, and Israel should unilaterally cease all 
military operations. They cite inflated numbers of Palestinian 
civilians killed in this war and blame Israel for the death; never mind 
the fact that the coward of the desert, Hamas, uses Palestinian men, 
women and children at mosques, schools and hospitals as shields; never 
mind the fact that before bombing a military target in Gaza, Israel 
calls the area and advises the civilians to leave; and never mind the 
fact that since 2000 more than 8,000 rockets have been fired by Hamas 
into Israel civilian settlements. Mr. Speaker, Israel must defend its 
people from these attacks.
  The truth is, Mr. Speaker, that the moral differences between Hamas 
and Israel could not be clearer. Hamas worships death, Israel worships 
life. Hamas supports terrorism, Israel supports liberty. Hamas 
oppresses women, Israel honors women. Hamas destroys, Israel builds. 
Hamas believes in the pursuit of misery and Israel believes in the 
pursuit of happiness. Hamas supports crucifixion, Israel supports 
mercy. Hamas honors murder, Israel honors the sanctity of life. Hamas 
kills people with different religious beliefs, Israel embraces the 
freedom of religion. Hamas incites hatred, Israel believes in 
tolerance. Hamas is racist, Israel believes in the equality of all. 
Hamas believes in chaos, Israel believes in justice. Hamas promotes 
anarchy, and Israel promotes peace. The moral canyon that separates 
Israel from Hamas is best described by Hamas' own motto, and I quote, 
``We love death more than the Jews love life.''
  Hamas not only doesn't care about killing Jews, it doesn't care about 
killing Palestinians either. They use living Palestinians as human 
shields. Hamas prevents humanitarian aid from Israel from reaching 
Palestinians in Gaza.
  The international community has begun calling for an immediate cease-
fire, especially the Europeans, asking and telling Israel they must 
unilaterally stop this war. Mr. Speaker, some in Europe don't believe 
that anything is worth fighting for, but some things are worth fighting 
for. The basic human right of liberty is worth fighting for whether 
Europeans believe in it or not.
  The last thing Israel ought to agree to is another phony peace. 
Israel did that 3 years ago with Lebanon and look what happened; the 
U.N.-mandated disarmament of Hezbollah failed miserably. Hezbollah has 
rearmed, and in fact just last week began firing more rockets on 
Israel.
  There can be no peace in this war as long as Hamas is allowed to 
murder in the name of religion. Rather than bending to the pressure of 
world opinion, Israel ought to continue to protect her right to exist 
and the rights of her people to live free. The world must demand that 
Hamas cease all rocket fire and smuggling of arms from Egypt into Gaza.
  Hamas needs to leave Israel alone. Just today, Osama bin Laden issued 
a 20-minute recording calling for a jihad against Israel. Jihad is 
another phrase for a holy war against Israel for its actions in Gaza. 
All the eyes of the world, especially the moderate Arab states, are 
looking to this conflict to see whether Iran and its hired guns, Hamas 
and Hezbollah, are victorious.
  Hezbollah and Hamas, these twin tribes of terror, must be stopped. 
Unless they are, Iran will be encouraged to be more aggressive in the 
region and assert its influence over moderate Arab states. You see, 
Iran and the little fellow Ahmadinejad are the real threats to peace in 
the desert sands of the Middle East.
  This is not the time to be rattled by the terrorist threats. This is 
the time to stand with the only democracy in the Middle East for the 
right of her self-defense, Israel. It's the right thing to do. Israel's 
war of self-defense is morally just. And Mr. Speaker, justice is the 
one thing we should always find.
  And that's just the way it is.

                          ____________________
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