Israel is "Daddy" to the U.S. Congress
A revealing letter from my Congressman
I wrote a note to my representative in Congress, William Keating (D), who is the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. I expressed my opposition to massive Israeli bombing and massive U.S. aid that facilitates that bombing. Yesterday, I received a form letter in reply that reveals Israel remains the “Daddy” to the U.S. Congress.
How so? The letter from Mr. Keating is plainspoken and direct in its condemnation of Hamas. There is, however, absolutely no criticism of Israel. None. Hamas is pure evil, Israel is a blameless victim, and that’s all you need to know, according to the letter signed by Keating.
Some examples from the letter: Hamas is described as launching “brutal attacks” that bring “death and destruction” to Israelis and Palestinians. They use Palestinian civilians as “pawns” and “human shields.” They are “terrorists.” It’s their attacks that have “already taken the lives of too many civilians.”
The letter also expresses support for a Palestinian state (no other details), for humanitarian aid to Gaza, while mentioning that Israel, in protecting itself against terrorism, must try to protect innocent civilians in Gaza as well. But perhaps the key passage in the letter is this one:
Israel has the right to protect its citizens against terrorists who continue to attack the country after Hamas carried out the largest massacre of Jewish people since the Holocaust. A ceasefire would only benefit Hamas and allow the terrorist group to rebuild, strengthen, and fortify its positions.
As Ranking Member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. Keating closes his letter by urging Hamas “to stop these violent attacks, which have already taken the lives of too many civilians.”
Here’s what’s missing from the letter: Any condemnation or even admission of the “violent attacks” by Israel that have already claimed the lives of more than 10,000 Palestinian civilians, including more than 4000 children. (The likely death toll is far higher since many bodies remain trapped and smashed and flattened under rubble.) Mr. Keating is completely unable or unwilling to criticize Israel in any way. Israel is completely in the right, Hamas is totally responsible for all the killing, and that’s all you need to know.
Again, Mr. Keating rejects any ceasefire as a boon to the terrorists (Hamas, of course; there’s no such thing as an Israeli terrorist). Without saying it explicitly, he tacitly supports Israel’s strategy to turn Gaza into rubble while expelling as many Palestinians as possible.
In sum, Mr. Keating, and indeed nearly all members of Congress, are 100% behind the right-wing Israeli government. To the question, “Who’s your daddy?” the clear answer for Keating and his fellow members of Congress is “Israel and Bibi Netanyahu.”
You don't have a representative in Congress. You have a robot. I can guarantee you the entire Democratic caucus has produced a standard letter for all members to send out to their constituents on the issue of the Israeli slaughter in Gaza. Independent thought is verboten. Just look what happened to Rashida Tlaib for daring to call for a cease fire. This is the way it has always been. Back in 1964 there were only 2 Senators who voted against the Gulf of Tonkin resolution in 1964, Wayne Morse and Ernest Gruening. And in the House, there was not a single vote against---zero!! In 2001, Barbara Lee was the only member of House to vote against the AUMF to launch the war against Afghanistan. Not one US Senator was opposed. So, there you have it. Let's face it, there is a zero tolerance policy when it comes to the issue of Israel. Anyone who dares to challenge the official line is accused of treason, blasphemy, anti-semitism, and perhaps witchcraft. Time to dust off my old copy of 1984: War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength.
I'm happy to say one of my senators is Dick Durbin, the first in the Senate to call for a ceasefire. My Rep is Jan Schakowsky, Jewish, who is one of the few dozen in the House calling for a ceasefire. My other Senator, Tammy Duckworth, mouths the same things as yours. The "right to defend itself", mention of the holocaust, treating the HAMAS attack as if it had happened out of the blue with no history of Israeli ethnic cleansing and land theft, are all as robotically generated and as empty as the phrase "your call is important to us" encountered with a phone call to any business.
I will be attending a demonstration in downtown Chicago on Monday hosted by Jewish Voice for Peace. Disruption of normal activities is planned. I expect a big turnout and will be proud to be there objecting to what is nothing less than a slaughter of Palestinians by Israel, the latest and largest of such that began in 1948, the opening act of terror never mentioned by those who shout about HAMAS.