My congressman is a true would-be progressive, John Hall, a longtime musician (Orleans) serving his second term after knocking off a Republican incumbent 3 years ago in the anti-Iraq war election. Well it's one thing to run against the Iraq war and another to say a word against Israel's massacre of Gaza. Lately my friend Joan Turner wrote him about Gaza. It is amazing to read the volumes of pro-Israel talking points that Hall crams into one letter. There is not a word about the slaughter of 400 children. But yes, he's holding a rocket in his hands in Sderot and saying, We would fight those terrorists. If you don't think our politics are corrupted... Here's the exchange. First Hall's response, then Turner's response to him.
February 5, 2009
Dear Ms. Turner,
Thank you for contacting me about the recent conflict between Israel and
Hamas in Gaza. I appreciate hearing your thoughts on this issue.
I am deeply concerned about the ongoing conflict between the Israelis
and the Palestinians. For decades the fighting in that region has been
the focus of international concern which has been heightened by the
resurgence of violence in the last few years. There are no easy
answers,and the burden for peace does not lie with just one side.
Following an intense barrage of rocket attacks into Southern Israel by
the terrorist group Hamas, the Israeli Defense Forces entered Gaza in
December, 2008, to put an end to the rocket fire. Article 51 of the
United Nations Charter allows nations to engage in self-defense
against armed attacks. Hamas is listed as a terrorist organization
by the U.S. State Department and has repeatedly expressed the explicit goal of
destroying the state of Israel.
During my first year in Congress, I witnessed the devastating
effects of
these rocket attacks first hand. I had the privilege of visiting
Israel and during my visit I walked inside a home that was hit by
rocket fire
in Sderot, just outside Gaza. As I stood in the room with the
rocket in
my hands and peered through the open hole in the roof into the open
blue sky, I realized that any nation would take drastic measures to
make such
attacks stop. Israel has the right to destroy those arms caches and
organizations that support these attacks. In doing so, they must
exercise maximum effort so that there will be minimum casualties.
The United States can and must play an integral role in ending the
violence and establishing a lasting peace. Hundreds of thousands of
Israeli and Palestinian civilians have been displaced by the conflict.
Every day that passes brings with it the loss of innocent life, the
loss of hope, and the loss of future opportunities. The United
States needs
to work with the international community, especially the neighboring
Arab states, to forge a peace agreement that disarms Hamas and brings
order to Gaza and the surrounding region. I hope that this
confrontationwill be quickly resolved, and talks will continue to
create a durable,
sustainable peace in the Middle East.
I appreciate your comments on this issue, and I will certainly keep
themin mind as I work with my colleagues to help make the United
States a
force for peace in the region. Thank you again for taking the time to
contact me. If there is anything further my staff or I can do for you,
please do not hesitate to call on me again.
Sincerely,
John Hall
Member of Congress
Dear Sir:
Thank you for your reply. However, I am sadly disappointed; if AIPAC had
written this I could understand. I had expected a more informed and
thoughtful analysis from you, one that might have at least recognized the
difference between a resistance fighter (after all the Israeli occupation
is illegal) and a terrorist. Parroting the propaganda that the State
Department puts out will hardly lead to peace in the Middle East. It is
time for a change in US policy but this means having an open mind,
dedicating oneself to justice for all, and the courage to take on the
Israeli lobby.
Sincerely,
Joan Turner, PhD
Here's the response (dated January 12, 2009) I got yesterday (Jan. 20) to the letter and phone message I sent to "my representative," Sen. Sherrod Brown:
"Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the current situation in Gaza.
Israel has a right and a duty to defend its people from terrorism. For too long, Hamas has used Gaza as a staging ground for terrorism, including the recent escalation of rocket launches against Israeli citizens, to the detriment of the Palestinian people. I cosponsored S. Res. 10, a resolution reaffirming support for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, because it states that right and asserts our concern about humanitarian aid and protecting civilian lives.
I am deeply concerned by the growing number of civilian casualties. All sides must work towards an immediate resolution to the crisis. The Bush Administration [this letter arrived on Inauguration Day]
must work to bring about a ceasefire and an immediate removal of all obstacles for the delivery of humanitarian aid.
I am monitoring this situation and will continue to promote direct action by this and the next Administration to develop a lasting peace for the region.
Thank you again for writing me.
Sincerely,
Sherrod Brown
United States Senator"
****
I replied:
'Jan 20, 2009
Dear Senator Brown,
As a life-long Democrat deeply horrified by the Bush Administration's many crimes, I didn't think that anything could dampen our family's celebration of President Obama's inauguration.
But your reply to my letter about Israel's atrocities in Gaza has made us ashamed of the Democratic Party’s failure to stand up to the Israeli expansionist regime—as well as the Likud Lobby here in the U.S. The Israeli government has created an ever-bigger apartheid system of roads, and imprisoned villages in the West Bank and a massive concentration camp in Gaza .
By stating that "Israel has a right and a duty to defend its people from terrorism," you show yourself to be more loyal to Israel than to the U.S., as well as ignorant of recent history. An illegally Occupying power like Israel has no right under international law to self-defense, because Occupation itself is aggression.
Israel broke the "truce," having used the cease-fire to plan its onslaught against defenseless civilians in Gaza. No Israeli had been killed by Hamas during the "truce," but Israel murdered six Palestinians and refused to loosen the strangling siege on Gaza and the one and a half million civilians there.
Don't forget: the Israeli siege of Gaza is an act of war and Israel launched one whole war in response to a siege placed on it. Please, Senator Brown, open your eyes to the fact that Israel is not David now, but an imperial Goliath. Stop being conned by Zionists whose goal is a "Greater Israel" which precludes the possibility of a Palestinian state. That you defend Israel's many war crimes is truly disheartening to all liberals who care about peace, justice, and self-determination for all peoples.
When will you become fair-minded enough to see that Palestine "has a right and a duty to defend its people from terrorism," too?
My family and I ask that you condemn the IDF targeting of many UN buildings, including the warehouse full of food; of hospitals, medics, family rescuers, children, schools, civil society buildings.
We ask you to stop supporting Israel’s illegal wars: to halt the $3 billion-plus subsidy and to support a boycott of all Israeli goods and services until Israel complies with international law and obeys all UN mandates, including withdrawal to the 1967 borders.
Please cease working for Neo-Conservative, Likud—values, but put your effort instead into achieving decent, Liberal goals: a truly just peace between Israelis and Palestinians in Palestine.
Thank you very much.
Sincerely,
Susie Kneedler'
Senator Brown has NOT replied to my reply.
My senators and house rep all sent back boilerplate AIPAC talking points, with all the usual factual omissions. As far as Israel goes,
the back and fourth emails and letters between a constituent and
his/her congressional spokesman is a pure charade of paper. A complete waste of taxpayer funds.
Anyone who wants to test just how biased your congress reps are on the I-P issue can
contact them via email, phone, or letter. You will see how congress is totally subservient to
the Lobby and Israel.
They totally ignore your concerns and that on record.
They are traitors.
Susie's letter to Brown is fabulous.
In Phil's district, are there enough pissed off peace and justice Dems to give Hall a primary problem?
I also contacted my three congressmen. They all sent back back boilerplate AIPAC letters
nearly identical to those displayed on this thread so far. I was so pissed I destroyed the letters. However two of them also
sent preliminary responses via email. Here are those, addressing me:
1.)
Thank you for letting me know of your concerns regarding the recent outbreak of violence in the Middle East. I appreciate hearing from you.
I strongly condemn Hamas’ unprovoked acts of terrorism that can potentially exacerbate the already high tensions in the region. Since Israel’s unilateral withdrawal from Gaza in 2005, more than 6000 rockets launched by Hamas have rained down on innocent Israeli civilians. These actions do not serve the interest of the Palestinian people as they seek to take control of their own destiny. Hamas’ unprovoked acts of terrorism are unacceptable and Israel has the right to defend itself against them.
At the same time, the US is deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation of innocent civilians in Gaza, and our nation remains the largest donor of humanitarian relief to them. That assistance includes water, various medical supplies for Gaza’s hospitals, and food stuffs. Additionally, U.S. leaders have consistently urged Israelis to avoid civilian casualties, a difficult task in the face of Hamas’ practice of hiding behind civilians to carry out their terrorist attacks. I am pleased that Israel has facilitated the flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza throughout the conflict. I am concerned about reports that Hamas is redirecting some of this aid to care for their own militants.
As always, I appreciate hearing from you. As our nation prepares for the transition to a new administration, I remain hopeful that the current conflict will continue to be closely monitored and that a lasting cease-fire agreement will be reached. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any additional comments or questions. For more information about issues and activities important to Florida, please sign up for my weekly newsletter at link to
Sincerely,
Mel Martinez
United States Senator
2.)From Senator Bill Nelson:
Thank you for contacting me about recent events in the Gaza Strip. I share your concern about violence in the Middle East and know that the new administration has put the Israeli-Palestinian situation at the top of its agenda.
Maximum care must always be taken to minimize civilian casualties. I believe that the U.S. should work in support of an enforceable and sustainable long-term agreement that denies Hamas the ability to launch rockets out of Gaza and protects the lives of all civilians.
I will continue to monitor the situation closely and will keep your views in mind when making any future decisions on this issue. If you have any additional concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me again.
In a similar vain, last January, the micro-blogging service, Twitter, was utilised by the Israeli Government to hold the world's first online "citizens' press conference" The Israel Consulate worker was bombarded with twitters questioning Israel policy in Gaza. He was able to respond to about 70–with the usual AIPAC style talking points. So Israel shut down its citizens press conference. It now only uses Twitter to make official Israel government announcements.
How long can the US government and Israel shut out so many of the world's eyes? Keep them outside the outer ring of the doughnut?
vain=vein, err, actually they both work
It's interesting that he cites his AIPAC-sponsored "visit" to Israel as some kind of evidence. They don't even see that these "tours" that all members of Congress, presidential candidates, staff, etc., are part of the problem.
John Hall is a wonderful politician, committed.
His best recorded guitar work was in 1971 with Taj Mahal, from which the album "The Real Thing" was recorded (one of my top ten).
The headline was snarky Phil.
Good man.
"John Hall is a wonderful politician, committed."
Yes, but to Israel, not America.
Good to see Phil's mutant army fighting another losing battle. Most Americans can not fathom why anyone supports an Islamic Fascist group whose charter is a baseline for genocide.
Most Americans believe Phil and his pisspots are murderous idiots.
From Senator Ben Cardin dated 1/16/09. I had to call to question why I got no response to my email. A couple days later they sent this:
Thank you for contacting me regarding the current conflict between Israel and Hamas.
I share your sadness at the suffering and loss of innocent lives on both sides of this conflict. The international community needs to take strong action to restart the peace process and provide more humanitarian assistance in Gaza.
Hamas' actions to extend its reach deeper into Israel and its failure to end continuing attacks exacerbates the already fragile humanitarian situation for the residents of Gaza and undermines efforts to attain peace and security in the region. As a result of the fighting, Gaza City and its main medical center, Shiffa Hospital , have been left without electricity and hospitals are pushed beyond their capacity to handle the number of victims. Hamas seems to care more about inflicting damage on Israel than the protection and welfare of its own citizens.
Hamas poses a critical challenge to the regional peace process. Labeled as a terrorist organization but holding seats in the Palestinian government and acting as the controlling authority in Gaza , the organization's leaders encourage violence and cling to the belief that Israel itself should be destroyed. Questions remain as to whether or not the organization should even be included in peace negotiations, but the fact remains that the threat Hamas poses to Israel is an obstacle to any negotiation efforts.
The U.S. has also continued to provide humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians. It is equally important for the U.S. to take an active role in bringing stability in the region, so that all Palestinians and Israelis can live in peace. I share your concern about the continuing violence and loss of innocent lives in the region, and I support providing U.S. aid to the area. The continuation of violence between Hamas and Israeli forces is straining the progress . I urge Israel and the Palestinians take advantage of the current, high-level European efforts to broker a sustainable cease-fire and a negotiated peaceful settlement.
Rest assured I support continued aggressive diplomatic involvement. The U.S. objective must be for a peaceful and long-lasting resolution to this conflict. Again, thank you for contacting me on this important issue.
Nothing from Sen. Mikulski. I can't think of another issue where she's been at a loss for words….
His best recorded guitar work was in 1971 with Taj Mahal, from which the album "The Real Thing" was recorded (one of my top ten).
She Caught the Katy (And Left Me a Mule to Ride)
I get the boilerplate AIPAC responses from "my representatives" as well (Rodney Frelinghuysen and Lautenberg and Menendez). A follow-up letter is more often than not ignored, or else I just get a "Thank you for your thoughts", without anything further.
I won't allow it to deter me, however. I keep after them, and it's good to know the tide is turning and more and more people are speaking up and letting the truth be known about Israel's barbarity, and uncovering the myth that Israel is in any way good for U.S. interests.
The mood has changed in certain sectors of the U.S. populace. It will extend further out, and eventually it will reach the politicians (it's already penetrated some of the political class).
The obstacles are obvious: the monied interests and the compliant mainstream (and much of the "alternative") media. But as long as we keep making our voices heard, and are not intimidated by the lobby and it's many Zionist agents, the truth will eventually become known to so many people that it will be impossible to keep it under wraps anymore.
The mood hasn't changed at all. The supporters of Islamic fascism are still at it, as seen on this blog. The Antisemites are still the Antisemites.
And the vast majority of Americans support Israel against the genocidal-minded Hamas.
There is no such thing as "Islamic fascism."
Fascism is a strictly *nationalist* ideology that advocates a decisive, authoritarian government led by a dictator. It not a religious ideology.
Genocidally-minded Israel:
Rabin’s legacy: Protesters' accounts show Israel ‘breaking the bones’ of peaceful demonstrators
Salfit – Ma’an – Israeli forces are carrying out a policy of shooting at the legs of peaceful demonstrators who protest the Israeli separation wall each Friday in towns across the West Bank, demonstrators are reporting.
The accounts of the Palestinian demonstrators who have been wounded by Israeli fire in recent weeks is raising the legacy of the first Palestinian Intifada, when Israeli then-defense minister Yitzak Rabin ordered his soldiers to “break the bones” of young protesters.
A representative of the Popular Committee against the Wall in the village of Ni’lin, Ahed Al-Khawaja, said that Israeli snipers, shooting from nearby hilltops or from stands of trees, are causing debilitating injuries, especially among young men who come to demonstrate.
In the village of Jayyus, which also holds a weekly demonstration against the wall, protesters said Israeli soldiers put silencers on their guns. When five young men were shot at last Friday’s demonstration, none of the marchers present said they heard the sound of gunshots when they were shot.
In Ni’lin, soldier allowed the protesters to reach the wall, then opened fire without warning, deploying tear gas and sound grenades. According to witnesses, soldiers fired on demonstrators as they were fleeing, their backs turned.
Protesters' accounts show Israel shooting at legs of peaceful demonstrators
I navigated back to this thread because I just received a boilerplate AIPAC response from my state senator, Robert Menedez. Even though I've come to expect these, they still get my blood boiling:
Dear Mr. Kelly:
Thank you for contacting me to express your concern for the Israel-Gaza conflict. Your opinion is very important to me, and I appreciate the opportunity to respond to you.
As a strong advocate for peace in the Middle East, I will continue to support legislation that ensures the safety and well-being of all families, children, and innocent civilians who want nothing more than to live in peace with their neighbors. Certainly, we all want peace and I would like to see a long lasting ceasefire. However, we need to ensure that it is durable and that both parties are fully committed to a resolution.
For months, Hamas has been relentlessly firing missiles into Israel from Gaza, spreading terror and killing innocent civilians. I believe that Israel has a right to defend itself from constant, unprovoked, deadly attacks on innocent civilians and no country would be expected to sit on its hands and simply allow its citizens to endure these kinds of vicious attacks without retaliating against the responsible party.
I also remain concerned with the humanitarian situation in Gaza. I believe that the United States, along with other countries, can and should have a role in helping civilians in Gaza meet their basic needs through international assistance, without interference from Hamas. Through isolation and mismanagement, Hamas has put innocent civilians in the region in danger. As Chairman of the Subcommittee on International Development and Foreign Assistance, I will continue to monitor their humanitarian needs and how they are being addressed.
I am pleased to report that on January 17, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert declared a ceasefire and on January 22, all Israeli troops had fully withdrawn from Gaza. I am also pleased to report that President Obama has assigned George J. Mitchell as a special envoy to the Middle East to work on a long-lasting peace agreement between the two parties. As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I look forward to working with the Obama Administration to find a peaceful, long-lasting resolution.
Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I may be of additional assistance. I also invite you to visit my website (link to
to learn more about my work in the United States Senate.
I will respond to Mr. Menendez and his AIPAC staffers shortly.
Most Americans have a Congressman from AIPAC, A Senator from AIPAC, or both.