Reps. Israel & Cole Lead Bipartisan Letter Urging Turkey to Stop Another Flotilla from Departing for the Gaza Strip

Reps. Israel & Cole Lead Bipartisan Letter Urging Turkey to Stop Another Flotilla from Departing for the Gaza Strip: "Bipartisan Letter Urging Turkey to Stop Another Flotilla from Departing for the Gaza Strip
Wednesday, 11 May 2011 16:15

Washington, DC – On Wednesday, Reps. Steve Israel (D – NY) and Tom Cole (R – OK) led a bipartisan letter to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan urging the Prime Minister to stop another flotilla from departing Turkey for the Gaza Strip. Thirty-six Members of Congress signed the bipartisan letter, which asked the Turkish government to help find constructive alternatives for those wishing to provide aid to Gaza."

May 11, 2011

His Excellency
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey
Ankara, Turkey

Mr. Prime Minister-

" 

.........As you know, the government of Israel has a right and a responsibility to protect the Israeli people, and we all realize that the threat facing innocent Israelis by weapons smuggled into Gaza is real. In March, Israeli naval forces intercepted the Victoria, seizing more than 50 tons of weapons, including mortar shells and bullets, destined for Gaza militants. During a 3-day period in early April, approximately 130 rockets and mortars were fired at the civilian population of southern Israel by Hamas and other terrorist groups. In one case, an advanced precision-guided rocket that had been smuggled into Gaza was fired at and hit an Israeli school bus.

Israel, like any country in the world, must take whatever steps necessary to protect its citizens and that starts with preventing additional weapons from entering Gaza. If flotilla organizers carry out their confrontational plans, the Israelis will have little choice but to board the vessels and search for weapons. We fear violence could erupt just as it did last year.....

         






"  

The letter goes on...

Full text of this letter can be found on:

http://israel.house.gov/

We are seeking your active participation in finding a resolution that prevents violence. On April 21, Ambassador Susan Rice, the United States’ representative to the United Nations, stated, “[t]he recent seizures of advanced weaponry underscore that Israel has clear security interests regarding cargo bound for Gaza”, and she urged member states to “use every legal means at their disposal to discourage additional flotillas to Gaza”.

We echo those remarks and hope that your government can help work out a mechanism with Israel to allow legitimate humanitarian assistance to go to Gaza without provoking a needless confrontation.  We are confident that Israel, as it has in the past, will continue to allow such aid to flow subject to appropriate security screening. By finding a constructive solution as an alternative to another flotilla, you have a unique opportunity to potentially save lives and be a force for stability at a particularly volatile time.

Sincerely,

STEVE ISRAEL
Member of Congress

TOM COLE
Member of Congress

HOWARD L. BERMAN
Member of Congress

HENRY A. WAXMAN
Member of Congress

JASON CHAFFETZ
Member of Congress

DENNY REHBERG
Member of Congress

GARY L. ACKERMAN
Member of Congress

HENRY CUELLAR
Member of Congress

SHELLEY BERKLEY
Member of Congress

MIKE QUIGLEY
Member of Congress

JOSEPH CROWLEY
Member of Congress

MIKE ROSS
Member of Congress

THEODORE E. DEUTCH
Member of Congress

GENE GREEN
Member of Congress

STEVE SCALISE
Member of Congress

RENEE L. ELLMERS
Member of Congress

RICHARD L. HANNA
Member of Congress

TED POE
Member of Congress

SUE WILKINS MYRICK
Member of Congress

HEATH SHULER
Member of Congress

LYNN JENKINS
Member of Congress

REID J. RIBBLE
Member of Congress

ADAM B. SCHIFF
Member of Congress

STEVEN R. ROTHMAN
Member of Congress

CAROLYN B. MALONEY
Member of Congress

JERROLD NADLER
Member of Congress

BILL PASCRELL, JR.
Member of Congress

SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO
Member of Congress

JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY
Member of Congress

DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ
Member of Congress

CHRISTOPHER S. MURPHY
Member of Congress
   
MIKE KELLY
Member of Congress

BILL JOHNSON
Member of Congress

DOUG LAMBORN
Member of Congress

JEAN SCHMIDT
Member of Congress

JOE BARTON
Member of Congress

The author of this blog picked up a story which included the actual names of the 54 Congressional members who signed (a much different letter) referenced below. For some "unexplained reason" which was explained by the hosting website as a possible (hack attack) the website went down and was subsequently restored from a back up:

http://frumfind.org/54-anti-israeli-right-to-self-defense-congressional-members

The Mavi Marmara under the Turkish Flag, Damaged Israeli World Relations, on May 31, 2010 on Par with when the German Warship, Goeben damaged Russia in July 1914 when it reached Constantinople.

The caption under this photo was (see above)

The original with the names listed will be included on one of my other "paid hosting web sites"- Aharon Moshe Sanders- 5/24/11 3:35pm