this is Congressman Larsens viewpoint: July 16, 2014 Dear Neighbor, I have heard from many constituents recently about the escalating conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. Because you have contacted me about this issue before, I wanted to provide you an update. The recent violence is tragic and impairs ongoing efforts to find a peaceful two-state solution. Israel has the right to defend itself against rocket attacks from Hamas that the United Nations has called “indiscriminate.” I have long supported this right by voting in favor of bills that protected Israeli civilians from Palestinian rocket attacks. Most recently I cosponsored and voted for the United States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2014, which passed the House of Representatives on March 5, 2014. This bill makes it easier to transfer certain defense equipment to Israel. The bill also states that it should be U.S. policy to provide assistance to Israeli rocket defense systems. And when Hamas launched hundreds of rockets from Gaza at Israel in 2006, I voted for H. Res. 921, which reaffirmed Congress’ support for Israel and condemned Hamas’ actions. Since I was first elected, I have followed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict closely. I was able to visit Israel in 2003 to learn first-hand about the complexities of the conflict and its deep roots in religious, historical and cultural differences. I firmly believe that the United States should be involved in promoting the establishment of a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East. Sincerely, Rick Larsen United States Representative Washington State, 2nd Congressional District To unsubscribe from future mailings, please click here: email.capitolenews/q/yIignERs1KgwsAlVeci0gLM5zccyJcXJzKIO8SJRVvQdDwpBvTNAjRl-_
Posted on: Wed, 16 Jul 2014 17:57:18 +0000
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