As Egypt fumbles the truce talks, Israel puts together an extremist, anti-peace bloc government (as opposed to the anti-peace, moderately far-right leadership of Kadima), and the people of Gaza still suffer under a crushing blockade, three US lawmakers toured the Gaza Strip to witness first-hand the destruction of Gaza after Israel’s offensive and on-and-off again bombings. Two of them were junior Congressmen, Keith Ellison, the first Muslim legislator ever elected, and Brian Baird.
This third, touring on his own, was one-time Democratic candidate for president, John Kerry. Significantly, Kerry is the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman.
Of course Kerry did not announce any new policy breakthroughs. “Let me make this clear, there is no change in policy,” said Kerry, meaning that America is rhetorically still committed to its thus-far devastating Israel-first approach. “I am here to listen with the U.N. personnel on the ground. The things we need to do is to improve the situation in the region.” Of course, none of the three spoke with any Hamas officials.
Kerry’s maintenance of American positions in the face of rubble led to some amusing, if not farcical, incongruities. “Hamas has to change its policies,” Kerry said, as he walked within the rubble of Gaza’s American International School, a private school that Israeli airstrikes destroyed in January. It was most directly Israel’s policies that brought about the devastation of the school.
The Representatives made more critical comments. “I’m sad to tell you that it was probably American-made weaponry that did this,” Ellison said during his visit. “I’m not proud of that.” Ellison, a native Detroiter, by the way, has been one of the better in Congress on this issue.
Rep. Brian Baird, a trained psychologist, called Gaza “heartbreaking.” He added, “It is far worse than we had imagined, and we had imagined that it would be very, very bad.” As a health care worker by training, a psychologist, he was especially sensitive to the anti-humanitarian impact of Israel’s siege on Gaza.
As Dion Nissenbaum wrote, the timing of this visit “came as the new Obama administration is developing its diplomatic priorities for the Middle East.” While these tours are important for keeping some hope alive, with rapid and radical adjustments to the Israel-first basis for American policy, this will all start to feel like warm smoke being blown up our behinds.
One way to keep tidbits of hope from deteriorating into stones of cold cynicism is to actually act forcefully in response to what these lawmakers found — a shortage of basic supplies and the fundamental lack of freedom and mobility. Otherwise, they will be written off as just another group of disaster tourists, as good as their intents were. And Palestine has had enough of those.
Related posts:
- Chinese Presidential Visit Deemed “Drop-In”
- First Poll on US Opinion on Gaza: Democratic Politicians Ignore Public Opinion
- Dilbert Creator on Ahmedinejad visit to Columbia U
- Gaza in the News Today
- Act Now for Gaza
As Egypt fumbles the truce talks, Israel puts together an extremist, anti-peace bloc government (as opposed to the anti-peace, moderately far-right leadership of Kadima)…
Will, why would an anti-peace activist such as yourself object to an enemy that is also anti-peace? Makes no sense.
Posted by programmer craig | February 20, 2009, 9:29 amIn other news:
Even a relatively balanced (by BBC standards) article about Hamas/Israelis war crimes in Gaza:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7896372.stm
Is tainted with the “big lie” :
The substance, which can cause severe burns, is not illegal to use on the battlefield. But the international convention on the use of incendiary weapons says it shouldn’t be used in civilian areas.
Somebody should investigate the BBC for slander.
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7896522.stm
President Bashar al-Assad of Syria has urged the US in a newspaper interview to engage in talks with Damascus and restore full diplomatic ties.
Everyone wants to have good relations with the US! Wow! Either that, or everyone thinks Obama is a fool.
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7900591.stm
Argentina has ordered an ultra-traditionalist British bishop who denies the Holocaust to leave the country or face expulsion.
The interior ministry said Richard Williamson had been given 10 days to leave Argentina.
Poor guy… they deny him access to Argentinian youths just for voicing his opinion! It’s racism!
Posted by programmer craig | February 20, 2009, 9:42 amForgot one:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7901101.stm
Iran offered to stop attacking British troops in Iraq to try to get the West to drop objections to Tehran’s uranium enrichment project, a UK official says.
The disclosure by UN ambassador Sir John Sawers in a BBC documentary throws new light on backroom discussions between Iran and the West.
Posted by programmer craig | February 20, 2009, 9:44 amThe recognized government is usually the elected one. Hamas won the Palestinian elections, which Fatah lost mainly because of corruption. The Palestinians are not stupid. But,Americans and Israelis do not truly believe in democracy.
Posted by Sword | February 20, 2009, 9:46 amAre you claiming Hamas is a democratic government, Sword? Don’t tell me about votes… tell me about the democratic institutions in Gaza. Tell me about the implementation of democratic principals.
You should have no trouble with that, since unlike Americans and Israelis, you truly believe in democracy.
Posted by programmer craig | February 20, 2009, 10:04 amI’ll help you out, bro.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy
Read that and point out to me in which ways Gaza has democracy.
Posted by programmer craig | February 20, 2009, 10:09 amListen. An elected government is not considered a terrorist a state. If it were, then the one that is military occupying other people against international law would top the list, sir.
Posted by Sword | February 20, 2009, 10:18 amAn elected government is not considered a terrorist a state.
It is when a terrorist group wins the election, which is what happened in Gaza.
How did we get from your previous claims that Gaza has democracy to “Gaza isn’t ruled by terrorists”? :O
If it were, then the one that is military occupying other people against international law would top the list, sir.
Now you claim occupation is terrorism? Rather than have another dispute over basic concepts with you, I’d rather we cleared up the previous one. Do you admit Gaza is not democratic?
Posted by programmer craig | February 20, 2009, 10:32 amWhy do you keep asking the obvious, where everyone knows that Gaza is a prison under the Israeli occupation/massacre?
Posted by Sword | February 20, 2009, 10:58 amWhy do you keep asking the obvious, where everyone knows that Gaza is a prison under the Israeli occupation/massacre?
We aren’t talking about Israel, Sword. We are talking about Hamas. Has Hamas implemented any democratic principals in Gaza, or not?
Posted by programmer craig | February 20, 2009, 11:13 amWhat is Hamas supposed to implement? They are the democratically elected government, and they weren’t even allowed to govern without a massive amount of cockblocks set up by Israel.
No one here is arguing that Hamas is ideal but if we are going to talk about promoting Democracy we better not sound like hypocrites when we boycott a democratically elected election. Trying to starve the Gazan people into voting differently is just absurd.
Posted by Arayus | February 20, 2009, 11:39 amHave 100′s of Zionuts implemented their balls in my mouth or not? We’re not talking about non Zionuts in my mouth, just Zionuts, OK? Do you understand what I’m saying? Is it not true that I suck Zionuts?
Posted by programmer craig | February 20, 2009, 12:12 pmWhat is Hamas supposed to implement?
Does Hamas uphold any democratic rights of Gazans? Freedom of Assembly? Freedom of Religion? Due process? Freedom of Expression? Etc?
Has Hamas implemented any safeguards against corruption and abuse of power? Has Hamas ensured that all citizens have equal access to the political process?
There are some very basic things that are required, before any government can be determined to be democratic. As far as I can tell, none of them is present in Gaza. So I find it a bit baffling that people keep talking about Hamas as if it is a democratic institution of some sort.
They are the democratically elected government…
That doesn’t make them a democratic government, does it?
and they weren’t even allowed to govern without a massive amount of cockblocks set up by Israel.
Israel isn’t responsible for all of Hamas’s democratic abuses. You could claim that Israel has interfered with Hamas’s ability to govern, but Israel has not forced Hamas to play the role of a tyrant.
No one here is arguing that Hamas is ideal but if we are going to talk about promoting Democracy we better not sound like hypocrites when we boycott a democratically elected election.
I wasn’t aware American ha d aright to participate in that election.
Trying to starve the Gazan people into voting differently is just absurd.
I don’t think that is the intent. I think the intent is hostile action against an enemy. The enemy being Hamas, which Palestinians elected. If Palestinians didn’t know how the world was going to react to Hamas, they damn well should have. And they should know it isn’t likely to ever change.
Why do you blame anybody but Palestinians for Hamas, Arayus?
Posted by programmer craig | February 20, 2009, 12:15 pmWhy do I get blamed for not being able to suck enough zionuts at once Arayus? Palestinians are to blame for that, right Arayus?
Posted by programmer craig | February 20, 2009, 1:04 pmPC you are a one man hit team!
One more for your arsenal. The blockade of Gaza was not in place after Hamas won in Jan. 2006. It was partially instituted after Hamas crossed the border and kidnapped Gilad Shalit in Jun 2006. It was fully implemented after Hamas exterminated its Fatah rivals in 2007 (can anyone forget them throwing people off buildings? that’s just classy), assuming full control of the territory.
These, along with a charter that calls for murder of Jews, along with bombs placed under the Israeli border, along with thousands of rockets launched (without response) at Israeli cities, surely are the sign of “democracy in action”. Right Arayus? Right Sword?
And I am sure that today, if Israel were to unlock the gates of Gaza, that hundreds of homicide bombers would not drive out to the closest, most densely packed cafe or kindergarten and blow up as many jews as they could. Let’s not forget how Hamas danced in the streets after the Mercav haRav yeshiva attack.
As I was saying then, watching that disgusting sight, I say now – bomb them to hell. If they target our children, fuck theirs.
Posted by Anonymous | February 22, 2009, 2:49 amKabob isn’t reporting videos like this. I wonder why. Remember when we heard about Hamas breaking legs of Fatah collaborators in Gaza? It’s all so neat and clean in black and white letters. Behind each pair of those broken legs is a human being.
Watch for yourself how acts the Palestinian government of Gaza.
Posted by Anonymous | February 25, 2009, 11:08 pm