John McCain supports Israel !

Greetings. I support Israel and want to share with you news about an excellent speech made by that great American hero John McCain. Respectfully, Michael

McCain Strongly Backs Israel's Right to Self-Defense

From today's St. Louis Post-Dispatch: JULY 16 2006

U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., gave strong support on Saturday to Israel's reaction to the capture of two of its soldiers, despite international criticism that the country's offensive against Islamic militants in Lebanon has been too harsh.
At a political fundraiser for Illinois state Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka, the Republican nominee for governor of Illinois, McCain delivered gave a scathing condemnation of the Hezbollah guerrillas who made an incursion into Israel on Wednesday, seizing two soldiers and killing eight. In response, Israel began a massive bombing campaign of Lebanon's infrastructure.

"You have probably seen our European friends say, well, the Israelis have got to stop," said McCain, who was a prisoner of war in the Vietnam War.

"What would we do if somebody came across our borders and killed our soldiers and captured our soldiers? Do you think we would be exercising total restraint?"

The fighting between Israel and Hezbollah -- a conflagration that on Saturday threatened to develop into a regional war -- was only part of McCain's wide-ranging speech on foreign affairs.

McCain specifically called on Iran to stop its assistance of Hezbollah, which is also a declared political party in Lebanon's government. The group is also supported by Syria.

"Israel has neighbors on its borders that are bent on its extinction," McCain said. "This crisis is not going to be defused until Hezbollah is disarmed and Iran discontinues its sponsorship of Hezbollah."

McCain's speech at a luncheon in a golf course restaurant had started out as a gushing review of Topinka, punctuated by self-effacing humor and a little banter about Arizona, in the style of Garrison Keillor.

But the audience hushed as McCain turned serious. Noting the Group of Eight summit taking palce in Russia, he called on Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is hosting the meeting of the leading industrialized nations, to pressure Iran to stop backing Hezbollah.

McCain also denounced Hamas, the militant Palestinian group that controls the Palestinian Authority. Militants linked to Hamas kidnapped an Israeli soldier on June 25. That abduction resulted in an Israeli incursion into the Gaza Strip.
McCain didn't stop with the Israeli crisis; he dressed down North Korea for its saber-rattling and rocket tests earlier this month. McCain specifically singled out China -- now a tentative ally of the United States -- as needing to step in.
"The Chinese are really the only people who have any influence over this two-bit dictator (Kim Jong-Il)," McCain said. "The Chinese have to understand that there are repercussions for our relationship if they don't do the right thing."
McCain, who received a standing ovation from the crowd, said he also felt the need to comment the U.S. fighting in Iraq, criticizing Democrats who have advocated a troop withdrawal sooner rather than later….











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