Gwen Moore, profile in courage on Gaza vote
Milwaukee Congresswoman Gwen Moore deserves a Profiles in Courage award for being one of only five House members to vote against a resolution basically absolving Israel of any responsibility for the violence in Gaza and blaming it all on Hamas.
Russell Wallace at Reform Dem blog has the details of the resolution. Highlights include:
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--(1) expresses vigorous support and unwavering commitment to the welfare, security, and survival of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state with secure borders, and recognizes its right to act in self-defense to protect its citizens against Hamas's unceasing aggression, as enshrined in the United Nations Charter;
(2) reiterates that Hamas must end the rocket and mortar attacks against Israel, recognize Israel's right to exist, renounce violence, agree to accept previous agreements between Israel and the Palestinians, and verifiably dismantle its terrorist infrastructure;
The House vote was 390-5, with 16 others either absent and 22 Dems voting "present." Call that profiles in cowardice.
The entire Wisconsin delegation voted "yes" except for Moore and Steve Kagen, who was absent after a recent surgery.
Joining Moore in voting no were Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), Ron Paul (R-TX), Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Nick Rahall (D-WV).
Go here to tell Moore thank you.
Veterans for Peace, a national organization of veterans who have served in peacetime and in war, got it right with its statement on Gaza:
VFP does not take the side of any government, but rather takes the side of all people in the region who are victims of the most recent outbreak of violence raging between Palestine and Israel.Unfortunately, this is one area where a new president is unlikely to bring the change we need.As U.S. military veterans all too familiar with the horrors of war, Veterans For Peace must shout "HALT" to the violence, restating our position that attacks on civilians are never warranted. Neither Israel nor Hamas is justified in attacking the civilian population of the other. Bombings, rocket attacks, blockading medical supplies and military invasions will not lead to peace and security but will perpetuate the cycle of death, destruction, fear and insecurity among the people of all countries, including the U.S.
As citizens of the United States, VFP also recognizes that tens of billions of our tax dollars provide Israel the military means to wage a vastly disproportionate attack on Gaza , a district with particularly dense population. That attack, plainly condemned by nearly all of the world's nations, has killed many hundreds of civilians, injured hundreds more and set off a humanitarian crisis where the wounded are dying from lack of transport to aid centers and many more face death from lack of water.
We note with great sadness the unspeakable suffering which builds by the hour in Gaza . We support the call for an end to the violence while noting that the Security Council's inability to take effective actions to uphold the UN Charter, its own previously adopted resolutions and international law is due in great part due to the objections of the U.S.
