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Committed. Pelosi
Photo: AP
Doubly important. Peres
Photo: Yotam Frum

Pelosi keeps captives' names close to heart

US House Speaker wears dog tags bearing names of kidnapped Israeli soldiers during meeting with President Peres on Iranian threat, regional terrorism. Pelosi visiting Israel as part of bipartisan congressional delegation celebrating country's 60th

President Shimon Peres met Sunday with US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who is currently in Israel in honor of its 60th Independence Day celebrations.

 

Heading a bipartisan delegation of 13 congressmen, Pelosi came to the meeting sporting three dog-tags etched with the names of Israeli MIA's Ehud Goldwasser, Eldad Regev and kidnapped IDF soldierGilad Shalit. 

 

Pelosi stressed her commitment to their case, and said she intends on having the tags displayed in her Washington office. Pelosi met with Gilad's father, Noam, last week, and has scheduled meetings with both the Goldwasser and Regev families.

 

"Israel has been 'living in an unsafe neighborhood' since it was established; a fact sadly demonstrated yet again in the attack on Ashkelon last week," she told Peres. "Nevertheless, you have always wanted to achieve peace."

 

Israel's war on terror and its fight against the Iranian nuclear program, she added, if a battle fought on behalf of the entire world.


 

Profound friendship. Peres with Nancy Pelosi (Photo: AP)

 

Peres, on his part, told the speaker of the House that Hamas' reign on Gaza is what stands between the Palestinian people and their future state: "We left Gaza, we evacuated all the Israeli settlements and still Hamas fires… When Hamas fires rockets it's hindering the induction of a Palestinian state and harming its own cause."

 

Peres also spoke of the profound friendship between Israel and the US: "This friendship is doubly important, especially when examining the major political and security issues Israel and the world face… Those are topped by Iran's attempts at creating weapons of mass destruction.

 

"Iran wants to see the entire region ruled by radically religious people, leaders who scorn the value of human lives, of peace," he continued. "Iran is plagued by the dangerous mix of oil, fanaticism and terror. Lebanon, Iran's lackey, is being ravaged by Hizbullah, and their have Hamas doing their bidding in the Gaza Strip."

 


פרסום ראשון: 05.18.08, 17:44
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