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: "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.

“Another so-called aid flotilla to Gaza is nothing but an attempt to provoke Israel. The Turkish government can help prevent violence by saying ‘no.’ We are urging Prime Minister Erdoğan to actively work to put a stop to this and join with Israel in providing real humanitarian assistance to Gaza,” said Rep. Israel."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Speech to AIPAC 2011 | UNCOVERAGE.net

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Speech to AIPAC 2011 | UNCOVERAGE.net: "Congress for providing Israel with vital assistance so that Israel can
defend itself by itself. I want to thank you all for supporting the Iron
Dome missile defense system. A few weeks ago, Hamas terrorists in Gaza
fired eight rockets at our cities, at Ashkelon and Beer Sheva. Now, these
rockets never reached their targets. Iron Dome intercepted them in midair.
For the first time, a missile defense system worked in combat. That’s a
precedent in military history. And I want to say thank you, America."....

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.

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