Crisis in Gaza: The Aftermath - Help from Congressman Sam Farr

Background: When I returned home from my Christmas holiday visit to my parent's home, I learned of the news from the day before (this was Sunday, December 28, 2008) -- Israel had begun aerial bombardment of the Gaza Strip. I had already received two Emergency Alert emails from the U.S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation asking for action to stop the Israeli attacks and requesting participation in protests nationwide and globally to stop the attacks. I knew immediately what the outcome of an Israeli military incursion into Gaza would be -- civilian casualties in large numbers. The international community had been warning Israel for some time against taking such action because of the density of the population in the tiny Gaza Strip. I acted expediently as the U.S. Campaign urged: letter to the President, Secretary Rice, and my Senators (and posted my letter on a newly created page on my old "UMass" blog site -- "Stop Gaza Genocide"). (Note: See "Tikkun Olam Dialogue Project" in the right margin for the link to this other blog site, and, for some articles that, I believe, explain and justify the use of the term "genocide".) By the end of that week, the U.S. Campaign was reporting the use of bombs by the Israeli Air Force that contain uranium oxide, which leave behind radioactive contamination, as well as the report of the ramming by the Israeli navy and near sinking of The Dignity -- a civilian vessel carrying doctors and humanitarian aid to Gaza. The U.S. Campagn also announced its first conference call regarding the crisis. The following Monday, I attended this conference call and I learned of a video on You Tube on which a Norwegian doctor was talking about the civilian casualties and the horrible injuries being caused by the bombings and the weapons being used. The next day,Tuesday, January 6, I searched and found about a half dozen videos related to this Norwegian doctor, all showing scenes in Gaza, I presume in the hospital from which this doctor is reporting. I am overwhelmed with emotion, weeping uncontrollably as I watch these scenes from Gaza. I have not experienced this kind of emotional reaction to anything since September 11, 2001. I know now -- I must act. But, this time, with more effectiveness. A week later, I have completed internet research to find all organizations in my Congressional District that advocate peace and justice and I have contacted most of these organizations and solicited support for a joint letter to our Representative in the House, Rep. Sam Farr, which is roughly equivalent to a thousand signatures (this is the approximate total membership of all these organizations). Monday, January 19, is a federal holiday and Tuesday is Inauguration Day and my Rep's office is closed due to the tide of humanity that has deluged Washington for this historic event. But, by Thursday, I have succeeded in talking to the Foreign Affairs advisor in Rep. Farr's office -- Marc Hanson. Below is my report back to my fellow District 17 constituents summarizing the fruits of our efforts resulting from our joint letter to our Representative in the House.

Report:

I just spoke with Marc Harmon in Sam Farr’s Washington office about the two issues on which everyone agreed were immediate concerns of all of us and required immediate action by Rep. Farr (just to ensure clarity, those were: 1.) cosponsor Rep. Kucinich’s House Res. 66; and, 2.) immediate action to implement UNSCR 1860). He told me:

• · He and Sam are working on cosponsoring this resolution, even though Marc’s “sense” is that this H. Res. will never get out of committee for a vote on the House floor (that would be very unfortunate). However, we agreed that since this H. Res. is a response to the Resolutions (S. Res. 10 and H. Res. 34) voted on in the Senate and House two weeks ago, it is important for that reason and is worthy of cosponsoring for that reason and others;

• · He also told me, regarding implementation of UNSCR 1860, that they are working on a letter to Secretary Clinton (have to get used to that) that is using information from a recent meeting with Andrew Whitley (Director, UNRWA Representative Office, N.Y.) that sounds like it was a status report on the conditions in Gaza and what types of aid were immediately required and the costs of such, etc. He is working on this letter with staff from other Rep’s. offices (including Barbara Lee’s) and we agreed that this is probably a very effective means of addressing our issue of implementing the UNSCR 1860. He is formalizing this letter with the other offices next week and we agreed that we will talk on Friday of next week and he will give me a copy of the letter at that time.

* * * * * (end of report)

(Note: here is an explanation, for those who need such, for my comment above, "... this H. Res. is a response to the Resolutions (S. Res. 10 and H. Res. 34) voted on in the Senate and House two weeks ago ... and is worthy of cosponsoring for that reason." Every year members of the House and Senate submit Resolutions supporting Israel and denouncing Hamas, or Hezbollah, or whoever is the current "terrorist" harassing or attacking the state of Israel at the moment. These Resolutions, without exception, state Israel's right to exist "as a Jewish state" -- without any mention of the fact that this "Jewish state" was created on 95% Palestinian land and that most of the Palestinians who once lived on that land were dispossessed of that property and their homes -- and condemn whoever dares to oppose the state of Israel (or resist or defend themselves from its illegal military occupation, or illegal siege or embargo on its civilian population (Gaza), or any number of other violations of international law or human or civil rights, or acts of aggression, or dispossession of property, settler violence, acts of intimidation at roadblocks, oppression, torture of Palestinian journalists, extra-legal assassinations or imprisonments ... Have I missed anything? Of course. There is not enough room on this page -- even though it is virtually endless. Now, don't misunderstand these comments. I do not support the militant organizations within Hamas or Hezbollah -- although, if I were a Palestinian voter, I would probably support the political wing of Hamas, as the Palestinian voters did in January, 2006. What I am saying here is that one needs to consider all the facts and all the history going back to the Balfour Declaration and the Partition Plan of 1947, particularly, before one begins to judge or support anyone or their actions. And, if I may, I recommend, to start, a reasonably objective history of the period from 1947 to 1949, such as Benny Morris, "The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem Revisited", Cambridge University Press, 2004.)