Washington, DC – Today Congressman Al Green (TX-9) made the following statement on the House floor during the consideration of H.Res.523, legislation condemning Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s threats against Israel.

With the passage of the resolution, the U.S. House of Representatives joined the European Union and other global leaders in condemning President Ahmadinejad’s call for the destruction of Israel.   On Wednesday, Ahmadinejad said that Israel "must be wiped off the map" in a speech to anti-Israel protestors.

Below is Green’s floor statement:

Mr. Speaker, I thank the Ranking Member and the Chairman, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde), for this opportunity to speak.

Mr. Speaker, Emily Dickenson said that “a word is dead when it is said some say. I say it just begins to live that day.”

These words of hate are a clarion call to us to take affirmative action to make sure that this President is never armed with nuclear weapons. This President with these words of hate could create a nuclear holocaust, an inferno if you will, unlike which even the mind of Dante could imagine.

We must not allow these words of hate to go unchallenged. This is why I rise today. I rise because I support this resolution. I believe that this is the appropriate action for us to take as a first step.

I thank the Ranking Member for the opportunity to speak.

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