U.S. Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon, the senior Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, released the following statement upholding Israel’s right to defend itself following the recent incident with a Turkish flotilla:
“The United States and Israel enjoy a special relationship, and that bond will weather this storm. In order to respond to nearly constant attacks, Israel has a right to defend itself and impose a blockade to stop the flow of weapons to its enemies.
“While I regret the loss of life in this incident, I am confident that the Israeli government will adequately review its policies and procedures to ensure an adequate balance between its own legitimate security concerns and its desire to respect human rights.
“Finally, it’s alarming that the United Nations would move without delay to condemn these actions even before knowing the facts while remaining silent in the aftermath of North Korea’s blatant aggression that left 46 South Koreans dead.”