Dear Ms. Keleti: Thank you for taking the time to contact me regarding the current situation in Israel and Gaza. I appreciate hearing from you about this issue. Hamas?s recent aggression is unacceptable, and I support Israel?s right to defend itself against indiscriminate rocket attacks and the threat the tunnels pose. Hamas is a terrorist organization that has no intentions of working towards peace. Hamas has repeatedly called for the destruction of Israel and has launched over two thousand rockets in the last several weeks and thousands more over the past several years. It has repeatedly taken steps that demonstrate its disregard for the well-being of the Palestinian people living in Gaza, including, encouraging civilians to remain in conflict hot spots and effectively using them as human shields. I have traveled to the region three times in the past five years and seen the security situation firsthand. It is important that both sides work to de-escalate the situation before more lives are lost. On July 10, 2014, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina introduced S.Res. 498, expressing the support of the United States for the State of Israel. I am an original co-sponsor of this bipartisan resolution. S.Res.498 reaffirms the support of the Senate for Israel?s right to self-defense, condemns the rocket attacks on Israel by Hamas, and calls on Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas to dissolve the unity governing arrangement with Hamas. The Senate passed S.Res.498 on July 17, 2014. On March 5, 2013, Senator Barbara Boxer of California introduced S. 462, the United States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2013. S. 462 aims to deepen security, economic and immigration ties between the U.S. and Israel, and I am proud to be a co-sponsor of this bipartisan bill. Senator Boxer reintroduced this bill as S.2673 on July 28, 2014. I am an original cosponsor of this bipartisan bill, which 79 of my Senate colleagues have also cosponsored. As your United States Senator, I am committed to strengthening the unbreakable bond between the United States and Israel, and to promoting peace and security throughout the Middle East. I have strongly supported the bilateral peace process between Israel and the Palestinians throughout my time in the Senate. I am deeply saddened by the loss of life and the humanitarian suffering caused by this conflict. Israel is one of the United States? most trusted allies. A stable and secure Israel is in our national security interest and has been a cornerstone of our foreign policy for more than half a century. The United States benefits enormously from cooperating with Israel on counterterrorism, intelligence and defense. Israel has shared innovative technology and equipment with the U.S. military, helping to protect our servicemembers in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. The U.S. and Israel have also worked together to develop missile defense systems that will protect the U.S. and its allies in Europe. Finally, Israel?s strategic location makes it a valuable partner in collecting and analyzing intelligence on key issues in the Middle East region, including nuclear proliferation. It is clear that maintaining a strong relationship with Israel promotes U.S. security and advances our national interests. I have worked to maintain robust assistance funding for Israel. I recognize the importance of reining in our federal deficit, but U.S. assistance to Israel protects U.S. national security interest and reaffirms our relationship with a key ally in the Middle East. I have also consistently supported robust funding for the Iron Dome missile defense system and believe it is especially important in this critical time. I will continue to support aid for Israel throughout the Senate appropriations process. On August 1, 2014, the Senate voted unanimously to provide $225 million in emergency aid to Israel for its Iron Dome system. Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. Please be assured that I will continue to follow developments in the United States? relationship with Israel, and that I will take your concerns into consideration. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future about this or any other matter of importance to you. For more information on this or other issues, I encourage you to visit my web site, casey.senate.gov. I hope you will find this online office a comprehensive resource to stay up-to-date on my work in Washington, request assistance from my office or share with me your thoughts on the issues that matter most to you and to Pennsylvania. Sincerely, Bob Casey United States
Posted on: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 18:12:23 +0000
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