A resolution condemning Hezbollah and Hamas and their state sponsors and supporting Israel's exercise of its right to self-defense.

Mr. President, in a few minutes, we will begin consideration of S. 403, the Child Custody Protection Act. Over the last 2 days, we have been working on an agreement which would allow us to conclude that bill on Tuesday. I hope we will be able to work out the final details of that agreement early today, and at that point in time I will announce the schedule for the child custody protection bill for next week.

We had a remarkable day yesterday, finishing last night the debate and vote on the voting rights reauthorization bill, four judges, the child predator legislation, and therefore I announced no rollcall votes for today. I will be updating Members as to Monday and Tuesday's schedules shortly, after we work out a unanimous-consent agreement on several matters for early next week.

Senate Accomplishments

Mr. President, in walking over here just a few moments ago, I ran into my counterpart from the Australian Senate, and we were commenting--or he was commenting--he said: You had a productive day yesterday. And I said: Indeed, we had a very productive day, not only yesterday but over the course of this week.

On Monday and Tuesday, we had a very important debate, a powerful debate on stem cell research, a debate which is uncomfortable to a lot of people because it addresses so strongly that nexus between ethics and morality and religion and faith with science, advancing science, which is moving at breathtaking speed, thank goodness. As a scientist, I see great hope in those dreams which one day can become realities for cures and for treatments that come from the field of science. The issues are tough, though, but very important for us to have in this body, representing the 280 million people

around the country, because science will continue to advance and we do have the opportunities to understand the molecular and cellular basis of disease in a way that will improve the lives of everybody listening to me right now. So it is a very important debate.

We will increasingly have those sorts of issues come before this body. It used to be that we would hit these tough ethical issues in science about once every 10 years, and it has gotten down to about once every 5 years, and I predict--again, this is good news because science is developing so quickly, medical science--that we will be debating those issues about once every year. So this body needs to get used to it, get accustomed to it.

We did pass the Fetus Farming Prohibition Act overwhelmingly. The President has already signed that bill into law.

We passed the Stem Cell Therapies Enhancement Act this week, which supports alternative--or alternate--ways of developing these very powerful embryonic stem cell-like cells, what we call pluripotential cells, to support the type of research that can derive those pluripotential cells, short of having to dismember an embryo--exciting research. The House has not yet acted on that particular bill. I hope they do so in the near future so that the President can sign it into law, so that we can further support our research dollars in what to me is very exciting research that, in many ways, if successful--and I believe it will be--will some day eliminate the more contentious debate of having to derive embryonic stem cells from blastocysts themselves.

We also passed the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, a bill I supported. It was not unanimously supported in this body, but there was overwhelming support in this body. I feel strongly that this particular bill, which supports embryonic stem cell research for blastocysts that are going to be discarded with 100 percent certainty, clearly falls within certain moral and ethical guidelines, and that bill passed I think by 63 votes in the Senate.

On Tuesday evening, we shifted a bit and expressed our support for Israel by passing S. Res. 534 by unanimous consent, expressing strong support in this body for Israel. Hezbollah and Hamas are terrorist organizations, confirmed enemies of the United States, and it is important that they and their state sponsors realize we will stand with Israel and hold them accountable for their actions. This body spoke loudly, boldly, clearly on Tuesday evening.

Later Tuesday evening and on Wednesday, we addressed the Water Resources Development Act under the superb leadership of Chairman Jim Inhofe and Senator Kit Bond and others in the body. But I told Chairman Inhofe again and again that this bill, which I strongly support, which engages and further supports conservation and development of water and water-related resources, which strengthens our Nation's waterways and the infrastructure of our waterways, is going to be a tough bill. There are going to be too many amendments; it is going to take a long time on the floor. But by working very hard in a bipartisan fashion, we limited the number of amendments to the substantive ones and brought it to the floor in a very reasonable, very efficient period of time, so we were able to address that important issue.

Then, as I mentioned earlier, yesterday we reauthorized the expiring provisions of the Voting Rights Act. As we all talked about, we have come a long way in 41 years since it was first enacted. We put aside whatever partisan differences there might be to ensure that discrimination at the voting booth remains a relic of the past, to ensure that no American citizen and no election law of any State could deny access to the ballot box because of race or ethnicity or language minority status. We have ensured that progress continues, that we are protecting the civil liberties of each and every American.

Protecting the vulnerable--that is what the Voting Rights Act did 41 years ago, and that is what the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act will soon do. Last night, we passed that Adam Walsh bill as well. This bill arguably is the most comprehensive child crime and protection legislation in recent history.

The Adam Walsh bill establishes a national sex offender registry which is publicly available and which is searchable by ZIP Code. Parents shouldn't have to live in fear that a neighbor somewhere down the street is waiting for an opportunity to victimize their children. Now parents are going to have those tools they need to protect their children from harm.

Last night, late last night at about 11 o'clock, I received a phone call from two individuals who have worked with Child Help, who started this organization called Child Help, and their call was to congratulate this body for addressing a specific issue that was also in the Adam Walsh bill, and that is the creation of a national child abuse registry. The bill also toughens the penalties for crimes against children, and it cracks down on the growing crisis of Internet predators and child pornography--huge progress in passing this particular bill. It will go to the House of Representatives in the early part of next week, and I am very hopeful the President will be able to sign that bill by July 27, which is the very tragic anniversary of the death of Adam Walsh. But out of that tragedy, if the President signs the bill on that day, there is great hope and a great willingness to address and confront an issue we know is destroying people's lives, with effective tools to combat the tragedies that occur every day in this country in a direct way.

Judicial nominations last night: We confirmed four exceptionally qualified nominees to the Federal bench: Neal Gorsuch, Bobby E. Shephard, Daniel Porter Jordan III, and Gustavo Antonia Gelpi. Next week, we are going to continue our constitutional duty of advice and consent in nominations and take up Jerome Holmes for the Tenth Circuit.

Today as we open, we are beginning debate on legislation that protects vulnerable young women from exploitation. It is the Child Custody Protection Act. This bill prohibits taking a minor across State lines, from State to State, for an abortion in circumvention of a particular State law, and it does so by requiring parental notification for that child's abortion.

Right now, the victims of such exploitation have absolutely no means of restitution within our legal system. It is time to fix that. Thus, we are taking that bill to the floor to do just that. We will have that debate over the course of the morning--we won't be able to complete that debate today--and we will have some understanding here shortly in terms of how that debate will be conducted in the early part of next week.

Next week is going to be a busy week. There will be a lot going on over the course of the week and many challenges in the weeks ahead. We have to finish the Child Custody Protection Act next week, and we have to confirm the nomination of Jerome Holmes.

Last night, language was finalized on another very important issue; that is, energy. I say energy is important because it has national security implications, and it affects each individual in this body and their families and families all across America because it will impact over the long term the price of gas, the price of natural gas, and the price of energy in this country. The issue is deep sea energy exploration in a region called Area 181 in the Gulf of Mexico.

Americans are feeling the pain at the pump. They are feeling it each and every day. And they expect us to act. It is interesting that in that area of 181 and just south of that in an area called 182 in the Gulf of Mexico, there is estimated to be over 1.2 billion barrels of oil--1.2 billion barrels of oil--that would be subjected potentially to exploration; 5.8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in that area. That is how important it is to obtain that supply. We all know that pricing is a product of supply and demand and that new influx of homegrown, domestic supply will have an impact.

Before the August recess, we need to take up the Department of Defense appropriations. We need to make sure that our troops overseas do have the equipment and technology they need to be safe and successful.

As all of our colleagues know, we are addressing, every day, pensions. We will have that legislation ready before recess. We also need to address the issues surrounding port security, to further secure our homeland, as well as

small business health plans, which also have a direct impact, similar to what we are doing in energy, in affecting the cost of living that squeezes everyday Americans.

If we can lower those health care costs, make health care both affordable and available, that will take some of that squeeze off individuals and their families and they will be able to benefit from what we know is a very productive, growing economy out there with over 5.4 million jobs created in the last 2\1/2\ years and unemployment at historically low--4.6 percent--levels. The average American doesn't quite feel how good our economy is because of energy prices, which we are going to address, and because of health care costs, which we are going to address. Americans need to know they are safe and secure. They need to know their futures are safe and that their health care is affordable and secure.

We have a lot of issues to address. Again, we have had a very productive week. If we continue that productivity we will be able to address those issues. It is our job in the Senate to deliver these meaningful solutions to the challenges and the needs of people across this country. It is our duty and our privilege to do just that, and I am confident, by continuing the progress we made this week, that we will be able to do just that.

Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I send to the desk a resolution about the current outbreak of violence in Israel and Lebanon. I do so for myself, Senators Levin, Sununu, Stabenow, Chafee, and Kennedy. I know that all of us here want to see a peaceful conclusion to the current situation-- peace for Israelis and for Lebanese. The tragic deaths of 57 Lebanese civilians--37 of them children--in the village of Qana on Sunday highlight the urgency for doing so.

This resolution would express the sense of the Senate that the United

States and international community must work urgently with the Governments of Israel and Lebanon to achieve the following six goals: attaining a cessation in the hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel; effectuating the safe return of Israeli soldiers held in Lebanon; disarming Hezbollah, removing Hezbollah forces from southern Lebanon, and replacing those forces with Lebanese army and security forces; reaching agreement to create and deploy an international stabilization force with a robust mandate to enforce a permanent ceasefire and to fully implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 1559; organizing an international donors conference to solicit and ensure the provision of international resources for the reconstruction of Lebanon; and ensuring that all parties remain engaged to promote peace and security for Israel and Lebanon and the greater Middle East.

I believe that it is important to mention a few points up front. As my colleagues know, the current situation began when two Israeli soldiers were kidnapped by Hezbollah, a terrorist organization that is based in Lebanon but supported by Syria and Iran.

These soldiers were kidnapped from Israeli soil, and during those kidnapping operations, innocent Israelis were killed, and some northern Israeli cities were shelled with rockets.

These facts are very important to remember as we consider the current situation because despite any other frustrations that some people might have with the derailed Israeli-Palestinian peace process, it wasn't Israeli actions which started the cycle of the current bloody situation in which more than 400 Israelis and Lebanese have died.

I would also say unequivocally that I believe that Israel is currently acting in self-defense as a response to attacks on its soil and the kidnapping of its citizens. No country that experienced similar attacks would do anything less--certainly not the United States. And I support fully Israel's right to defend its borders and its citizens.

All violent confrontations, however, must eventually come to an end-- including this one. I think what we are all hoping--Americans, Israelis, Lebanese--is that a resolution of this flare-up will come quickly and without any additional loss of innocent civilians in Lebanon or Israel, so that a climate conducive to tackling the many complex problems confronting the region can exist. Clearly, that climate does not exist at the moment while fighting is ongoing.

However, long-term peace necessitates certain actions. First, I believe that an international stabilization force with real teeth to act against Hezbollah militia and any other terrorist elements will eventually need to be deployed in southern Lebanon. On this point, we must learn from the failures of the current United Nations Stabilization Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, and give any future force the size and mandate to actually fulfill its mission.

Second, long-term peace will require full implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559, which calls on the Lebanese Army to deploy to protect the southern border, as well as for the disarmament of Hezbollah.

Long-term peace will also require Israel to cease its attacks in Lebanon, consistent with the Lebanese Government and international community's ability and willingness to stop terrorist elements from launching attacks on Israel. I would remind my colleagues that Israel withdrew voluntarily from Lebanon in 2000--a move that was recognized by the United Nations Secretary General and Security Council as fulfilling completely the terms of U.N. Security Council Resolution 425. To that end, I doubt very much whether Israel would like to stay in Lebanon even one day longer than is absolutely necessary to stop the terror and return Israeli citizens to safety.

My belief in the need for a quick cessation of hostilities is rooted in my concern that the current violence between Israel and Hezbollah is greatly strengthening the hands of Iran and Syria. This is true especially with respect to Iran, which wants to divert international attention away from its nuclear program as well as position itself as the leader of the Arab Muslim world.

Indeed, as the body counts rise, we are seeing the gulf between moderate Arab regimes and their citizens widen dramatically. At the same time, Iran's position as the main backer of Hezbollah is giving it a newfound legitimacy in the eyes of many Arabs. It is critical that we avoid these outcomes because current Iranian nuclear and regional ambitions pose a threat to Israel, to moderate Arab regimes, to the United States, and to the international community alike.

Moreover, long-term peace will be impossible unless the international community gets both Iran and Syria to shut off and cut off Hezbollah and other terrorist groups. By ``shut off,'' I mean that Iran and Syria must send a clear signal to Hezbollah to stop its violent terrorist attacks against Israel. By ``cut off,'' I mean that these countries must stop financing, supplying, and providing safe haven to terrorist groups and their operatives. The international community must also send a strong message to Iran and Syria that they need to stop preventing Lebanon from deploying its army to disarm Hezbollah and protect the border.

But the current situation will not begin to wind down unless, first and foremost, the Israeli hostages are released unharmed.

After that, the short-term goals should be the deployment of an international stabilization force with real teeth in the south and some kind of international monitoring of land, sea, and air crossings to ensure that Hezbollah will not be rearmed by Syria and Iran.

The long-term goals are obviously that U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559 is fully implemented. Full implementation of that resolution means, among other things, that an effective Lebanese Army is deployed along that country's southern border and that Hezbollah is disarmed.

It is quite apparent that after decades of operational and financial support from Syria, and especially Iran, Hezbollah's military wing is currently too strong for the relatively weak Lebanese Government to deal with. So to the extent that Israeli actions weaken Hezbollah's capabilities, they also create the possibility of strengthening the Lebanese Government's hand to reign in militias and terrorists. But there might be a point of diminishing returns where Hezbollah is somewhat weakened while Iran and Syria are greatly strengthened--an outcome that it is essential to avoid. Hopefully, the combination of the current attacks against Hezbollah, a quick cessation of hostilities, and the immediate deployment--concurrent with the end of hostilities--of an international force with real teeth will make that the case.

I realize that there are many voices in the Arab world who accuse the U.S. of ignoring the plight of the innocent Lebanese citizens who have been caught in the crossfire because Hezbollah militants have shamefully hidden themselves and their weapons among the civilian population. I do not believe that this is the case. And I think that the U.S. could help to prove this by organizing an international donors' conference as quickly as possible to assist the Lebanese in rebuilding their country.

As I said before, I think we in Congress all share a desire to see peace in the Middle East. I would hope that once all of the steps I have talked about today come into place that the United States would take a lead role in bringing about that peace because U.S. leadership, and our active and high-level engagement, have always been an essential part of the Middle East peace process.

I believe that this resolution will send a strong signal that the world needs to support the Lebanese people, respect Israel's right to defend itself, and be tough with Hezbollah, Iran, and Syria. These are the necessary signals that we need to send in order for there to truly be hope at the end of this tunnel. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution, and I ask that the text of the resolution be printed in the Record following my remarks.

Mr. President, I rise in support of the resolution which I cosponsored and which the Senate passed today condemning the actions of Hezbollah and expressing our support for Israel.

On July 12, Hezbollah forces launched an attack through Syria, crossing into Israel, killing eight Israelis and seizing two Israeli soldiers as hostages. This assault followed months of rocket attacks by Hezbollah on northern Israel. Those acts of terrorism created the situation that the world confronts today. Israel could not tolerate such assaults on its own soil. No nation could.

Our country will stand with the Government and people of Israel as they defend themselves. The U.S.-Israel relationship is one of the most important and steadfast diplomatic bonds in the world. It is imperative that Congress express this support clearly and unequivocally. The resolution passed today makes this important statement, to our friends in Israel and to the world.

When Hezbollah escalated its attacks against Israel earlier this month, they dragged Lebanon into a conflict that neither the Lebanese Government nor most of the Lebanese people sought. Israel was compelled to respond to the violence on their soil. That was a situation that simply could not continue. Nor can Israel afford to return to the state of affairs before the war. There must be a real change in Lebanon: the days in which Hezbollah could simply lob rockets across the Israeli border with impunity must end.

I believe the United States must play a principal role in helping to forge a solution to this conflict and its underlying causes: the persistent attacks on Israel and the capture of Israeli soldiers.

The conflict in Lebanon has broader international origins and threatens the stability of the region as a whole. Iran and Syria are involved. They have long bankrolled Hezbollah and may have been involved in the plans to seize the Israeli soldiers. One of their goals may have been to distract the world from Iran's efforts at nuclear enrichment. If so, we cannot let them succeed. We must not let the world ignore Iran's efforts to move closer to the development of nuclear weapons.

We are handicapped in the Middle East by U.S. failures to remain consistently engaged in the quest for peace over the last 6 years. U.S. engagement lends stability to the region; disengagement has the opposite effect. The war in Iraq also constrains our options in the Middle East.

We need to take back control on other fronts--and the only way we can do that is to send a signal to the Iraqis that they need to take charge and take responsibility for their own affairs. We need to be able to dedicate our resources to other emerging threats and challenges, and we need to once again act as a pivotal peacemaker in the Middle East. I wish the resolution that we passed had discussed the need for sustained engagement at greater length and had placed increased emphasis on the need for regional diplomacy.

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and others in the Arab world have condemned Hezbollah's attacks on Israel. The Saudi foreign minister said, ``These acts will put the whole region back to years ago, and we cannot simply accept them.'' These unprecedented criticisms of Hezbollah by Arab leaders offer at least the prospect that maybe the situation offers a chance to move forward, rather than backward.

Secretary Rice has said that when the moment is right she will go to the Middle East. I understand that she wants to lend her strength to the cause when and where it will do the most good, but I hope that moment will be soon. This conflict continues to increase in intensity and it could grow in scale as well. It is claiming far too many casualties on both sides. Israeli citizens have been killed by Hezbollah rockets that are now reaching deep into Israel. Casualties are especially high, as well, among Lebanese civilians. Over 200 Lebanese civilians have been killed, caught in the crossfire of this conflict. Humanitarian concerns are growing as more Lebanese are displaced and as food and water in many shelters may be running low.

There are also some 25,000 Americans in Lebanon. They have been trapped there. The Beirut airport has been bombed and so have many roadways. Some Americans have escaped by taking backroads to Syria. That is a telling measure of how desperate the situation is for them. According to media sources, at least 8000 Americans want to leave. Their loved ones in this country are frantic with worry. I have constituents who are still trapped there. I am sure virtually every other senator does as well. People are frustrated by the pace of the evacuation, and I can understand that. Several hundred Americans have been evacuated, including children who were in Lebanon alone or individuals in need of medical care. But thousands of Americans remain trapped there.

U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey D. Feltman said that by the end of the week, the

evacuation will proceed at a pace of 1,000 Americans a day. Since a Swedish ship departed today with over 1,000 Scandinavians and other Europeans and with some 200 Americans on board, it is difficult to understand why we cannot marshal the resources to evacuate our citizens more quickly.

I have also received many calls from constituents who were appalled to learn that one of the first things that Americans trapped in Lebanon hear from the State Department is that they will be charged for the cost of their evacuation to Cyprus. The United States must make clear to all the parties involved that we will move quickly to evacuate our citizens. Those Americans should not bear the costs of this regional crisis.

Secretary Rice has emphasized the need to safeguard civilian lives and to ``create sustainable conditions for political progress.''

The Israeli soldiers who are being held hostage by Hezbollah, and the soldier captured by Hamas, must be released immediately and unconditionally. The rocket attacks on Israel, which began long before this new phase of the conflict, must end. All the parties involved must commit to abide by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1559, which was adopted in 2004. This resolution requires that all militias, including Hezbollah, be disarmed and disbanded.

All of these principles are embodied in the legislation passed by the Senate today, along with an absolutely clear statement that we stand with Israel. To make these principles a reality and to protect the lives of the innocent civilians caught in the crossfire in both Israel and Lebanon will clearly require sustained U.S. engagement in a regional solution.

Mr. President, may I inquire about the regular order?

Mr. President, I rise today deeply disturbed after watching the situation in Israel continuing to escalate over the last few days. Israel, over the last 3 years, has acted in a responsible manner and done everything possible, in my view, to reach out to those who desire peace. Unfortunately, there remain those who continue to disregard the Israeli State and refuse to recognize its legitimacy.

Sadly, these terrorist groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah remain committed to their ideology of hatred toward the Jewish people and appear determined to try to bring an end to the State of Israel. As such, I strongly support Israel's response to the unprovoked kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers and the unprecedented rocket bombardment of northern Israel.

The current Israeli action is justified. Action is necessary to stop those who are responsible for these despicable acts of terror. The attempts to defend Israel and rescue its captured soldiers with airstrikes and incursions by Israeli forces are not only appropriate but are absolutely necessary to protect Israeli citizens from future terrorist attacks.

Ultimately, I believe outside actors, such as Syria and Iran, which continue to support terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Hezbollah are the main culprits. These nations have done nothing to promote peace in the region. I believe the United States and the community of nations should put these nations on notice that their support for terrorism is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

President Bush has likewise called out Syria and Iran for their support of Hezbollah by stating:

The one way to help heal the Middle East is to address the

root causes of the problems there, and the root cause of the

problem is Hezbollah and Syria and the Iranian connection.

No one doubts that with the support these nations provide to Hezbollah they could bring an end to the hostilities in the region. Instead, they would rather Hezbollah continue to use innocent citizens as shields while the terrorist organization conducts attacks against a sovereign nation. They need to abide by the already passed United Nations resolution and end support for Hezbollah.

That is why I rise in support of S. Res. 534 condemning Hezbollah and their sponsors, and I also ask to be added as a cosponsor.

Mr. President, our ally, Israel, is entitled to the defense of its land. We as a body should again recognize this act and support Israel's right to self-defense while calling for the Syrians and the Iranians to take responsibility for these open hostilities. They must help immediately to withdraw all terrorist forces from Lebanon and end their support for Hezbollah's action against our allies. We also must ensure that the U.N. Security Council enforces the full implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559, which in 2004 called for disarming Hezbollah and the removal of all foreign forces from Lebanon. We must use all of the tools at our disposal to discontinue the financial, military, and political support Hezbollah and Hamas receive from these state sponsors of terror.

Of course, during this crisis I would be remiss if I did not mention my grave concern about the loss of innocent life in Israel, Lebanon, and Gaza. During the past week, Hezbollah has continued to fire rockets and mortars into civilian areas, killing multiple Israelis, among others. As much as I believe it is imperative that the United States stand behind Israel in its time of need, we also must provide assistance to those who have been hurt because of this conflict.

It is my strong belief that the United States should do everything in its power to assure Israel's right to exist and right to protect its borders. Israel must be allowed to live without fear within those borders. It is my hope that this conflict will be resolved peacefully in the coming days. The people of Israel have not asked for more than that, and I believe they certainly deserve as much.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, last week, on the morning of July 12, Hezbollah launched a brazen and unprovoked attack on Israeli soldiers patrolling their side of the border with Lebanon in northern Israel. Hezbollah militants killed seven Israeli soldiers and kidnapped two more in the attack. These two soldiers remain captive, presumably somewhere inside of Lebanon.

This Hezbollah attack followed an earlier attack from the Hamas terrorist groups on June 25. Hamas terrorists entered Israeli territory, attacked an Israeli military base, killed two soldiers, and kidnapped another. CPL Gilad Shalit has yet to be released.

Hezbollah and Hamas are terrorists organizations. They receive military and financial support from terror-sponsoring regimes in Damascus and Tehran, and they refuse to recognize Israel's right to exist. In fact, they call for Israel's destruction.

In June 2000, U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan deemed Israel in full compliance with Security Council Resolution 425 by completely withdrawing its forces from Lebanon. Yet in the past year alone, Hezbollah has launched at least four separate attacks into Israeli territory using rockets and ground forces. It has blocked implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559 by refusing to disarm and disband its militia.

Last summer, Israel completely evacuated its forces from the Gaza Strip. Instead of demonstrating a willingness and ability to govern responsibly and improve the lives of the Palestinians living there, Hamas has used Gaza as a base to launch rocket attacks and other assaults on the State of Israel, like the one that led to the capture of Corporal Shalit on June 25.

Let us be clear: Hezbollah and Hamas, with the backing of Syria and Iran, are wholly responsible for the recent outbreak of violence in the Middle East.

While it is important for Israel to proceed carefully, we cannot deny its right to self-defense. Prime Minister Olmert's government has a responsibility to the Israeli people to defend

Israel against terrorist attacks. He has a responsibility to do what he can to prevent similar attacks from occurring in the future.

Israel is an ally--our closest friend in the Middle East. We share its strong commitment to democracy, to the rule of law, and to a peaceful solution to this conflict, a solution that leaves two democratic States, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security.

Yesterday, the Senate passed a resolution reaffirming its steadfast support for Israel in its fight against these vicious terrorists and other extremists who target Israeli citizens and exploit their own civilian populations as shields.

Hezbollah and Hamas must immediately and unconditionally release the captured Israeli soldiers and cease their rocket attacks against Israel. The state sponsors of these groups in Syria and Iran must be held to account.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.