U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, commented today on yesterday�s defensive naval operation by Israel.� Statement by Ros-Lehtinen:

�Israel has the right and the duty to defend itself and its citizens, including by seeking to inspect ships run by Islamist extremist groups.� These extremists, suspected of financing jihadist groups, were seeking to enter Hamas-controlled Gaza despite repeated requests from the Israeli government not to do so.

�Hamas, Hezbollah, and other Islamist militant groups have repeatedly used innocent civilians as human shields.� They hide rockets and other weapons in homes, hospitals, and schools.� With this in mind and given that the group running the �flotilla� has ties to jihadist groups, Israel was compelled to search the cargo and passengers as a vital security measure.

�Israeli soldiers had every right to defend their lives against a lynch mob attacking them with knives and clubs.

�It is deeply troubling that the UN�s knee-jerk reaction was to immediately condemn and isolate Israel, particularly while still refusing to take concrete steps to stop Iran�s march toward a nuclear weapon.

�The U.S. must stand with Israel against this diplomatic lynch mob and the threats posed to its security, and very existence, by Hezbollah, Hamas, Iran, and Syria.�

(YWN Desk – NYC)