US Congress backs Gaza op
House of Representatives aligns with US Senate, issues resolution supporting Gaza offensive, Israel's right to self defense
WASHINGTON – The US Congress on Friday passed a resolution backing the Israeli offensive in Gaza and supporting Israel's right to defend itself against Hamas terror.
The resolution was passed by an overwhelming majority of House members, and followed a similar, unanimous Senate decision, passed on Thursday.
The motion, put forward by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D) and House Majority Leader John Boehner (R), supports finding a diplomatic solution to the Gaza crisis, which would ensure the end of arms smuggling into Gaza and the end to Hamas' terror attacks in Israel.
Such a solution, said the resolution, would help to create an atmosphere that could result in a sustainable peace between Israel and the Palestinian people.
We ratify that Israel, as any other nation, has the right of self defense when it finds itself under increasing rockets and mortar shell fire from the Gaza Strip, said Pelosi; adding that the rocket fire has become an unacceptable security threat, which Israel is bound to retaliate on.
House Majority Leader Boehner reiterated the US commitment to Israel, saying that it would stand by its ally of 60 years in the current conflict. The US, he said, cannot abide with Hamas decision to violate the ceasefire agreement and launch violent attacks on Israel. Congress, he concluded, unequivocally supports Israel's right to self defense unequivocally.
The Israeli consulates in the US have been overrun with shows of support for the Israeli offensive in Gaza, from many of the US' governors and mayors. Israel's Consul General in Miami Ofer Bavly told Ynet that 23 out of the 27 Florida representatives on Capitol Hill have expressed their support "of Israel's fight against Islamic terror."
News agencies contributed to this report
