Dems in House to Pass Resolution Defending Gaza War
The good news is that J Street is opposed to it.
The bad news is that the 800 pound gorilla, AIPAC, and its satellite organizations are pushing it hard.
The House resolution, which will pass on Tuesday, basically endorses everything Israel did in the horrific Gaza war while bashing Judge Richard Goldstone for documenting war crimes committed in that war (320 dead Palestinian kids!).
After the vote I'll post the roll call and you will see that some of your favorite "courageous" liberals are none too courageous when it comes to this issue. Some of the very House members who denounce the Iraq war, the Afghanistan war and God knows how many other US military actions (often rightly) go mute when it comes to Israel. In fact, most of them do. In other words, they are courageous when there is no cost for it.
Passing this resolution will damage US security by stating to the world that when Bibi asks us to jump, we jump even higher. (Note to Congress: Did you ever consider just saying you don't agree with Goldstone's findings or did AIPAC reject that approach?)
Here is the resolution.
Next week: the names of the Democrats who vote for it, just so you know why John F. Kennedy would not be writing Profiles in Courage about Congress in the 21st century.
I doubt they will pass it by voice vote because then they can't get "credit" from AIPAC.
Arianna Huffington: Why Joe Biden Should Resign
The vice president has long opposed escalating in Afghanistan. So if the president decides to escalate, Biden, for the good of the country, should escalate his willingness to act on his "deep reservations" and resign.
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The title speaks volumes about the illegal Israeli occupation of our Senate, House & Oval office.
Release our people!
Leaving politics, r3ligion, and ideology aside -- and with all due respect to the author of this commentary:
Let's get real. When Congress takes up crap like this --- it is not "credit" they are looking for --- from anyone ---- it's CASH. Campaign Cash.
Have a cigar!
They definitely want the cash. they are also operating out of fear of the cash going to whomever their opponents will be.
many congress people have dual citizenship with israel. who is their loyality to? doesnt seem to be america first.
Yeah, so does Rahm Emanuel, who also served in the I"D"F. But this is the least our problems, really, given AIPAC's stranglehold on US lawmakers.
agreed.
sizgorich
Clarification. Rahm Emanuel does hold dual US/Israeli citizenship, but did not serve in the IDF. He was a civilian volunteer during the Gulf War. His father was a member of the well known terrorist group Irgun. At any rate, it's doubtful whether he could be opened minded regarding Middle Eastern policy.
You make a statement that is demionstrably false, many people in congress hold Israeli/US citizenship, but cannot seem to offer a number. Just a reckless and inaccurate accusation. And even if it were true, it isn't, holding dual citizenship does not bring one's loyalty into question as you so readily assume.
I hold dual citizenship, Israeli and US, and I would hold my record of service to each nation against anyone writing on this site. Rather than making a person pick which nation gets primary loyalty holding dual citizenship brings obligation into a much clearer light.
BubbaC33
A question...how old are you?
Regarding dual citizenship, certain people in our administration hold US-Israeli citizenship as well as a top security clearance. There have been several instances of
Israeli spies passing classified information to our 'ally' in the Middle East. The penalty for treason is death.
BubbaC33
'Israel did not share info with the USSR'
Really? Did your contacts in the Mossad tell you that?
Nothing personal... think I'll take Caspar Weinberger's word over yours.
great blog . . . I have written to my Congressman . . but I know what I will get back . . and yes, he was one of those opposed to the Iraq war . . .
this is so sick, disgusting, morally reprehensible . . . . it just proves yet again that our Congress is weak and corrupt . . . the Goldstone Report calls for an investigation . . . what is wrong with that the numbers dead are staggering . . . the allegations made must be investigated . . . it shows just how committted America is towards peace in the Middle East . . . it's as though the bushies never left ... . . so much for change we can believe in . . .
I wonder how much money israel is going to ask of the American tax payer this year . . .
In addition to calling my own Rep., I've called Berman and will call the others. Berman has gotten over $22,000 from AIPAC--not surprising he'll do their bidding. Nancy Pelosi has gotten over $18,000. I called her office to urge her to not let this come to a vote at all as it's a waste of taxpayer time and money and it completely undermines our efforts. The world watches the absurd hypocrisy that our government exhibits time and time again. The Speaker's number is 202-225-0100.
Who is "Our"?
Perhaps it would be beneficial for you to look at the record and see how much Ms. Pelosi has received from Big Oil, the AMA, and other lobby interests. Add to that, I question the amounts you have provided, you did fail to provide any proof for you allegation.
Lastly, And this sort of thing always makes me laugh:
the resolution states: (1) considers the `Report of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission
on the Gaza Conflict’ to be IRREDEEMABLY BIASED and unworthy of
further consideration or legitimacy;
and then just a few sentences later:
(5)reaffirms its support for the democratic, Jewish State of Israel,
for Israel’s security and right to self-defense, and, specifically,
for Israel’s right to defend its citizens from violent militant groups
and their state sponsors.
Who's Irredeemably biased?
Noticably not ONE WORD about the Palestinian suffering, their dead and wounded and the massive destruction of Infrastructure is included in this house resolution.
It is the most Biased resolution I have ever read. Partner for peace? You have to laugh.
I wish I could laugh--I'm too disgusted.
Hey, man, the report isn't about the Palestinians. It's about Israel and the attacks on it by the Goldstone Report. Stop trying to change the subject.
This is not a report, it's nothing so thought-out. This is a resolution. And in this modern congress how much do you want to bet any of these people that will automatically sign onto it have even read the Goldstone Report? How many do you suppose have read Goldstone's evisceration of the "arguments" made in this half-assed childish resolution of fealty to Israel? The lady (Israel) doth protest too much, methinks.
St Cuthbert
Israeli Activists Criticize US House for Considering Resolution Condemning Goldstone Report on Israeli War Crimes in Gaza
AMY GOODMAN: Micha Kurz, I want to play an excerpt from one of the video testimonies from the Breaking the Silence website. This is First Sergeant Amir, a reservist from the Armored Corps who served in Israel’s Operation Cast Lead, as they call that, the Israeli assault on Gaza earlier this year. He’s describing the briefings his unit received during the training for the assault.
FIRST SGT. AMIR: [translated] At any obstacle, any problem, we open fire and don’t ask questions, even if it’s firing in the dark, aimed at an unknown target. Fire when we don’t see, deterrent fire? No problem with that, etc. A vehicle that’s in the way? Crush it. A building in the way? Shell it. This was the spirit of things that was repeated throughout the training.
INTERVIEWER: Meaning that in briefings no one even mentions the issue of innocents?
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/11/3/israeli_activists_criticize_us_house_for
St Cuthbert pt 2
The rules of engagement were [to] shoot.”
FIRST SGT. AMIR: It is not mentioned. And if it is mentioned, it is only to say that there are no innocents, everyone there is enemy. That’s a phrase we kept hearing from that brigade commander, too, that wherever we would be, if there is anyone there, they must be the enemy.
INTERVIEWER: You had briefings before entering that included rules of engagement?
FIRST SGT. AMIR: Not that I recall. There were no rules of engagement. The rules of engagement were to shoot. Those were the rules of engagement. You see anything suspect? Shoot.
AMY GOODMAN: “The rules of engagement were [to] shoot.” So said Amir, the Israeli soldier in Gaza, collected on the Breaking the Silence website. The significance of these soldiers speaking out after this last assault? How many were there? And the effect in Israel?
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/11/3/israeli_activists_criticize_us_house_for
Not one Palestinian need have died if they had not been firing rockets.
WBMD,
2/3 of all those killed had nothing to do with the firing of those rockets, except that they had the misfortune to be residents fo the Strip.
They didn't even have the option of fleeing the fighting, since all borders were closed.
300 of those civilians were CHILDREN! What was THEIR crime?
WBMD
Yes and 700,000 PAlestinians would not have been forcibly expelled in 48 had they not committed the crime of living in their homes on their lands.
Hamas continued to fire missles into eretz Israel after getting a number of warnings that Israel would respond to stop the attacks. Hamas fired the missles from civilian sites. When the IDF entered Gaza Hamas hid among its own civilians to fire on the Israeli forces, an act of cowardice. Collateral damage was high because Hamas acted in a manner that made it impossible for any other outcome to take place.
I have not seen a single posting on this site by the anti-Israel writers placing any blame on Hamas. Civilian deaths are always a tragedy, but during Cast Lead it was made predictable by the cowardly actions of Hamas.
ubbaC33
'Hamas hid amongst its civilians to fire on the Israeli forces.'
As Gaza is perhaps the most densely populated area on earth with approx 1.6 million people, a virtual open air prison, where was Hamas to hide? In the open fields & vast
expanses of desert?
At any rate, several brave IDF soldiers have broken the silence & come forward telling the truth. They were ordered to shoot anything that moved.
More facts: from the resolution: "Whereas in the October 16th edition of the Jewish Daily Forward,
Richard Goldstone, the head of the `United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict’, is quoted as saying, with respect to the mission’s evidence-collection methods, `If this was a court of
law, there would have been nothing proven.’;
Precisely because it is NOT a court of law, the Goldstone report RECOMMENDS an investigation take place. The report itself is merely preliminary and establishes grounds for an investigation. It is not a substitute for this investigation. By "Calling on the President ..to oppose...any endorsement or further consideration of the `Report of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict’ , Congress will be telling the members of the UN that despite ample evidence and just cause, NO investigation into Israel's (or HAMAS's) actions will be tolerated in international fora, because the preliminary report was not a Watertight legal case in and of itself.
This is a twisted argument. We cant have an investigation, because the report was not an investigation.
Heres a few facts:
The resolution says: "Whereas the mandate of the `fact-finding mission’ makes no mention of
the relentless rocket and mortar attacks..."
From the goldstone report, PAGE ONE: "On 3 April 2009, the President of the Human Rights Council established the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict with the mandate “to investigate all violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law that might have been committed at any time in the context of the military operations that were conducted in Gaza during the period from 27 December 2008 and 18 January 2009, whether before, during or after.”
SO you see, it refers not to one party or one set of military tactics in the mandate. So the house resolution is incorrect on this point, insofar as the mandate makes clear it intends to investigate ALL violations of human rights law.
What are you talking about? The House resolution claims that no mention of the rocket attacks are made, and you post something from the beginning of the report that the report "will investigate". That's not proof in the slightest. Go back and find where in the report the rocket attacks are mentioned and then we'll believe you. But not before.
The Goldstone report does indeed accuse Hamas of war crimes.
"Whereas the mandate of the `fact-finding mission"
"the mandate"
THE MANDATE
Page 11/31 "According to the Government of Israel, during the military operations there were 4 Israeli fatal casualties in southern Israel, of whom 3 were civilians and one soldier, killed by rockets and mortars attacks by Palestinian armed groups."
Page 12/35 "...the Mission found that Palestinian armed groups were present in urban areas during the military operations and launched rockets from urban areas."
P 31/103 "Palestinian armed groups have launched about 8000 rockets and mortars into southern Israel since 2001"
P31/104 "Since 18 June 2008, rockets fired by Palestinian armed groups in Gaza have killed 3
civilians inside Israel and 2 civilians in Gaza when a rocket landed short of the border on 26
December 2008."
P 32/108 "The Mission has determined that the rockets and, to a lesser extent, mortars, fired by the Palestinian armed groups are incapable of being directed towards specific military objectives and were fired into areas where civilian populations are based."..."Given the seeming
inability of the Palestinian armed groups to direct the rockets and mortars towards specific
targets and given the fact that the attacks have caused very little damage to Israeli military assets, the Mission finds that there is significant evidence to suggest that one of the primary purposes of the rocket and mortar attacks is to spread terror amongst the Israeli civilian population, a violation of international law."
continues...
continued..
P54/183 "The firing of rockets and mortars from Gaza into Israel began in 2001.15 Israeli sources report that as many as 3,455 rockets and 3,742 mortar shells were fired into Israel from Gaza until mid-June 2008."
P 59/195 "From the disengagement until November 2006, the Israeli armed forces fired
approximately 15,000 artillery shells and conducted more than 550 air strikes into the Gaza
Strip. Israeli military attacks killed approximately 525 people in Gaza. Over the same period, at
least 1,700 rockets and mortars were fired into Israel by Palestinian militants, injuring 41
Israelis."
I could go on but I won't, there are literally too many instances to mention here. Read the report.
All sources from "HUMAN RIGHTS IN PALESTINE AND OTHER
OCCUPIED ARAB TERRITORIES Report of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict" Otherwise known as the Goldstone report.
When has Congress ever worried about truth when supporting Israel's illegal actions?
An accusation with absolutely nothing of honesty in it.
I suspect, especially in this economy, that the number of voters as opposed to lobby dependent politicians actually demanding such resolutions would not be all that much higher than the percentage of birthers compared to the general population. Endorsement of stuff that actually benefits the voters back home rather than a foreign government would be a refreshing change.
Yes, please make sure to post the roll call!! I already called my Rep and let him know how opposed to this I am.
There's been much written and commented about how Obama has "restored our international standing". It was little more than rhetoric, or perhaps wishful thinking. When this passes it's just a joke. Anyone knows who introduced this? THATS going to be an interesting money trail.
As soon as he appointed Hillary Clinton Sec.State, it became clear that there would be no new policy with regard to Israel, but only empty rhetoric at best.
Just for argument sake, even if I believed that Hamas uses human shields (I know Israel says so but it would be silly to believe such a biased source)....
Picture this - an armed gunman is on top of a hospital in the US with some big ol' anti-aircraft gun...whatever. They also know that there are more gunmen inside the building but they don't know where. Can you imagine the US military just taking out a building full of civilians to get these guys? In the Iran hostage crisis, why didn't we just bomb the whole area to kill the hostage takers?
We would NEVER accept this kind of extreme behavior from our military or police. How can people justify this on behalf of Israel? Is it because of a successful campaign to dehumanize Palestinians? I know that, when I was growing up, I actually thought that 'Palestinian' meant suicide bomber. I didn't realize that Palestinians were a group of PEOPLE.
They're just regular people.
"Picture this - an armed gunman is on top of a hospital in the US with some big ol' anti-aircraft gun...whatever. They also know that there are more gunmen inside the building but they don't know where. Can you imagine the US military just taking out a building full of civilians to get these guys?"
Yes. We do it all the time.
Since Obama took office the US has killed hundreds of innocent people with Predator drones and Hellstrike missile attacks.
Double standard much?
There have been a lot of us here who have been trying to reemind the Obama Administration of this. And are opposed to the use of predator drones, not just because of the moral question (killing innocent people is plain immoral, and "collateral damage" is just a fancy game of words to try to sanitize what is really going on.
You may have noticed that many of us are pushing for a vigorous investigation and prosecution of the war crimes, including the development of and implementation of a torture regimen.
These acts are not only criminal, but they are incredibly stupid, because they produce the opposite effect of what is intended.
We are never going to get the ordinary Afghanis on our side if we kill innocent Afghanis. Rather the reverse.
And the asame applies to torture. It doesn't get you any reliable intelligence, and just angers moderates -- people we need if we are going to stop terrorism.
One investigator in Iraq, who refused to use torture, and was able to get much valuable intelligence (including the location of Zarqawi) found out (from his interrogations of foreign insurgents) that the reason they came to Iraq to fight the US was because of anger over the US use of torture.
In the long run, practices like torture and the killing of large numbers of civilians is not only immoral and illegal, but also counter-effective.
This assumes that one thinks the US's actions in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan (my, the list grows longer all the time) are okay, and many critics of Israel do not, as I suspect the Lonely God does not.
Poor argument Hamas has no anti-aircraft guns, they have only light weapons. All people fighting a brutal occupation are called Freedom fighters except the Palestinians.
That's because most people who fight against an occupation fight against the soldiers who are occupying them, not the women and children at home in their beds.
First of all what does it say when any Israeli source is "biased", but a Hamas source is "biblical"? Secondly, how would, as far as you are concerned, anything that Israel says, ever be accepted? And if not, why say anything? Thirdly, you better believe that if armed gunmen took over a building, (or a civilian aircraft,) and hold an entire city hostage from their vantage point, that building (or aircarft) will, reluctantly, be brought down. The readiness of our armed forces to do just that has been proven repeatedly. Not to get the terrorists, but to protect our civilians.
Here you are (with talk of aircraft0 comparing apples to oranges.
I wasn't aware that Hamas had hijacked any aircraft and flown it into buildings.
The ONLY reason we have such a policy is to prevent what would certainly be a greater loss of life if such aircraft were to be flown into a building.
Despite this policy, you might have noticed that while there were fighter jets on standby, when that plane overflew the airport in Minnesota (by 150 miles!) and was out of radio contact for over an hour, it wasn't shot down. No one on the ground overreacted.
But if a building was seized (have you never heard of hostage taking?) the usual policy is to try to talk the criminals into releasing the hostages (it's called NEGOTIATING) and only using force if the hostge lives are in immediate danger.
When a bank is being held up, and those criminals are holding hostages, we do NOT have a policy of calling in the Air Force to bomb the bank (or other building).
The callous disregard for innocent life here is appalling to me.
Just imagine if it were YOUR family that wastapped in a building and being bombed.
Would you wite THEM off as "collateral damage"?
Why is this resolution in the US Congress?
Because if Israel is successfully prosecuted on the faulty evidence of the Goldstone Report, the US will be next for our actions in Iraq.
Please provide precise and proven examples of "faulty evidence" in the Goldstone Report.
Both the US AND Israel SHOULD be conducting their own, open (not secret) investigations and possible prosecutions into war crimes. This is required under treaty obligationss (and in the US, by our own laws.)
Any official ICC investigation of Israel would be conducting its own investigation for possible trials, but Israel can avoid this by conducting its OWN investigation, based on their OWN evidence.
After all, the IDF would contain records of what was ordered and by whom.
We have a better idea of what happened (at least to some extent-- I don't believe the full picture on the US use of torture, which I believe was far more widespread and systematic than most Americans realize, and much of it was implemented not by the military, but by the intel agencies, particularly the CIA) because more information has trickled out.
And, so why should the US not be next?
If crimes were committed?
So you justify hiding and weaseling behind fake resolutions?
U.S. should be next.
btw, Goldstone is a report. ICC would do an actual investigation...if Israel and Hamas fail to do a professional investigation on their own.
Your understanding of the process is poor...and fear driven.
You're an expert on whether the evidence in the Goldstone report is faulty?? Also, the US absolutely SHOULD be investigated for war crimes in Iraq. We are not above international and humanitarian law!
Founded in the 1950s by Isaiah L. "Si" Kenen, AIPAC's original name was the American Zionist Committee for Public Affairs. According to UCLA political science professor and author, Steven Spiegel, "the tension between the Eisenhower administration and Israeli supporters was so acute that there were rumors that the administration would investigate the American Zionist Council. Therefore, an independent lobbying committee was formed, which years later was renamed AIPAC. In his book describing the early history of AIPAC, Kenen wrote that AIPAC's Executive Committee decided to change their name from American Zionist Committee for Public Affairs to American Israel Public Affairs Committee "to enlarge constituency and support."
US Department of Justice files reveal that the Kennedy administration ordered the American Zionist Council to register as the agent of Israel under the Foreign Agents Registration Act; these files were declassified in 2008.
good point DC . . . it doesn't belong there . . once again the US subverts the UN . . . and just what is the US . . . it is a debt ridden economy . . . with a depleted army . . . and can't afford to play world cop any more and shouldn't . . I think Congress thinks the cold war is still on . . when what we are heading for is WWIII . . . and I still think they think the US has credibility . . . they are in fior a big shock . .
You ask, "Why?"
Here's why: it's because Israel is an ally of the United States and deserves our support; Israel is a viable, functioning democracy in its own right and it serves our interests as well as theirs to keep it that way; and Israel is under sustained attack once more by its enemies (who are our enemies as well), and they have learned that the best chance they have to win their decades-long war to drive Israel into the sea is to influence our opinion in their favor, against Israel. As they're doing with the Goldstone report.
To influence our opinion Hamas will gladly fight to the last Arab man, woman and child in Gaza and rejoice whenever Arabs' dead bodies are shown on television and cable news or reported in print media for us in the west to see.
Never mind that Israel's actions will have been in response to some act of war by Hamas' "soldiers"; the Hamas playbook calls for us to react with revulsion at the carnage we see, not at the actions that caused the Israeli response in the first place.
Judging by the number of allies and well-wishers they've gained in the west and even here at the Huffpo, Hamas has been on a roll lately. So it's time for members of Congress to step up and show their support for Israel. Let's see how many of them do so and will vote to in favor of this resolution.
Can we show our support without sending billions of dollars to prop up their military machine?
Let's hope the Arab/Muslim world understands the real message being sent the last few days...
Sadly, some things never change in America: the awful state of our health care system, our totally uncritical policy toward Israel's government. And we can stomp and shout and sign petitions until the end of time, but the people in power aren't going to acknowledge us. We have no money to give them.
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