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.

 

 

Comments

[ray01]

07:07 PM on 11/02/2009

The title speaks volumes about the illegal Israeli occupation of our Senate, House & Oval office.

Release our people!

[Elderlady]

02:20 PM on 11/02/2009

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.

[CigarGod]

03:42 PM on 11/02/2009

Have a cigar!

[lbsaltzman]

05:42 PM on 11/02/2009

They definitely want the cash. they are also operating out of fear of the cash going to whomever their opponents will be.

[Pema]

12:52 PM on 11/02/2009

many congress people have dual citizenshi­p with israel. who is their loyality to? doesnt seem to be america first.

[sizgorich]

03:32 PM on 11/02/2009

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.

[Pema]

04:41 PM on 11/02/2009

agreed.

[ray01]

06:24 PM on 11/02/2009

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.

[BubbaC33]

06:55 AM on 11/03/2009

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.

[ray01]

02:06 PM on 11/03/2009

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.

[ray01]

07:22 PM on 11/04/2009

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.

[Macready]

09:42 AM on 11/02/2009

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 . . .

[SiberianRat]

09:26 AM on 11/02/2009

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.

[Tiger99]

09:54 AM on 11/02/2009

Who is "Our"?

[BubbaC33]

06:58 AM on 11/03/2009

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.

[Wisdo]

09:23 AM on 11/02/2009

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.

[SiberianRat]

09:27 AM on 11/02/2009

I wish I could laugh--I'm too disgusted.

[StCuthbert]

09:56 AM on 11/02/2009

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.

[kentah]

02:28 PM on 11/02/2009

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.

[ray01]

10:40 PM on 11/03/2009

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

[Wisdo]

09:15 AM on 11/02/2009

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.

[Wisdo]

09:07 AM on 11/02/2009

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.

[StCuthbert]

09:55 AM on 11/02/2009

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.

[SiberianRat]

09:58 AM on 11/02/2009

The Goldstone report does indeed accuse Hamas of war crimes.

[Wisdo]

10:50 AM on 11/02/2009

"Whereas the mandate of the `fact-find­ing mission"

"the mandate"

THE MANDATE

[alysheba 3]

09:58 AM on 11/02/2009

When has Congress ever worried about truth when supporting Israel's illegal actions?

[BubbaC33]

07:14 AM on 11/03/2009

An accusation with absolutely nothing of honesty in it.

[Skepticat]

07:15 AM on 11/02/2009

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.

[SiberianRat]

07:02 AM on 11/02/2009

Yes, please make sure to post the roll call!! I already called my Rep and let him know how opposed to this I am.

[MarcusT]

10:20 PM on 11/01/2009

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.

[sizgorich]

03:52 PM on 11/02/2009

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.

[genofear]

07:42 PM on 11/01/2009

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.

[TheLonelyGod]

08:22 PM on 11/01/2009

"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?

[jwcmass]

11:35 PM on 11/01/2009

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.

[sizgorich]

03:54 PM on 11/02/2009

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.

[martin2]

08:58 PM on 11/01/2009

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.

[TheLonelyGod]

09:13 PM on 11/01/2009

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.

[DC]

06:18 PM on 11/01/2009

Why is this resolution in the US Congress?

[StCuthbert]

08:11 PM on 11/01/2009

Because if Israel is successful­ly prosecuted on the faulty evidence of the Goldstone Report, the US will be next for our actions in Iraq.

[Thelonius]

10:59 PM on 11/01/2009

Please provide precise and proven examples of "faulty evidence" in the Goldstone Report.

[jwcmass]

11:50 PM on 11/01/2009

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.

[MarcusT]

11:49 PM on 11/01/2009

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.

[Tiger99]

04:29 PM on 11/01/2009

Let's hope the Arab/Musli­m world understand­s the real message being sent the last few days...

[JDM73]

01:03 PM on 11/01/2009

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.