Thank you, Rick Santorum, for noting and protesting on the Senate floor the destruction of synagogues in Gaza (he did so on September 15–it was just brought to my attention. W condemned as well):

Mr. President, here in the United States we cherish and protect religious freedom. Citizens of this great Nation exercise this freedom in many places–in their homes, in their workplaces and many more. But no place is more commonly the location of reflection and prayer than the house of worship–be it the church or synagogue, mosque or temple. The houses of God are infused with sanctity–not because of their architecture or their art or even holy books housed in them–they are sacred because it is where we men and women go to connect to something larger than themselves. We go there to seek comfort and peace. This is, of course, not only true of houses of worship in this country, but throughout the world. It is thus with a heavy heart that I come to the floor today to describe and to deplore the desecration of synagogues that was perpetrated earlier this week in Gaza.
After painful deliberations in Israel’s Cabinet, the government of Israel decided to leave standing nineteen synagogues in its twenty-one communities throughout the Gaza Strip rather than lending a hand to their destruction. Despite official Israeli requests to protect the sanctity and security of the holy sites after it courageously withdrew from Gaza, the Palestinian Authority rejected out of hand any responsibility and refused to protect the structures from arsonists and looters. In fact, a Palestinian police officer, tasked with keeping the peace, shirked his responsibility and allowed the mobs to torch the synagogues, claiming, “The people have a right to do what they’re doing.”
Those acts should offend all people of good conscience. We know too well that where houses of God are desecrated, threats to man’s liberty and life are soon found. As a nation founded by those seeking freedom from religious persecution, we know that governments must actively protect their citizens’ religious freedom. And they have a sacred obligation to protect buildings not because they are made of stone, glass and wood but out of respect for the worship of God that occurs inside them.
Houses of worship, central fixtures in any community, are places where people gather to serve and worship God, seek his counsel, and share common religious experiences. As an American who strongly values religious freedom, I am appalled by the actions of Palestinians who desecrated holy sites and I deplore the total abdication of leadership demonstrated by the Palestinian Authority.
[On this day in 1963,] a bomb exploded at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, AL. And it took until 2001, almost 40 years later, but, we prosecuted and convicted a man responsible. It pains me as I think of such horrific acts occurring and I am proud that in America we not only have the right to worship freely but where we fully prosecute perpetrators of such crimes to the fullest extent.
The lawlessness in the streets of Gaza, the lack of human rights, and the disrespect shown to holy sites by the Palestinian Authority is in marked, stark contrast to the way Israel has treated mosques and Christian holy sites. Following the torching of synagogues in Gaza, Israel increased security at Arab mosques. We need no further proof of the difference between lawful, civilized nations and those that have no place in the family of nations. A government that fails to honor religious sites and, worse, lacks the ability to restrain its citizens from committing such heinous acts demonstrates it is not yet a partner to peace and not yet interested in normal relations with our great friend, the State of Israel.
Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, Executive Vice President of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America said, “The destruction of a synagogue is akin to a knife being thrust into our very being. When synagogues are destroyed, with either the connivance or lack of action of a governing authority, we can only ask, what kind of government is this?”
All Americans of good will, of all faiths, ethnicities and nationalities feel such pain. I commend and join President Bush who yesterday condemned the desecration of the synagogues in Gaza and hope that all Members of this great body do the same.