Speaking for me only… and on vacation too!

Some good news came out of Washington yesterday that went largely unnoticed. Ha’aretz reports 54 members of Congress sent a letter to president Barack Obama urging him to pressure Israel to end the siege on Gaza.  Peter Welch, of Vermont, was one of the 54 members of Congress that signed the letter.

Ha’aretz correspondent Natasha Mozgovaya writes:

The letter was the initiative of Representatives Jim McDermott from Washington and Keith Ellison from Minnesota, both of whom are Democrats. Ellison is the first American Muslim to ever win election to Congress.

McDermott and Ellison wrote that they understand the threats facing Israel and the ongoing Hamas terror activities against Israeli citizens but that “this concern must be addressed without resulting in the de facto collective punishment of the Palestinian residents of the Gaza Strip.”

“We ask you to press for immediate relief for the citizens of Gaza as an urgent component of your broader Middle East peace efforts,” they wrote, adding that the siege has hampered the ability of aid agencies to do their work in Gaza.

The congressmen urged Obama to pressure Israel to ease the movement of people into and out of Gaza, especially students, the sick, aid workers, journalists and those with family concerns, and also to allow the import of building materials to rebuild houses. Israel has warned that such materials would be used to rebuild Hamas infrastructure and not civilian homes.

Fifty-four members of Congress urging the president to pressure Israel to treat Gazans like human beings is unheard of. On top of that, several prominent Israeli human rights and lobbying groups signed on as well. This is a positive development IMO.  The tide is slowly turning in how we, and the Democratic Party, view the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Operation Cast Lead blew the lid off Israel’s rationale for the occupation. The congressional visits to Gaza have exposed them to the realities of the conflict and what Gazans encounter on a day-to-day basis.

The full text of the letter is posted below. In the meantime, call Peter Welch’s office and thank him for taking an all-important and brave stand on the Israeli-Palestine issue.

 

President Barack Obama

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Obama,

Thank you for your ongoing work to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and for your commitment of $300 million in U.S. aid to rebuild the Gaza Strip. We write to you with great concern about the ongoing crisis in Gaza.

The people of Gaza have suffered enormously since the blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt following Hamas’ coup, and particularly following Operation Cast Lead. We also sympathize deeply with the people of southern Israel who have suffered from abhorrent rocket and mortar attacks. We recognize that the Israeli government has imposed restrictions on Gaza out of a legitimate and keenly felt fear of continued terrorist action by Hamas and other militant groups. This concern must be addressed without resulting in the de facto collective punishment of the Palestinian residents of the Gaza Strip. Truly, fulfilling the needs of civilians in Israel and Gaza are mutually reinforcing goals.

The unabated suffering of Gazan civilians highlights the urgency of reaching a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and we ask you to press for immediate relief for the citizens of Gaza as an urgent component of your broader Middle East peace efforts. The current blockade has severely impeded the ability of aid agencies to do their work to relieve suffering, and we ask that you advocate for immediate improvements for Gaza in the following areas:

* Movement of people, especially students, the ill, aid workers, journalists, and those with family concerns, into and out of Gaza;

* Access to clean water, including water infrastructure materials,

* Access to plentiful and varied food and agricultural materials;

* Access to medicine and health care products and suppliers;

* Access to sanitation supplies, including sanitation infrastructure materials;

* Access to construction materials for repairs and rebuilding;

* Access to fuel;

* Access to spare parts;

* Prompt passage into and out of Gaza for commercial and agricultural goods; and

* Publication and review of the list of items prohibited to the people of Gaza.

Winter is arriving and the needs of the people grow ever more pressing. For example, the ban on building materials is preventing the reconstruction of thousands of innocent families’ damaged homes. There is also a concern that unrepaired sewage treatment plants will overflow and damage surrounding property and water resources.

Despite ad hoc easing of the blockade, there has been no significant improvement in the quantity and scope of goods allowed into Gaza. Both the number of trucks entering Gaza per month and the number of days the crossings have been open have declined since March. This crisis has devastated livelihoods, entrenched a poverty rate of over 70%, increased dependence on erratic international aid, allowed the deterioration of public infrastructure, and led to the marked decline of the accessibility of essential services.

The humanitarian and political consequences of a continued near-blockade would be disastrous. Easing the blockade on Gaza will not only improve the conditions on the ground for Gaza’s civilian population, but will also undermine the tunnel economy which has strengthened Hamas. Under current conditions, our aid remains little more than an unrealized pledge. Most importantly, lifting these restrictions will give civilians in Gaza a tangible sense that diplomacy can be an effective tool for bettering their conditions.

Your Administration’s overarching Middle East peace efforts will benefit Israel, the Palestinians, and the entire region. The people of Gaza, along with all the peoples of the region, must see that the United States is dedicated to addressing the legitimate security needs of the State of Israel and to ensuring that the legitimate needs of the Palestinian population are met.

Sincerely,

Members of Congress

Arizona

Raul Grijalva

California

Lois Capps

Sam Farr

Bob Filner

Barbara Lee

Loretta Sanchez

Pete Stark

Michael Honda

Lynn Woolsey

Jackie Speier

Diane Watson

George Miller

Connecticut

Jim Himes

Indiana

Andre Carson

Iowa

Bruce Braley

Kentucky

John Yarmuth

Maryland

Elijah Cummings

Donna Edwards

Massachusetts

Michael Capuano

William Delahunt

Jim McGovern

John Tierney

John Olver

Stephen Lynch

Michigan

John Conyers

John Dingell

Carolyn Kilpatrick

Minnesota

Keith Ellison

Betty McCollum

James Oberstar

New Jersey

Donald Payne

Rush Holt

Bill Pascrell

New York

Yvette Clarke

Maurice Hinchey

Paul Tonko

Eric Massa

North Carolina

David Price

Ohio

Mary Jo Kilroy

Marcy Kaptur

Oregon

Earl Blumenauer

Peter DeFazio

Pennsylvania

Chaka Fattah

Joe Sestak

Vermont

Peter Welch

Virginia

Jim Moran

Washington

Jim McDermott

Adam Smith

Jay Inslee

Brian Baird

West Virginia

Nick Rahall

Wisconsin

Tammy Baldwin

Gwen Moore

Virginia

Glenn Nye