I The picture above was taken last Saturday outside the public library in Castro Valley, CA, where Rep. Barbara Lee was due to get an award from some Democratic Party club. Castro Valley, which is around 15 miles southeast of Oakland, is about as plain-vanilla as you can get in the East Bay, and in truth most of us demonstrating were from Berkeley and Oakland. But there were at least a few local people participating, too, and we handed out leaflets to hundreds of regular library patrons.
A number of us were the usual old fogies, but the leadership and the energy came from young people - largely Palestinian-Americans and other people of color. (One of the leaders is of Eritrean origin, another I think is Afghan-American; both of them grew up here). And they really think we can win. To my mind they seriously underestimate the grip of the Zionists, but most of the time I force myself to keep my mouth shut so as not to discourage them.
Bottom line: At this point, whenever Barbara Lee makes a public appearance in her district, there's a good chance she'll be picketed over her votes for aid to Israel. Considering where we were at 10, 5, or even 3 years ago, it's pretty amazing!
We had a public Nakba commemoration vigil in my home city. Twenty people showed up — a small gathering to be sure, but that was more than we ever had for impeachment and it’s as large or larger than we have for the regular anti-war protests.
And in the next major city just south of us, there was a protest against the Israeli occupation in the same time frame.
The tide is turning against Israel, even here. Americans are fed up with politicians who don’t have the welfare of American citizens — of every color and creed — in mind.
Sweet and amazing.
We can only go forth and multiply :-)
A reminder to all that we have to start from somewhere, why not from where we are now? Doing nothing has never been an option. This is not the kind of stimulant that Barbara Lee expected.
‘A Thousand Mile Journey Begins With One Step’, popular Chinese saying.
One thing I should have included: Rep. Lee, who calls herself (in her autobiography) “a renegade for peace and justice,” felt compelled to sneak into the library through a side door, apparently in an effort to avoid having to walk past the 25 or 30 of us who had waited two hours for her. We responded to that by marching (quietly) into the library and lining the room where she was speaking – with our signs held high. Who knows what effect these things have, but at least she knows we’re here, we’re growing, and she can’t get rid of us by offering some pious liberal platitudes as she signs the blank checks for Israel!
I don’t know why Rep. Barbara Lee chose to sneak in the side door at this event, but she is an ally to the cause of cutting aid to Israel. Most recently, she was one of 35 members of the House who voted against a resolution condemning the Goldstone Report. Several years back she also voted against a resoution condemning the World Court’s ruling against Israel’s construction of a security fence on the West Bank. Google her name and you’ll find the terms “anti-Israel” and “anti-semitic” often linked to her.
In addition to Rep. Lee, here are the other eight Democrat members of the House Appropriations subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, which votes on non-military aid to Israel, that need to be pressured about how they vote: Chairwoman Nita Lowey (NY), Jesse L. Jackson (IL), Adam Schiff (CA), Steve Israel (NY), Ben Chandler (KY), Steven Rothman (NJ) and the newest member Jim Moran (VA) who is well known for his opposition of US aid to Israel and has the battle scars to prove it.
Democractic members of the Senate State and Foreign Operations subcommittee are: chairman Patrick Leahy (VT), Daniel Inouye (HI), Tom Harkin (IA), Barbara Mikulski (MD), Dick Durbin (IL), Tim Johnson (SD), Mary Landrieu (LA) and Frank Lautenberg (NJ).
Of course, Republican members of House and Senate subcommittees need to hear from their constituents as well, but I’ll let someone else identify them.
These are the members of Congress that need to hear from their constituents to end the obscene amounts of aid to a country with the GDP of Spain.
“A careful look at Lee’s voting record and statements shows a mixed record, and many applaud her courage to take an independent line. She has at times taken positions that are directly at odds with AIPAC, and other times takes a safe position and votes with the majority in support of the AIPAC agenda. We hope that with this collection of record of her votes and statements that the reader can gain a clearer understanding of her positions.”
link to stopaipac.org
Barbara Lee “an ally to the cause of cutting aid to Israel”? Gee, that’s news to those of us who are her constituents! Please explain what she’s ever done to end the aid. Maybe her vote today in favor of an extra $205 million for Israel and her votes in favor of every other bill authorizing and appropriating money for Israel – in the Foreign Operations Subcommittee, the Appropriations Committee, and the House as a whole – over many years are just elements of a clever strategy for putting an end to the aid?
I certainly agree, though, that voters everywhere, but particularly in the districts of other members of the foreign operations subcommittees, need to press their reps about this.
As for Jim Moran being “well known for his opposition of US aid to Israel and [having] the battle scars to prove it,” yes, but note that he was one of the “Yes” votes today.
Jesse L Jackson needs to be sent the pair of photos posted yesterday.
Not just Rep. Jackson, but every member of the Black Caucus in the House of Representatives.