Ellison and Baird,
take photos of the rubble of the American International
school in Beit Lahiya in the northern of Gaza Strip. Photo: Adel Hana, Associated Press
Brian Baird(D-WA-03), and Keith Ellison, (D-MN-05) have issued their first statement since visiting the destruction in Gaza and they are not mincing their words. Their statement is worth quoting at length:
After spending the day visiting various locations within Gaza and meeting with civilians and relief workers, Baird and Ellison were deeply affected by what they had seen and heard.
“The stories about the children affected me the most,” said Ellison. “No parent, or anyone who cares for kids, can remain unmoved by what Brian and I saw here.”
“The amount of physical destruction and the depth of human suffering here is staggering” said Baird, “Entire neighborhoods have been destroyed, schools completely leveled, fundamental water, sewer, and electricity facilities hit and relief agencies heavily damaged. The personal stories of children being killed in their homes or schools, entire families wiped out, and relief workers prevented from evacuating the wounded are heart wrenching – what went on here, and what is continuing to go on, is shocking and troubling beyond words.”
Inquiring about the status of relief efforts, the Congressmen learned that some aid material has been allowed in since the intensity of the attacks lessened a month ago, but much is still being blocked by the Israeli defense forces. Examples of aid that has been banned by the Israeli Government include: lentils, macaroni, tomato paste, lentils and other food. Basic building materials, generator fuel and parts to repair damaged water treatment equipment have also been kept out.
“If this had happened in our own country, there would be national outrage and an appeal for urgent assistance. We are glad that the Obama administration acted quickly to send much needed funding for this effort but the arbitrary and unreasonable Israeli limitations on food and repair essentials is unacceptable and indefensible. People, innocent children, women and non-combatants, are going without water, food and sanitation, while the things they so desperately need are sitting in trucks at the border, being denied permission to go in” said Baird and Ellison.
The Congressmen’s concerns about treatment of Palestinians were not limited to Gaza. They also visited Palestinian hospitals that treat patients from East Jerusalem and the West Bank. There they met with doctors, nurses and hospital directors who described how official Israeli policies and restricted border checkpoints make it exceedingly difficult and expensive for patients, nurses, medical technicians, and other essential personnel to reach the hospital to receive or provide care.
“It’s hard for anyone in our country to imagine how it must feel to have a sick child who needs urgent care or is receiving chemotherapy or dialysis, then be forced to take a needlessly lengthy route, walk rather than drive, and wait in lines as long as two hours simply to get to the hospital. As a health care professional myself, I found this profoundly troubling, no, actually it’s beyond that, it is outrageous,” said Baird.
Responding to this and other issues the Congressman emphasized that fundamental changes and solutions are needed beyond the immediate challenges in Gaza.
John Kerry may have wanted to assure the Israel lobby that his visit to Gaza did not indicate a change in US policy, but the horrors Baird and Ellison have witnessed have moved them to call for a fundamental change in US policy. The rest of the world agrees with them. Is Obama listening?
'If this had happened in our own country, there would be national outrage'
No shit, Sherlock. And the first Palestinian suicide bombing in this country would see the start of the deportation of all palestinian illegal immigrants.
But it didn't happen in this country.
"We are glad that the Obama administration acted quickly to send much needed funding for this effort but the arbitrary and unreasonable Israeli limitations on food and repair essentials is unacceptable and indefensible."
Then go to Obama and demand he use the bully pulpit to push it through. He could get that done in five minutes, if he wanted to. But he doesn't really want to, because he is acutely aware of who butters Democrat bread (ie who has the Party bought and paid for), so he'll sit on his hands and pretend he's too busy with other things.
Same as it ever was…
Easy, Ed. There's more here than meets the eye.
I wish I could disagree with Ed but I think he's right. Obama and his administration could get high marks from the public for supporting justice and relief for Palestinians, but that's most likely not who he's worried about impressing.
If American Indians had the ability to become suicide bombers back when their land was being brutally stolen and occupied, perhaps they would have.
The Israelis are the illegal immigrants. But, being that we are where we are in 2009, the best we can hope for is that Israel will stop its continuing annexation of land and its inhumane treatment of the indigenous population.
When Israeli terror stops, the resistance will stop.
Can Israel understand and abide by this simple truism? Nothing in its brutal history to this point would lead one to believe so.
Israel and many of its ardent supporters are a warlike people. They thrive on conflict. Can they learn to live peacefully with their neighbors, or will they, feeling inadequate otherwise, seek further expansion by undertaking more military adventures against virtually defenseless populations?
@Gene,
Hey, if the Russians want to take on Israel as a client state, more power to them. I really can’t see how having Israel as an ally has helped America one iota. It’s earned us the enmity of the entire Islamic world and Mideast; it’s sent spies like Pollard to plunder our secrets; and it’s fifth column agents were thick in the operation to lie America into the Iraq war. In fact, we should *encourage* an Israeli alliance with our worst enemies. No doubt it wouldn’t be long before the Zionists brought them to their knees, too.
The US should do a Berlin airlift into Gaza from carriers in the Med. If the Russians weren't willing to shoot down our aircraft, Israel won't be willing to shoot down our helicopters either. And if they do, then fine. At least the American people will know the attack on the Liberty was not an accident. And our foreign policy can be adjusted to reflect the new realities.
Is Obama listening?
He just discovered that he is not running for reelection, he is the president now. And that he has no idea what to do with banks, hedge funds, credit swaps, bankers, Mad Money Kramer etc etc. He is out of his element (of course, with bush 'w' having an IQ of 5 Obama is a hella of an improvement).
He is really busy and stressed out; call back later.
The illegal immigrants are the Israelis. And land thieves.
Lets try not to fall victim to a Tu Quoque argument on Native Americans. Its a classic red herring and a diversionary tactic.
Your maps are phony.
I've heard this phony argument about a thousand times: "The Jews only owned 5% of the land so the "Palestinians" owned 95%." The vast majority of the land in 1946 was owned by the British. The proposed Jewish State was majority Jewish. If the Arabs didn't resort to violence they would probably control the whole area today.
"The illegal immigrants are the Israelis."
According to what law?
And the Jews only owned 6 to 7% because of racist laws forbidding the sale of land to a Jew. And don't forget the hatred stirred up by the Arabs who did secretly sell their land to a Jew.
"British owned"? Yeah. Every colony was "British owned". All numbers and demographics published in academic work all point to the same discreptancy. Even your diversionary tactice does not exculpate the fact that the Zionists only owned 5%. You still took land that was not your's even if you attribute it to the British, whom the Zionists resorted to violence also.
'Is Obama listening?'
I would like to be proven wrong. But Obama is paid not to listen. He went before 'Jewish leaders' in Cleveland and Washington DC last summer, and pledged to continue Bush's quixotic 'war on terrorism' in the Middle East. Obama said there are 30,000 to 50,000 American-hating militants out there who need to be killed, with Israeli-style targeted assassinations, house bombings, and so forth. To date, he has duly delivered with scores of Pakistanis killed in drone attacks, and another 17,000 troops on the way to Afghanistan.
Just because Obama is a more intelligent and personable individual that the simian-visaged nonentity he succeeded, people have this naive belief (helped along by campaign slogans such as 'Hope') that he is honest and principled. I doubt it. The Jewish money which funds half the Democratic party has gotten to Obama and purchased whatever principles he had. His Chicago pals are a sewer of corruption, and may have corrupted Obama as well.
This is sad, because the man had a lot of potential. But he has been badly compromised, and it's partly his own doing. As Ron Paul has pointed out, the contemporary imperial presidency has vastly more power than was constitutionally authorized. Anyone who runs for this office on any platform other than stripping it of its extravagant perquisites is inherently megalomaniacal, and probably deserves the corrosive effects which unbridled power has on anyone's character.
After four years in office, Obama will look in the mirror and see … not the handsome face of the young Illinois senator that he remembered, but the twisted, beady-eyed superannuated visage of the war criminal Kissinger, whispering 'power is the ultimate aphrodisiac.' So sad, so sick. Real people have nothing to do with any of it.
"British owned"? Yeah. Every colony was "British owned".
Posted by: Joshua
But it was not a British colony. It was conquered land, previously owned by the Ottomans. Therefore, what was Ottoman land, was now British land.
The League of Nations cut away 75% and gave it to the Palestinians under the rule of the family of the Shariff of Mecca. Eventual, the remaining 25% was split between the Muslim and Jewish Palestinians.
Ellison took the oath of office on the koran. You don't need to know anymore. I just wish "pig Weiss" would do the same thing and stop trying to pass himself off has a Jew
We should send a hospital ship to Gaza accompanied by a warship or two, and dare the Israelis to stop it.
Not. Gonna. Happen.
Jim, why would you believe that Obama wasn't in his element in Chicago? It seems to me that Obama thrived in Chicago. I believe that Obama's integrity is about as mythical as his great intelligence. At this point, I don't believe that decent and truly intelligent men can make it through the system to become president. Where are the examples of such men? What truly intelligent and decent man could go with the flow in Washington?
"The vast majority of the land in 1946 was owned by the British."
It was not even under British sovereign control – but rather under an international mandate – let alone bona fide British property.
@ Ed: Hey, if the Russians want to take on Israel as a client state, more power to them.
Perhaps we should give a thought to all that security intelligence (including weapons know-how!) that has been shared with Israel over the years … that could be shared with Russia. In such instances, I would say that Israel is a much greater threat to the West than Iran would ever be.
And that Mandate, via the UN, turned over 55% of the Land to the resulting Jewish nation, which was later named Israel.
Chris, I think the issue is that the Palestinians who were robbed don't accept any mandate that gave their land to Zionists. It's pretty complicated, but I think I laid it out for you.
All the comments about the mandate, ownership, control etc–are each in a sense true, and also not:
See for a glimpse of the situation, and note the conflicting powers and takes by the parties and entities
involved:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Mandate_of_Palestine#Establishment
Pretty hard to argue with what Todd says.
"Israel and many of its ardent supporters are a warlike people. They thrive on conflict."
Unlike Hamas, who in their charter state:
'The Islamic Resistance Movement is a distinguished Palestinian
movement, whose allegiance is to Allah, and whose way of life is
Islam. It strives to raise the banner of Allah over every inch of
Palestine.' (Article 6)
On the Destruction of Israel:
'Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will
obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it.' (Preamble)
The Exclusive Moslem Nature of the Area:
'The land of Palestine is an Islamic Waqf [Holy Possession]
consecrated for future Moslem generations until Judgment Day. No one
can renounce it or any part, or abandon it or any part of it.'
(Article 11)
'Palestine is an Islamic land… Since this is the case, the
Liberation of Palestine is an individual duty for every Moslem
wherever he may be.' (Article 13)
The Call to Jihad:
'The day the enemies usurp part of Moslem land, Jihad becomes the
individual duty of every Moslem. In the face of the Jews' usurpation,
it is compulsory that the banner of Jihad be raised.' (Article 15)
'Ranks will close, fighters joining other fighters, and masses
everywhere in the Islamic world will come forward in response to the
call of duty, loudly proclaiming: 'Hail to Jihad!'. This cry will
reach the heavens and will go on being resounded until liberation is
achieved, the invaders vanquished and Allah's victory comes about.'
(Article 33)
Rejection of a Negotiated Peace Settlement:
'[Peace] initiatives, and so-called peaceful solutions and
international conferences are in contradiction to the principles of
the Islamic Resistance Movement… Those conferences are no more than
a means to appoint the infidels as arbitrators in the lands of
Islam… There is no solution for the Palestinian problem except by
Jihad. Initiatives, proposals and international conferences are but a
waste of time, an exercise in futility.' (Article 13)
The peaceful and compassionate Israelis are threatened with "obliteration" by the government of Gaza. Yet in response Israel has shown incredible restraint. If Israel followed the Russian example, (about 300,000 Chechen's killed) there would be very little of Hamas left to wage Holy War.
'If this had happened in our own country, there would be national outrage'
It did happen in our country and the Leftist/Stormfront/Islamist triad proceeded to blame Israel and imperialism.
Somehow you moonbats think people forgot that and are going to go along with your faux sympathy for Islamists in Gaza.
Sucks to be you.hahaha!
Chris, I think the issue is that the Palestinians who were robbed don't accept any mandate that gave their land to Zionists. It's pretty complicated, but I think I laid it out for you.
Posted by: Todd | February 20, 2009 at 08:39 AM
Robbed of what, Todd? Which particular Arab had ownership of which particular plot of land? Which group held sovereignty? The tenent farmers who did not own the land objected to the Mandate? By what right? They owned nothing, they came from Syria, or Iraq, or Yemen, or Armenia. Unfortunately, you laid out a pile of shit and want it accepted as a fact. But it remains a pile of shit.
If anyone robbed the arabs, it was the Ottomans. Get recompense from Turkey.
Julian, just admit that when Zionists moved to Palestine, they opened a nasty can of worms, and need massive outside suport to cope. Hamas can do little more than issue empty threats, and Isreal's "restraint" is hardly worth touting.
We've exhausted the "you stole land from Native Americans" and "those radical Muslims and American and European anti-Semites just want to kill the poor Jews" arguments, so can we just get to the "The WASPs supported the British when they were in power, so why shouldn't Jews support Israel now?" argument?
This site has trolls. We have a community yahoo
discussion site and when this topic comes up we
get trolled. Because its a political community discussion site we know the trolls personally. Same arguments. Facts don't matter at all. I swear I think they all read from the same script and never, ever address the issue.
One Jew on the site told me she can tell which temple the trolls go to and get their information from. I believe one local troll is a JDL member.
Privately the political staffers will admit they are sick of the pressure…but AIPAC brings in a lot of money and it costs a lot of money to run for election.
I sometimes wonder how much of the zionist webpropaganda is due to this…
Chris, it is common knowledge that there are plenty of Palsetinians with deeds and keys to property that they can't occupy. Most of the "founders' kibbutzim" from south of Nahariya to the Lebanese border were formed on Arab villages–I even know this to be a fact because when I was doing agricultural work in the area, I kept coming across pottery and other remains, and when I asked what it was that I kept finding, I was told that the land was once an Arab village. Any old map of the area will confirm this!
The very fact that Jews came from all over the world to dispossess Palestinians tells the story. If your lame defense is that Zionists took possession of stolen propert, fine. Run with it!
You want to go down that road Todd. How about this. Israel pays market rates for any land and property that the Palestinians think that they are owed. ( Even if what was then a two bit village is now a thriving agricultural area) In return the Arab countries pay market rate compensation for land, and businesses that were expropriated from their Jewish populations. We'll take that trade without any hesitation. What do you think?
To alleviate the tedium of troll infestation, can I suggest we institute a "Troll bingo" game here. Here's how it works – I will pledge to donate five pounds to the Gaza appeal fund every time the Hamas charter is mentioned, and I will count up the sum I am pledged to at the end of each month and announce it here. Others can select their own favourite troll tropes for a similar exercise and we can turn their endless bilious chatter to a useful end.
bernard g, SHINY. I'm in. :)
SOG, I doubt your claim, but even if it is true, it doesn't take into account those who didn't want to leave or sell. Besides, Israelis pays for nothing. The money would come from American pockets.
@ bernard g
Post a link to the Gaza fund.
On another point…Russia will never adopt Israel, neither will China. Not even India, who is Israel's only friend outside of the US would becuase they couldn't afford to politically or financially. And the only reason India has relations with Israel is that AIPAC took them by the hand and showed them how to lobby. AIPAC was the group that sponsored a congressionl hoe down to kick off India's new lobbying efforts. In other words AIPAC offered India a piece of their congressional control in return for a collusion agreement between India and Israel. But that would be moot if the US dropped Israel.
As for Russia wanting to befriend Israel for US weapons intelligence..Russia doesn't need it. Check out the FAS arms data base to see what Russia has. One of the things that most scared the US Navy off action against Iran in the Gulf was Russia's Sunburn missiles, against which the US hasn't yet come up with any thing to circumvent them. FAS also reported two years ago on testing of a new Russia bomb that lifts all the oxygen out of the air killing all living things but doesn't destroy infastructure.
Bottom line Israel would not be any kind of asset to anyone…never has been.
@Bernard g
Is that each post or each mention? If it is mentioned ten times in one post, does that mean $50?
Nah, I say we just ignore them. Best way, honest. Let them cackle among themselves. Funny how their ownership narrative is in complete contradiction even with the most rightist of Israeli historians and historiographers. Theirs [the trolls] is essentially a slightly more sophisticated version of the 'empty land' myth… Not worth arguing with.
It's people like that that help Israel sleepwalk into de jure Apartheid and the end of the Jewish state as we know it. Let them. Facilitate it. Don't engage…
No question the palestinian arabs and christians suffered under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, and now
they suffer under the rule of Israel. The HAMAS charter is equivalent to the early Zionist leaders' collected statements regarding absolute claims for greater Israel. Both say it is their land. God gave it to them.
The early wars attendant the influx of european and russian dominion jews into the land was a war between the jews and the arab regimes to see who would have power over the land in any way possible.
The palestinian arabs and christians who actually lived on the land for many decades before these wars commenced to be noted by the powerful nations' textbooks and leaders have been the victims from all sides, with far-away nations like Britain, France, Russia, later USSR, etc supporting their own interests in the name of the long-residing palestinian arabs and christians themselves.
The palestinians are the pawns of all sides. The difference between their plight and the official jewish narrative of their own plight is that the palestinians never had an organized world jewry equivalent, and they were never schooled early in usury, banking which has evolved into the effective way/means of the world's powers.
over time–
I forgot to mention the most obvious current world power, in fact the only current world power, the USA, the land where diaspora jewry now has the most power it ever had in all of recorded history. American
Further, American, what Russia needs changes. It was USSR controlled Czechoslovakia that was allowed to give the jews in pre-state Israel the arms without which it never would have gained power. Also, the USSR
fully supported the wants of the zionists after the arab defeat. Look at a map of the region. Look at all the
obvious states with a direct geographical interest. This will change only if a huge meteor hits the earth and new land replaces old land on the face of the earth.
The USSR folded for economic reasons. The USA is headed there fast.
China, India, Japan, Iran, for starters, will have an increasing more direct role to play regarding the I-P situation.
Madoff & Wall St will accept your thanks, if you are so prone.
Greenspan too–he's looking a bit needy lately.
@Citizen
Well, back in the day (middle ages) loaning money at any interest rate at all was considered usury by the Catholic Church. So if a Christian wanted to loan money at 1%, the Church said "no way, zero interest or don't loan money". And back then, what the Church said, went, at least for Christians. So no Christian would lend money.
Of course, much like the Native American Casinos in America today, the presence of different legal systems made an opportunity for those not governed by Church law, i.e., the Jews. So if you wanted a loan for whatever reason, you borrowed from the Jews. Combined with the restrictions against Jews owning land at a time when the majority of the population was farmers, this lead to a culture in which book learning and education were paramount. We couldn't farm, so we had to enter the intellectual trades. That is why there is such a Jewish tradition of doctors, lawyers, accountants, etc. These things tend to linger in a culture after the reasons for it have gone.
We are just lucky that society evolved in ways that made those skills more valuable.
We've also won about 2500 times as many Nobel prizes per capita than Muslims, though I expect that ratio to drop precipitously as more Muslims assimilate into Western nations.
Wonderful, bernard g.
I'll support Todd on this: I doubt your claim. Can you back it up with a source/sources?
American – the link is link to dec.org.uk
/>
Thom – no, only one mention of the charter per post counts. That's about your average, isn't it? Oh and Thom, I am still unable to find any reference to "Israel's killing fields" in the DEC Gaza appeal. Could you point it out, please, or people might start thinking you are some kind of crazy person who sees things that aren't there.
American, strictly the reports about Russian weapons would help the military complex.
But could you give a little more infos on the India-Israel/AIPAC-US connections and treaties. I have never heard about this. Although it is seems possible they cooperate. India must have interests in the War on Terrorism considering Pakistan and Kashmir and longer problems with terrorism networks.
@ Gene: "Perhaps we should give a thought to all that security intelligence (including weapons know-how!) that has been shared with Israel over the years … that could be shared with Russia."
Let me get this straight: Because a Zionist fifth column infiltrated and co-opted our political system, bought and bribed our politicians, and turned our military secrets and know-how over to the Zionists, we should continue this "alliance" indefinitely simply because the Israelis will likely turn all the technology over to the next sugar daddy that comes along to replace us? I guess that means Israel can extort us forever.
I say let's cut our losses now. Technology is evolving so quickly, the systems we have provided the Israelis thus far will be outdated within a decade, anyway. And besides, the Israelis are notorious for adapting the technology we give them and selling it to our competitors, so providing it to them is basically the same as putting it on the open market, only we get nothing in return — which is yet another reason to cut all ties with the back-stabbing moochers.
Citizen–murder and persecution of Christians is done by Muslims, not Israelis.
The facts speak for themselves. Please stop fabricating.
@homicidal Ed
"I say let's cut our losses now. You moving to Iran? :-)
never schooled early in usury
I don't like that, citizen. The history can't be reduced to this simple image. You must understand that the church forbade interest rates for its sheep while passing on the job to the Jews. I'd call this double standards.
If interests are forbidden strictly even a rate of 4% is usury. Besides if you lend money you can't put it into your own business, to e.g. buy goods to sell with gains, which effectively means loss for a merchant. …
Show me the Christians that gave money for free to people at the same time.
@ LeaNder
You should read The Hill, Washington Babylon in Harpers and Jim Lobemore often…they all wrote extensively about the AIPAC and India connection several years ago. You can probably google around and retrieve some articles on it.
@ Citizen
I can't make much sense out of your commment. But to keep it short once again..Israel is not, was not, won't be an asset to anyone much less Russia..'Israel as a asset'is a myth…promoted by the zionist.
All Russia ever cared for about Israel was it was a tool with which to poke the US interest in the ME. Go read up the Cold War and how Israel positioned itself during that era in the Ike,Kennedy,LBJ presidential libaries. The "Cold War' was when we first increased our aid to Israel because of Russian and Arab ties. Israel was at the time 'insuinating' that things might not go our way if the US didn't attach greater importance to Israel.
You can labor under the delusion that Russia would adopt Israel if you like but…it ain't gonna happen. There is no value to Russia in a oil-less, resources-less country the size of a Texas back yard even if it has nukes and one whose miltary, as we have seen, isn't worth shit on the ground. Russia was delighted to get rid of it's Russian Jews in that 10 billion US aid package to settle them in Israel. There is no AIPAC equivelant in Russia to speak of to confuse Russia about it's own national stragetic interest.If Russia does anything with Israel it will be to use Israel as a pawn or expendable tool for their own goal. I suggest you look at Iran if you want to see where Russia thinks the natural power base is and will be.