June 4, 2010

Washington, DC — Nevada Senator Harry Reid released the following statement today in reaction to the recent incident in the Mediterranean Sea:

“Israel is one of our strongest and most important allies, and the United States stands firmly with Israel at this critical time.

“I deeply regret the loss of life in the flotilla incident, including the death of an American citizen.

“Israel has an obligation to protect its citizens and therefore has a clear right under international law to prevent weapons from getting in the hands of terrorists determined to target them.  Israel indicated it was willing to put in place a process to ensure that legitimate humanitarian relief reached Gaza.  Unfortunately this offer was rejected.

“Israel has pledged to carry out a transparent and thorough investigation of this incident, and I look forward to its findings.”