MIDDLE EAST/ISRAEL

The current violence in the Middle East is heartbreaking. I extend my condolences to the victims of the violence between Israelis and Palestinians, and in particular to those innocent civilians caught in the nightmare of daily terror attacks. In any conflict, blame can be apportioned to both sides. However, there is no parity between a military response to military targets and wanton attacks on civilian men, women and children by terrorists bent on inflicting death and destruction.

I continue to believe there can be a just solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. That solution will not come from capitulation to terror, nor will it come from intervention. Moreover, I feel it important to hold accountable surrounding countries in the region for the role they play in funding and inciting terrorist activity – often at the expense of their own people. Specifically, Iraq, Iran and Syria encourage the terrorist problem by providing funds and weapons without providing for the needs of the Palestinian people themselves.

Israel

The land of Israel, with Jerusalem as the capital, is and has always been the spiritual homeland of the Jewish people, who never relinquished claim to the land during their two thousand years of political exile. Today, the State of Israel serves as a model of democratic governance and religious tolerance in a greatly troubled region. Under the administration of the Israeli government, Jerusalem is free and open to worshipers of all faiths.

The U.S-Israel relationship is more than a strategic alliance -- it is a friendship based on shared values, economic cooperation, and a common destiny. There is no equivalence between terrorist attacks that target civilians and military operations designed to halt those attacks. We stand with Israel against terrorists groups that target civilians and undermine the prospects for peace. A Palestinian state should be created only when the Palestinians have demonstrated their commitment to democracy, the rule of law, and their full acceptance of the State of Israel with Jerusalem as its capital.