WASHINGTON, D.C. (SDJW)—Three Jewish lawmakers added their voices on Tuesday, July 1, to those of colleagues who already have expressed their grief following news that three Israel teens were found murdered on June 30 and buried together in public ceremonies in Modi’in, Israel, on Tuesday, July 1.
Senator Benjamin Cardin (D-Maryland), who was traveling in Baku to represent the United States at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly, said “My heart is breaking for the families of Eyal Yifrach, Gilad Shaar and Naftali Fraenkel who received news of the tragic end to the kidnapping of their sons. My thoughts and prayers are with these families, and the Israeli people. Innocent children should never be made targets for violent agendas.”
In the House of Representatives, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-Florida) said: “I am heartbroken at the discovery of Eyal, Gilad, and Naftali’s bodies in the West Bank…. They were innocent, unarmed teenagers murdered in cold blood. These boys had their whole lives ahead of them, and deserved so much better. As a mother, a Jew, and a public servant, my heart goes out to their families, friends, and the Israeli people. The terrorist cowards who perpetrated such heinous crimes must be brought to justice swiftly.”
Congressman Henry Waxman (D-California) “The kidnapping and murder of innocent, unarmed teenagers is a cowardly and barbaric act that has no place in a civilized world. We all grieve for Eyal Yifrach, Gil-ad Shaar, and Naftali Frankel and embrace their families in our hearts. These boys had deep ties to the U.S., including Los Angeles, and their murder has hit our community hard. We must stand firmly with Israel as it seeks to bring those responsible to justice.”
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In other congressional developments involving Jewish members, U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel (D-New York) urged President Barack Obama to take executive action to alleviate the nation’s immigration crisis, and U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Kentucky) expressed pleasure over a federal district court judge striking down Kentucky’s ban on same sex marriages.
Engel said: “There are an estimated 11.5 million undocumented immigrants living in the proverbial shadows of our democracy. House Republicans have been ignoring the need to fix our broken immigration system for reasons known only to them. This problem isn’t going away, nor can it be ignored.
“Those living on the margins of our society are still here. Their fear and frustration grows each day Congress refuses to take up legislation that would give them a chance to earn American citizenship by paying back taxes and getting in the same line as everyone else. Closing our borders to those in need is not the American way.
“The Senate passed a bipartisan immigration plan last summer, but the House leadership refuses to allow a vote. I co-sponsored the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, or H.R.15, in hopes that the House would soon pass our own version of the bill. Speaker Boehner’s steadfast refusal to bring the bill up for a vote is hurting our economy, and the families torn apart by deportation.”
“I regret that President Obama feels that executive action is his only recourse, but House Republicans have given him little choice.”
To date, President Obama has issued fewer executive orders than President George W. Bush, President Bill Clinton, and President Ronald Regan, Engel said.
Yarmuth, meanwhile, issued a statement saying “Judge (John) Heyburn’s ruling striking down Kentucky’s marriage ban affirms once again that there is no government interest in discrimination against same-sex couples. I am proud our Commonwealth has joined the growing list of states recognizing that the right to marry applies to all citizens.”
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San Diego Jewish World compilation