By a 344-36 vote (22 voting "present"), the House of
Representatives condemned the so-called Goldstone report, which found that both
Israel and Hamas committed
war crimes in Gaza. (See how your
representative voted here).
The resolution basically adopted the Israeli view that the war was necessary
and that its military behaved with high regard for the safety of civilians
(despite the fact that 1400 Palestinians were killed -- including 320 children
-- versus a total of 13 Israeli soldiers). Israelis complained that the
Goldstone report did not reflect the views of Israelis who participated in the
attack. But Israel
refused to cooperate with the Goldstone investigators.
In any case, this vote will give more evidence to those who argue that
Congress is afraid to take any steps on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that
do not track Israel's
position (and the Israel
lobby's).
Writing in Politico
yesterday, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) strongly criticized the House vote:
Congress is poised to oppose the Goldstone report without
holding a single hearing on a document that few members of Congress, if any,
have read.
This is a mistake. The stance of this Congress will erode U.S.
credibility in the post-Obama world, and it will tarnish our commitment to the
principle that all nations must be held to the same standards. Rather than
undermine the report or Goldstone, we are at risk of undermining Congress's and
President Barack Obama's reputation as honest brokers.
Israel can still pursue
its own investigation, and critics of the Goldstone report should recognize
that Israel
is strong enough to withstand inquiry. Self-reflection is one of the hallmarks
of a strong democracy. In fact, Israel
has investigated itself in the past in connection with the Sabra and Shatila
incidents. When nations like the United States,
Israel, South Africa
and others have pursued the truth through investigations -- however
uncomfortable -- their people and politics have emerged stronger.
We stand for the values of democracy, truth and justice. There is no reason
for Congress, Israel or any other party to fear
an honest judge. Richard Goldstone is such a judge, and his report should be
studied, not dismissed.
Ellison is right. The House cast a cynical vote; one that, no doubt, many are
ashamed of. The United
States should be an honest broker between
Israelis and Palestinians, not act as if "Israel Is Us." Actions like
the House's yesterday are not just wrongheaded, they endanger America's
security. We simply cannot afford to have every Muslim and Arab on the planet
believe that our concern for human rights extends to everyone, but not to them.
We need a course correction fast, for the sake of Israelis and Palestinians,
but mostly for our own.
This article was originally published on the Huffington Post.
Posted
at
4 Nov 2009 5:52 PM
by