WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, released the following statement in response to the recent actions by the United Nations Human Rights Council:

“I am deeply concerned by the recent resolution adopted by the special session of the United Nations Human Rights Council regarding the ongoing conflict between Hamas and the State of Israel.  The resolution makes no mention of the terrorist organization Hamas, its violation of international law in advocating and employing human shields to protect its military equipment and the 2,500 rockets that have been fired at civilians in Israel. 

“There is no moral equivalence between a nation-state defending itself and a terrorist organization murdering civilians. To suggest otherwise is a blatant disregard of the facts. We cannot force a ceasefire upon Israel that leaves it vulnerable to future deadly attacks.  Both Palestinian and Israeli civilians are dying because of the distorted priorities of the leaders of a terrorist organization whose primary goal is to destroy Israel. We must do everything possible to ensure they do not succeed.”

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