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| U.S. lawmakers to Obama: Press Israel to ease Gaza siege |
| 2010-01-26 |
| Fifty-four members of the U.S. Congress have signed a letter asking President Barack Obama to put pressure on Israel to ease the siege of the Gaza Strip. Good grief. Name that party... The letter was the initiative of Representatives Fancy those two paring up. McDermott and Ellison wrote that they understand the threats facing Israel and the ongoing Hamas terror activities against Israeli citizens but that "this concern must be addressed without resulting in the de facto collective punishment of the Palestinian residents of the Gaza Strip." "We ask you to press for immediate relief for the citizens of Gaza as an urgent component of your broader Middle East peace efforts," they wrote, adding that the siege has hampered the ability of Since everything else Obama has been doing has turned out so rosy. The congressmen urged Obama to pressure Israel to ease the movement of people into and out of Gaza, especially students, the sick, aid workers, journalists and those with family concerns, and also to allow the import of building materials to rebuild houses. Israel has warned that such materials would be used to rebuild Hamas infrastructure and not civilian homes. Ellison has harshly criticized the House of Representatives decision to reject the Goldstone report, arguing that the report "only presents facts and raises recommendations for the future." He cast doubt that members of Congress who voted to reject the report even took the time to read it and that the rejection hurt the Obama government's role as an honest broker in the Middle East conflict. In addition to members of Congress, several leftist organizations also signed the letter, including Americans for Peace Now and J Street. Look! J Street showing up on the anti-Israel line again! The Israeli Embassy in Washington responded to the letter: "The Israeli position is that the Hamas government in Gaza does not meet the conditions set forth by the international community and the Quartet. And as long as Hamas continues to attack Israel with missiles and other means, Israel will not open the border crossings. With this, Israel is doing everything possible to ensure that humanitarian aid enters Gaza in a controlled manner so that it is ensured that the population receives what it needs, including medical care in Israel. But Israel will not allow a neighbor that calls for its destruction to enjoy the benefits of an open border." |
| Posted by:Free Radical |
| #5 Let's see: PM Netanyahu told President Obama's envoy a blunt no about not building in the settlements. What do you suppose he'll say about the Gaza thingy? |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2010-01-26 21:52 |
| #4 @#2 Just another reason to horse-whip McDermott - with a live horse. We knew that with Ellison' election, he was going to be a running sore of anti-semitism in the US government. The unity and dignity inspired by our Declaration of Independence and Constitution has been so diluted that things that once would have had not chance of being elected are sitting in Washington, DC, demanding they receive the "respect" their position "demands". ANYONE that signed that "letter" should be forced to spend the next 30 years living in Gaza. (saved me the typing) |
| Posted by: Mike Hunt 2010-01-26 21:48 |
| #3 @#1 --> Someone refresh my memory: Gaza is that place where the inhabitants have sworn to destroy neighboring Israel and its citizens, right? |
| Posted by: Mike Hunt 2010-01-26 21:47 |
| #2 Just another reason to horse-whip McDermott - with a live horse. We knew that with Ellison' election, he was going to be a running sore of anti-semitism in the US government. The unity and dignity inspired by our Declaration of Independence and Constitution has been so diluted that things that once would have had not chance of being elected are sitting in Washington, DC, demanding they receive the "respect" their position "demands". ANYONE that signed that "letter" should be forced to spend the next 30 years living in Gaza. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2010-01-26 21:44 |
| #1 Someone refresh my memory: Gaza is that place where the inhabitants have sworn to destroy neighboring Israel and its citizens, right? |
| Posted by: SteveS 2010-01-26 19:18 |