Few speak out for Palestinians in U.S. Congress

Few speak out for Palestinians in U.S. Congress

www.reuters.com

Many voices around the world speak up for the Palestinians, but few in the U.S. Congress.

Lawmakers in Washington routinely pass nonbinding resolutions supporting Israel during Middle East crises. The Senate on Thursday backed Israel's battle against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip and the House of Representatives followed on Friday.

Even U.S. lawmakers who express sympathy for the Palestinians hesitate to call themselves pro-Palestinian and they voice strong support for the security of Israel as well, hewing to decades of close U.S.-Israeli ties.

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
www.forward.com

Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
Harvard Study Finds Pro-Israel Lobby Influences U.S. Foreign Policy
The Israel Lobby (Video)
The Influence of The Israel Lobby

For those of you who are well versed on the subject, this really doesn't pass as news, but those who are new to the issue, you might find this puzzling to say the least... and i hope it will intrigue you enough to start with the related ATS thread links i have provided in the OP above.

911 is the pivotal event that initially sparked my curiosity on this conflict, and i have been closely following the turf war every since.

As for this current news bit, I couldn't help but notice in this article, Paul & Kucinich mentioned as two of the few who stuck their heads out for the Palistinians. The character, courage and integrity of these men still continue to impress me. When you consider how much they have been through this past campaign year and all of the good works they produce over the course of their terms in congress. If the election wasn't rigged/predetermined, I can't help but wonder what the two of them would have brought to the white house... and what actions they would have taken with regard to israel/palestine. Unfortunately all i can do is speculate/dream.

www.reuters.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 9-1-2009 by The All Seeing I]

reply to post by The All Seeing I

As for this current news bit, I couldn't help but notice in this article, Paul & Kucinich mentioned as two of the few who stuck their heads out for the Palistinians. The character, courage and integrity of these men still continue to impress me. When you consider how much they have been through this past campaign year and all of the good works they produce over the course of their terms in congress. If the election wasn't rigged/predetermined, I can't help but wonder what the two of them would have brought to the white house... and what actions they would have taken with regard to israel/palestine. Unfortunately all i can do is speculate/dream.

Starred and flagged. You are correct. Those two men are rare in Congress, and of course, the MSM normally won't give them the time of day. Unlike most people on ATS, the average person doesn't even know who they are, but they sure do know who Barney Frank and Nancy Pelosi are.
Gee, do you think mayne the MSM is taking sides?

Well, it is a bit hard when children are being trained to hate and murder guys.

Seriously, who would do these kind of productions?

www.youtube.com...
www.youtube.com...
www.youtube.com...
www.youtube.com...
www.youtube.com...
www.youtube.com...
www.youtube.com...
www.youtube.com...
www.youtube.com...

Or even better.... Watch the 9/11 party

What politician would want to be involved in this?

www.youtube.com...
www.youtube.com...
www.youtube.com...



[edit on 9-1-2009 by infolurker]

thanks info ... for the fascinating info.

I think it's important to note that we are all animals...
and as Freud accurately observed when animals/people are cornered they either fight or fly. We can see millions of Palistinians have fled the country and live in refuge camps in other countries. Those who stay to fight... use what is available... desperate times require desperate measures, when it comes to survival, ruthlessness becomes a very viable option, no what what your values.

A Israeli will pull a trigger or push a button of a "made in the USA" tool of war where as a Palestinian will throw a rock or strap a home-made bomb to their kid and send them to a bus. Out of survival they need a steady flow of martyrs to take to battle, so as insidious as the propaganda might be it is a necessary evil.

You can see a clear parallel in what the early American settlers did to the Native American Indian... and what the early British in Australia did to the Aborigines... and to what lengths the oppressed went to... to fight for their land, livelihood and families.

[edit on 10-1-2009 by The All Seeing I]

I look at it this way. Hamas is a terrorist organization within Palestinian people. I see the situation as being similar to if MS13 or some other organized crime group attacked America and then America just decided to start blowing up parts of Mexico. There is no right or wrong side in this situation its just years of violence and hate from both sides preventing either from realizing that there are innocent people on both sides too. Of course the U.S. will support Israel not because its right but because its practically required. Kucinich would do the right thing and thats why he will never be in the public eye and will never be allowed to win an election.

There is no right or wrong side?

Was it right or wrong for us to take the indian's land by deception and force?

Was it right or wrong for the brits to take the aborigines' land by the same means?

When there is no justice in the world (UN has their hands tied by the US); I think any oppressed peoples have a right to lash back, just as every kid who gets bullied at school has a right to lash back.

[edit on 10-1-2009 by The All Seeing I]

Now to understand in part why there is so little support for Palestinians in DC...
you have to follow/count the money:

2008 Pro-Israel PAC Contributions to Congressional Candidates (in PDF format)

At least Jon Stewart is holding some of these pro-israel politicians feet to the fire.

The Jewish Voice for Peace made a website to honor Stewart's Daily Show January 5 "Strip Maul" segment, where he criticized Israel's campaign against Gaza, making it clear that bombing will not bring peace for Israelis or Palestinians... and mocked the one-sided response of U.S. politicians by calling the Israeli-Palestinian conflict the "Mobius strip of issues because there's only one side!"

Source: www.thankyoujonstewart.com...

H RES 34 2/3 YEA-AND-NAY 9-Jan-2009 1:40 PM
QUESTION: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree
BILL TITLE: Recognizing Israel’s right to defend itself against attacks from Gaza, reaffirming the United States’ strong support for Israel, and supporting the Israeli-Palestinian peace process

Here's a link to the Bill

Despite the title/synopsis of this bill, the collective stated intentions of it's content have nothing to do with defending Israel against attacks from Gaza, or supporting any peace-process. What it establishes is the continued assistance to the State of Israel in the use of American taxes to get ride of the people of Gaza.

The following men and women of Congress were the only ‘nay’ voters to the bill.
Here's a direct link to the vote record.

* Congressman Dennis Kucinich of Ohio (D) - kucinich.house.gov...
* Congresswoman Gwen Moore of Wisconson (D) - www.house.gov...
* Congressman Ron Paul of Texas (R) - www.house.gov...
* Congresswoman Maxine Waters of California (D) - www.house.gov...
* Congressman Nick Rahall of West Virginia (D) - congress.org...

[edit on 13-1-2009 by The All Seeing I]

[edit on 13-1-2009 by The All Seeing I]

The latest from Chomsky on Gaza, one of the most insightful scholars on this subject matter...

There's a theme that goes way back to the origins of Zionism. And it's a very rational theme: "Let's delay negotiations and diplomacy as long as possible, and meanwhile we'll 'build facts on the ground.'" So Israel will create the basis for what some eventual agreement will ratify, but the more they create, the more they construct, the better the agreement will be for their purposes. Those purposes are essentially to take over everything of value in the former Palestine and to undermine what's left of the indigenous population.

I think one of the reasons for popular support for this in the United States is that it resonates very well with American history. How did the United States get established? The themes are similar.

www.fpif.org...



[edit on 19-1-2009 by The All Seeing I]