Quigley Stands Strong for Israel

Video of the speech can be found here.

Today, Congressman Quigley delivered the following speech on the House floor:

Mister Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 867, which opposes enforcement and further consideration of the Goldstone Report.

I have been to Gaza. I have seen the desolation and poverty in which the people of Gaza survive.

I have also been to Israel.

I have seen Sderot, where civilians have been hammered relentlessly by rockets from Gaza.

I have seen the fortified recreation center there, complete with bomb shelters, the only place children feel safe to play.

This decades-old battle is complex and deserves to be examined.

But what we cannot do is turn victims into perpetrators. We cannot forget history.

For eight years Hamas has continuously fired thousands of rockets at innocent Israeli civilians.

Israel finally struck back, defending itself against an opportunistic enemy.

I am grateful to Chairman Berman for his leadership on this issue and, no, self-defense is not a crime against humanity.

We must not let a deeply flawed report destroy progress made in the peace process.