U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly
Serving the 24th District of California

http://www.house.gov/gallegly/media/media2008/media2008.htm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 5, 2008
Contact: Tom Pfeifer, (202) 225-5811

Gallegly Condemns Rocket Attacks on Israel

WASHINGTON, DC—The House of Representatives today approved a resolution cosponsored by Congressman Elton Gallegly (R-Ventura & Santa Barbara Counties) that condemns the rocket attacks on Israel from Hamas-controlled Gaza.

Gallegly, a senior member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, toured Sderot, Israel, where many of the Gaza rockets are targeted, and met with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to discuss Israeli-Palestinian relations and other Middle Eastern issues three weeks ago.

“The people of Sderot are under a terrorist siege,” Gallegly said. “Israel has a right to defend itself against Hamas and other terrorist organizations that wantonly attack its citizens.”

Gallegly noted that Hamas launches its rockets from schools, hospitals and mosques, using them as shields and making it difficult for Israel to respond without inflicting civilian casualties. In addition, Hamas has received longer range rockets from Iran that it has begun launching deeper into Israel.

According to published reports, Israel suffered more than 240 rocket and mortar attacks in a five-day period last week.

“While Israel and the Palestinian Authority are trying to find a way to peacefully coexist, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other terrorist groups want nothing but the destruction of Israel,” Gallegly said. “This resolution makes it clear that the U.S. House supports Israel and the Palestinian people who wish to live in peace, but it condemns the terrorists who only wish to destroy and calls on other nations to pressure Hamas to end its terror.”

The resolution passed the House on a vote of 404-1, with four members voting “present.”