Washington, DC— Congressman Geoff Davis issued the following statement on the situation in Gaza:
“The citizens of Israel have the right to defend themselves against the repeated attacks on their country. Despite Israel’s voluntary withdrawal from Gaza in 2005, Hamas continues to instigate violence in the region. The United States must engage diplomatically and encourage all parties involved to achieve a peaceful end to the cycle of violence. Our nation’s involvement in this conflict cannot wait pending the transition of our government. I encourage President Bush and President-elect Obama to immediately join together to facilitate a diplomatic solution that will assure the security of Israel.
“In 2007, while visiting Israel, I met with victims of Hamas rocket attacks. Clearly, Hamas has targeted civilians to draw Israel into retaliation. For Hamas to achieve a lasting peace, they must be willing to revoke their commitment to destroy Israel and control the provocations of their militias. Tragically, innocents on both sides have been caught in the middle of this struggle.”
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