House Dems Align With Bush On Gaza

House Majority Leader, Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that leading House Democrats are currently drafting a non-binding congressional resolution to support Israel's Gaza incursion. The resolution, being drafted by the office of House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman (D-CA), will offer tacit support for Israel and look into conditions for peace without explicitly demanding a ceasefire.

The report quotes Hoyer:

"Certainly it would not demand a cease-fire," Hoyer said. "It would speak to the conditions that would justify a cease-fire. A cease-fire is not a just cease-fire when it's just Israel" holding fire.

These House Democrats' stance is notably aligned with the Bush administration's current position towards the conflict. The "one-sided ceasefire" point has become a mantra for Bush and Secretary of State Rice since Israel's air strikes began on December 27th. And, as Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu reports here, it has also become the position of the European Union, under the nascent leadership of the Czech Republic.

As Gedalyahu reports:

"At the moment, from the perspective of the last days, we understand this step as a defensive, not offensive, action," said Czech EU presidency spokesman Jiri Potuznik.

...

While the U.S. is using diplomatic efforts to halt violence and is concerned with the economic situation of Gaza residents, President Bush stated, "Another one-way ceasefire that leads to rocket attacks on Israel is not acceptable. And promises from Hamas will not suffice -- there must be monitoring mechanisms in place to help ensure that smuggling of weapons to terrorist groups in Gaza comes to an end."

Gedalyahu also points out that this position conflicts with that of the EU's former leadership, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, as well as with much of the Arab world. It is not yet clear if there will be any strong congressional opposition to the Democratic resolution. Though President-elect Barack Obama has kept himself at arm's-length from the conflict thus far, he has just spoken out against civilian casualties. However, he is also often quoted from his visit to the assailed Israeli city Sderot as sharing the House Dems position. Passage of the House resolution would be the first formal Congressional response to the conflict.

Comments

[vinny]

When you stop and consider the history of events in the past few years, and US government's involvement in encouraging the violence, e.g. sending armor/rock­ets/grenad­es to support a Fatah insurgency back in May, a reasonable, informed person can only have disgust for the uncritical, unquestioning support the Democratic Congress has had for Israel.

It's time to stop funding and supporting Israel. It only adds fuel to the fire. Israel must come to terms with its neighbors and stop making excuses for it's hegemony over another people. Israel provokes violence at every turn rather than seeking peace. Israel's blockade and previous incursions into Gaza violated the June cease fire agreement. Look at Israel's actions, and it's hard to justify continued support.

[harriscrl3]

Since they have time on their hand why the heck dont they burn the midnight oil making sure the stimulus is on Obama's desk. The american people elected them because the economy is going down the drain. They need to focus on what they are elected to do rather than making international matters WORSE.

Carol

[Gabrielle]

S.HAME ON THE H.OUSE D.EMS
Can I take my votes back?
I became an American Citizen last year because I had HOPEDThat the D.ems could change things.
Same old, same old.....

SHAME SHAME SHAME

[SailFree]

Democrats support freedom and democracy and oppose terrorism. But you think it's time for a change?

[bygollymissmolly]

This is another misleading headline by Huffington Post. All it does is quote Hoyer and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman (D-CA). That does not mean that the Democrats in the House are going to go along with what they are proposing. Until such time as the Democrats in Congress vote on something like this, the best the Huffington Post can say is that Hoyer and Berman are aligned with Bush on Gaza.

[johnsonc20]

Sad to see such poor representation from the Democrats. Might as well just let AIPAC run the caucuses along with the state department. It would be nice to have US Representatives represent US interest every once in a while - and care about human rights even when an ally grossly violates them.

[ErnestineBass]

Pfffffft. AIPAC has been leading this country around by the nose for decades.

Vanessa Redgrave was absolutely correct.

[christopherflynn]

house dems=STUPI­DITY...

[michiganfan]

Disgusting. Just plain disgusting.

[scooperss]

Don't they have some work to be done for the US? A non-binding resolution to make them look like fools (and us for electing them, well not me) to the rest of the world.

The world is upside down.