Posted on 05/02/2002 3:54:23 PM PDT by xvb
Congress OKs Israel Support Measure
Congress clasped Israel in a warm embrace on Thursday, passing resolutions of support for the Jewish state and blessing its recent military campaign as an attempt at "dismantling the terrorist infrastructure" in Palestinian territory.
"Let every terrorist know, the American people will never abandon freedom, democracy or Israel," said Texas Rep Tom DeLay, shortly before the House voted overwhelmingly in favor of nonbinding legislation. Recent attacks directed against Israelis, the House GOP whip added, "are attacks against liberty, and all free people must recognize that Israel's fight is our fight."
"Israel has been under siege ... from a systematic and deliberate campaign of suicide and homicide attacks by terrorists," said Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., the leading sponsor of the measure that cleared the Senate. "Their essence is identical to the attacks on our country of Sept. 11," he said.
Both measures said the United States and Israel are "now engaged in a common struggle against terrorism."
But the bill that DeLay, a conservative who has been outspoken in his support of Israel in recent months, and Rep. Tom Lantos, D-Calif., sent to the House floor was the more sharply worded of the two. It mentioned Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat by name and accused him of an "ongoing support of terror" in the wave of bombings against Israelis this spring.
The House acted on a stand-alone resolution, passing it by 352-21. Twenty-nine lawmakers voted present, several of them saying they had wanted more balanced legislation. Lieberman and Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., offered their proposal as an amendment to trade legislation. The vote was 96-2.
Lawmakers, eager to show solidarity with Israel, have long chafed at the silence the Bush administration asked of Congress at a time when American diplomats worked to stave off a wider outbreak of violence in the Middle East.
With Israeli troops ending their military operation on Wednesday, lifting a siege of Arafat's headquarters, the White House gave its grudging assent to the inevitable.
"The president understands Congress will speak its mind in a nonbinding fashion and the president will respect that," White House spokesman Ari Fleischer told reporters.
Referring to the 535 members of Congress, he added: "The president also understands no foreign policy can have 535 secretary of states" - words that seemed to say the administration was not endorsing the measures in all their particulars.
Earlier, officials had urged Lieberman, DeLay and other key lawmakers to soften some of the language, and to insert phrases to express support for Palestinians.
Many of those requests were rejected - including a call to strip out references to "dismantling the terrorist infrastructure in the Palestinian areas." Both measures contained the phrase.
The House bill stated that Israel's recent military operations were "an effort to defend itself against the unspeakable horrors of ongoing terrorism and were aimed only at dismantling the terrorist infrastructure in the Palestinian areas, an obligation Arafat himself undertook but failed to carry out."
The House acceded to two or three requests from the White House, adding a provision that calls on the international community to "take action to alleviate the humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people."
A few lawmakers expressed concern with the legislation. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said he would have preferred to see Arafat identified by name in the Senate measure.
Sen. Ernest Hollings, D-S.C., dismissed what he said was a "simplistic, one-sided" proposal that was political in nature and not in Israel's best interests. He and Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., were the two senators to oppose the measure.
In the House, some lawmakers said a more balanced approach would have been preferable.
"Resolutions like this can very well backfire and actually hurt Israel more so than it will help," said Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas.
A steady stream of lawmakers spoke in favor of the bills in debates that unfolded simultaneously in the chambers at opposite end of the Capitol.
The resolution calls upon all parties to work toward peace, said Smith. "But it does say it without equivocation, we stand with Israel on the front line in the war against terrorism," he said.
"Israel has not asked for this war any more than we asked for ours against al-Qaida and the Taliban," Lantos told the House. "But when democracies come under terrorist attack, it is morally incumbent upon us, as the world's leading democracy, to express our solidarity. That is what this resolution does."
Bump for Bipartisanship
LOL
Out the Terrorist Sympathizers !
Every Jew in the district of a No voter should register and work for the other party of that Terrorist Sympathizer.
Yes, absolutely. If President Bush and the Republicans play it right, we could secure the majority Jewish vote for generations to come.
We need to somehow find a way to bring Blacks to the Republican Party!
By way of reminder,
as in 1941
we are in an epic battle for the future of this generation.
If we don't win
generations to come won't matter.
You're not hitting on all 8 are you?
Let me correct your misconceptions.
Myth:"Israel tries to offer land for peace for how many years, decades now;"
Fact: Israel continues to expand settlements, doubling the number of settlers since the Oslo peace process began, and sets up an apartheid-like system to confine Palestinians to isolated besieged ghettos in the occupied territories.
Myth:Yassir Arafat ... basically had 95% of what he wanted and walked way; said NO!
Fact: The bogus "deal" that Barak, Mad Albright, and Clinton tried to pressure Arafat into accepting was nowhere near so generous as claimed. See Barak's Offer. Arafat was wise to reject it but he didn't walk away from peace talks. The talks resumed at Taba but were broken off after Sharon came to power.
Myth:Then he goes on the terrorist binge and Israel is to blame?
Fact: Arafat condemns all acts on terrorism. Israel sponsors and commits acts of terrorism against Palestinians. Israel is to blame.
To use a phrase from the American Indian lexicon: Arafat speak with forked tounge. He condems terrorist attacks in English and turns around and speaks to his Murerous Minions of Mad Mo(piss be upon his head) in Arabic, and incites them to go out and commit more terrorist acts. Report: Arafat Linked to Attacks highest ranking Palestinian leader to be taken into custody admits
The Brutal Israeli Occupation - Well worth the read
"Three of Seven", sounds like you adhere to the "Borg" philosophy of the hive mind.
The "hive mind" of political correctness is maintained by willful ignorance. This congressional measure is a fine example of willful ignorance in action. The Barry Farber article you recommended shows how a commentator can lie by omission, thus preserving ignorance. The Israeli government preserves ignorance by blocking fact-finding investigations.
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