On the scale of offensive one-sidedness in the Israel-Palestine conflict, the ironically named Gaza Strip Conflict Resolution is probably about a ‘five’. The actual text of the resolution has a couple of disputable facts, but its real fault lies in its arbitrary selection of facts. Yet, critiquing the factual basis for the resolution is outside the scope of this essay. It was carefully crafted to assure maximum support. And it just received maximum support in the House, where it passed by a vote of 390-5 with 22 Democrats voting ‘present’ and 16 representatives not voting.
The five representatives that voted against the resolution are Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Ron Paul (R-TX), Nick Rahall (D-WV), and Maxine Waters (D-CA). I believe 21 of the 22 Democratic members that voted ‘present’ are members of the Progressive Caucus.
The important thing is that 390 members of the House voted for a resolution that states (in part):
(5) calls on all nations–
(A) to condemn Hamas for deliberately embedding its fighters, leaders, and weapons in private homes, schools, mosques, hospitals, and otherwise using Palestinian civilians as human shields, while simultaneously targeting Israeli civilians; and
(B) to lay blame both for the breaking of the `calm’ and for subsequent civilian casualties in Gaza precisely where blame belongs, that is, on Hamas;
That view of this conflict is a decidedly minority view in the world at-large. There is little global love for the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip, and most people condemn the use of rocket attacks on indisputably sovereign Israeli territory. But the idea that the blame for over 700 civilian casualties in Gaza since Christmas lies squarely on Hamas’ shoulders is not popular (to be charitable). Leaving the impression that all the civilian casualties are the result of Hamas hiding in mosques, schools, private homes, and hospitals is an egregious and offensive distortion of the facts. It’s true that Hamas leaders have not lined up in open fields and offered themselves up for slaughter. It’s also true that Israel has bombed a UN school and shelter and leveled multi-story apartment buildings. The responsibility for that lies squarely with the Israelis. No one forced them to kill civilians indiscriminately.
The problem with the Gaza Strip Conflict Resolution is that it is a non-binding resolution that has no force of law and serves no other purpose than to demonstrate overwhelming American support for Israel’s actions in Gaza, which have resulted in the deaths of over 700 innocent civilians. Yet, Americans do not support this senseless slaughter in anything near overwhelming numbers.
Americans, while far more sympathetic to Israel than the Palestinians, are closely divided over whether the Jewish state should be taking military action against militants in the Gaza Strip.
Forty-four percent (44%) say Israel should have taken military action against the Palestinians, but 41% say it should have tried to find a diplomatic solution to the problems there…
[Source: Rasmussen Reports, Dec. 31, 2008]
If 41% of Americans didn’t support the onset of military action, surely fewer than that support the disproportionate murder of over 700 people. Yet, 89.6% of our representatives just voted to express our government’s support for this crime. Less than one percent of the House voted ‘no’.
How did we get to this point where there is such a massive distortion and disconnect between what the public thinks and how their representatives vote? That’s a matter for speculation. What’s more important and should be less controversial, is what it looks like to the outside world. While the UN Security Council calls for a cease-fire (with America abstaining) and the Red Cross criticizes Israel for inhumanity, the House of Representatives votes 90%-1% in favor of what Israel is doing.
How could such a spectacle possibly fail to outrage the world and motivate people to want to do us harm?
And here is the really critical point. What did Israel get out of this resolution? That’s an honest question. Did they get anything really valuable? And what did America get out of it besides an increased risk of retaliation and more strain on our relations with our Arab allies in the region?
Tell me the answer. Because I think the Israeli Lobby just bullied Congress into trading fealty to Tel Aviv at the expense of the security of all American citizens at home and abroad. That’s a hell of a shitty trade-off. But at least Israel now knows who their ‘enemies’ are.
—- NAYS 5 —
Kucinich, Moore (WI), Paul, Rahall, Waters
—- ANSWERED “PRESENT” 22 —
Abercrombie, Blumenauer, DeFazio, Dingell, Edwards (MD), Ellison, Farr, Grijalva, Hinchey, Johnson (GA), Kilpatrick (MI), Lee (CA), McCollum, McDermott, Miller (George), Moran (VA), Olver, Payne, Sanchez (Loretta), Stark, Watson, Woolsey
I think these ‘enemies’ are really Israel’s best friends.
