Israel Under Siege and Governor Perry

Posted By CotoBlogzz

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA - According to the Consulate General  of Israel in New York City, the Minister of Defense, Ehud Barak, conducted a special situation analysis with the IDF Chief of Staff, Lt.-General Benny Ganz, August 2011, concluding that  the horrific attack on Thursday that targeted Israeli civilians on Israeli territory are very serious.

According to Defense Minister Barak:

during" ....the terrorist attack which  originated in Gaza, most of the perpetrators were killed and the senior terrorists responsible for the attack were killed shortly after it. Over the last two days, Israel has been hitting back hard at those responsible for the attack in the south, and is acting with efficiency against the launching of Grad missiles and rockets from Gaza in order to protect the citizens of Israel.”

While today, the  Middle East Quartet composed of representatives from the United Nations, Russian Federation, United States, and European Union released the following statement:

“The Quartet condemns the attacks in southern Israel on 18 August, 2011 and all acts of terrorism in the strongest terms. These are cowardly acts of premeditated terrorism. The Quartet hopes those involved in the planning and conduct of these gruesome attacks will quickly be brought to justice.

“The Quartet remains concerned about the unsustainable situation in Gaza as well as the risk of escalation, and calls for restraint from all sides. The Quartet also expresses its concern about the security situation in the Sinai Peninsula. Recent commitments by the Egyptian Government to address the security situation in the Sinai are important, and the Quartet encourages the Egyptian Government to find a lasting resolution to the issue of Sinai security.

“The Quartet extends its deepest condolences to the victims, their families and loved ones.”

With these serious events as a backdrop, on a related story,  Gov. Rick Perry was awarded the Defender of Jerusalem Award.  The governor accepted the award while on his trip to Israel, early this month, where he also met with Israeli President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and business and academic leaders.

“I have long supported the right of a Jewish state to exist in the Middle East and firmly believe in the protection and preservation of democratic states in that part of the world,” Gov. Perry said. “After visiting several sacred and historic sites, meeting with business, civic and government leaders and seeing the day-to-day lives of the people on my trips to Israel, I am even more convinced that a safe, secure Israel is an essential part of stability in this part of the world.” 

The Defender of Jerusalem Award was created in 2008 by Guma Aguiar, head of the Lillian Jean Kaplan Foundation, as a tribute to dignitaries within Israel and around the world who have demonstrated strong support for the people of Jerusalem and Israel. The first award was presented to Israeli President Shimon Peres.

According to a press release issued by the Governor offices, 

"Gov. Perry continues to be a staunch supporter of Israel. After a trip to the area in 2007, the governor supported Texas’ divestment from companies that do business with Iran, a main opponent of Israeli freedom. Additionally, as a result of meetings with Israeli leadership during the governor and first lady’s visit to Israel in 2007, the Texas-Israel Chamber of Commerce was created to help launch future commercial interests and solidify the strong business and cultural connections between the two states.

Texas is Israel’s fourth largest American trading partner. Texas and Israel’s commercial relationship began with agriculture and natural resources, and has grown in recent years to include a variety of major business sectors, including information and communication technologies, aerospace and defense, medical technologies, homeland security initiatives and renewable energies."