Letters to and from my Congressman

Sending an email to a Congressman is like spitting in the wind... or something, but here goes.

---

Dear Jeffrey:

Thank you for contacting me regarding Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I appreciate your sharing your thoughts with me.

Congress, President Obama, and U.S. diplomats continue to work towards peace and stability between Israelis and Palestinians. I believe negotiations are necessary for comprehensive peace and our own national security. I support the principles of the Oslo Accords and the "road map" for peace. I applaud the President and Secretary Clinton's efforts to continue talks. I am confident that negotiations can lead to the parties agreeing on an outcome that reconciles the Palestinian goal of an independent state, and the Israeli goal of a Jewish state with secure and recognized borders.

I believe that the United States needs to continue to support Israel as an international ally. The Administration has requested $3 billion in Foreign Military Financing for Israel for next year, an increase from $2.22 billion in the previous year. I voted for this financing and plan to continue supporting Israel's ability to defend itself.

The security of Israel and the entire international community are endangered by Iran's nuclear proliferation threats. The Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act, H.R. 2194, imposed sanctions to put pressure on Iran to comply with international regulations regarding its nuclear program. I voted in favor of this bill on the House floor on June 24, 2010, where it passed 408 – 8. President Obama signed this legislation into law on July 1, 2010.

I chose not to sign onto House Resolution 1553, which expresses support for Israel to use any means necessary to confront and eliminate nuclear threats posed by Iran. This resolution was introduced to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on July 22, 2010. Like all nations, Israel has the right to defend its sovereignty, but I was concerned that this resolution might encourage Israel to pursue a more military policy with respect to Iran which could lead to even greater instability in the region.
On May 31, 2010, a flotilla attempted to break the Israeli and Egyptian blockade to Gaza. This blockade prevents terrorists from bringing weapons into Gaza. Israel has been unfairly condemned as the aggressor in this incident. I signed the Poe-Peters letter sent to President Obama on June 29, 2010. This letter expressed support for Israel's right to stop the importation of weapons and other materials that can be used to launch attacks against its citizens.

Since 2009, President Obama has called on Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to halt the expansion of settlements in the Palestinian territories. As both a strong supporter of Israel and a champion of human rights all around the world, I find these settlements to be a particularly important issue. I know that a compromise between the Israeli and Palestinian governments on the issue of settlements is necessary for stability in the region. As a longstanding and committed friend to Israel, I believe that a compromise on this issue is necessary to resolve the ongoing conflict.

I wish nothing more than to see Israelis and Palestinians living together peacefully. With the United States once again playing a strong and active role to building peace, under the leadership of President Obama, we have an opportunity to create a lasting peace in the region to which all parties can agree.

Thank you again for sharing your views with me. Please feel free to contact me again on this or any other issue. If you would like to receive periodic policy updates, please signup for my e-newsletter at http://markey.house.gov/signup.



Sincerely,

Ed Markey
Member of Congress

---

Representative Markey,

Congress, President Obama, and U.S. diplomats continue to work towards peace and stability between Israelis and Palestinians.

Just like they've been working on it for twenty years, with billions of dollars of financial aid and fighter jets to one side, in exchange for a temporary freeze in settlement building in East Jerusalem.

I believe negotiations are necessary for comprehensive peace and our own national security.

The security of the U.S is not and has never been at issue.

I support the principles of the Oslo Accords and the "road map" for peace.

The Oslo Accords aren't principled, and the "road map" was a publicity ploy. The land grab goes on, as new "reality on the ground" is achieved.

I am confident that negotiations can lead to the parties agreeing on an outcome that reconciles the Palestinian goal of an independent state,

What has ever happened in the past that would make you confident of such a thing?

and the Israeli goal of a Jewish state with secure and recognized borders.

A Jewish state is one with Ashkenazi ethnic supremacy, and a "Jewish and democratic" state is a transparent oxymoron. A multiethnic state designed for the benefit of one of its constituent ethnic groups (now complete with loyalty oath) will always be racist. Zionism is racism.

I believe that the United States needs to continue to support Israel as an international ally.

Or what? Will it be driven into the sea?

The Administration has requested $3 billion in Foreign Military Financing for Israel for next year, an increase from $2.22 billion in the previous year. I voted for this financing and plan to continue supporting Israel's ability to defend itself.

Poor little Israel, unable to defend herself without billions of dollars of aid. That's what all the wars have shown, is it? Is that what the bombardment of Gaza in January of 2009 that killed hundreds of civilians showed? The 2006 war on Lebanon? Is there anything so disgusting Israel's military could do that you wouldn't see fit to finance it?

The security of Israel and the entire international community are endangered by Iran's nuclear proliferation threats.

The 2007 National Intelligence Estimate found no evidence that Iran was pursuing nuclear weapons. Despite politicians having found it inconvenient, no evidence has been produced superseding its judgment.

The Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act, H.R. 2194, imposed sanctions to put pressure on Iran to comply with international regulations regarding its nuclear program. I voted in favor of this bill on the House floor on June 24, 2010, where it passed 408 – 8. President Obama signed this legislation into law on July 1, 2010.

Iran has the right to peaceful use of nuclear energy under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation treaty, which it has signed, unlike India, Pakistan, and Israel. But we don't hear about the danger their nuclear arsenals pose, or, of course, that of the US. I don't want anyone to have nuclear weapons, but the only thing specifically unacceptable about Iran having them is that they are an Official Enemy of the U.S. and Israel. We give the Iranians nothing but incentives to gain nuclear weapons. On the "Axis of Evil," simply compare North Korea to Iraq.

On May 31, 2010, a flotilla attempted to break the Israeli and Egyptian blockade to Gaza. This blockade prevents terrorists from bringing weapons into Gaza.

The blockade prevents building material and various arbitrarily-chosen food items from entering. Dov Weisglass said its mission was to put the Palestinians "on a diet," and the result has been an epidemic of malnutrition.

Israel has been unfairly condemned as the aggressor in this incident.

Yes, because commandoes with guns rappelling down via helicopter onto a ship bearing aid isn't aggressive. Because shooting people, in the back in many cases, isn't aggressive. Murdering nine people armed with found poles and utility knives isn't aggressive. And because deliberately starving a captive civilian population isn't aggressive.

I signed the Poe-Peters letter sent to President Obama on June 29, 2010. This letter expressed support for Israel's right to stop the importation of weapons and other materials that can be used to launch attacks against its citizens.

Yes, like concrete, tomatoes, and coriander. See , for example. How can anyone call that defensive?

Since 2009, President Obama has called on Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to halt the expansion of settlements in the Palestinian territories.

Obama has genuflected to Netanyahu at every turn and Netanyahu has thumbed his nose at him, Biden, and the world. The rest of the world watches in horror the crimes you glibly justify.

As both a strong supporter of Israel and a champion of human rights all around the world,

There is no such thing. A strong supporter of Israeli policy is a champion of apartheid, dispossession, racism, and seemingly endless cruelty. A supporter of the Israeli people, on the other hand, wouldn't make excuses for the behavior that makes their state an insane pariah state.

I find these settlements to be a particularly important issue. I know that a compromise between the Israeli and Palestinian governments on the issue of settlements is necessary for stability in the region.

The settlements are illegal under international law. They always have been. They are built on occupied territory, stolen from the people who were already dispossessed during the Nakba. The settlers are bigots with a messianic streak, often violent who throw their garbage down on the people whose villages they occupy, who are protected by the military of a country that officially disavows any responsibility for their actions, who are given their own special roads in occupied territory that they have colonized. A compromise is indefensible.

As a longstanding and committed friend to Israel, I believe that a compromise on this issue is necessary to resolve the ongoing conflict.

In this very statement, you name one party as a friend, and neglect to mention the other. Inevitably, the party you are not a committed and longstanding friend of will be called on to compromise what little they have left.

I wish nothing more than to see Israelis and Palestinians living together peacefully.

From what you've said above, you wish for nothing more than the status quo.

With the United States once again playing a strong and active role to building peace,

This is a delusion or a lie. Obama is no better than Bush in this regard. If America wanted peace, there would be peace by now.

under the leadership of President Obama, we have an opportunity to create a lasting peace in the region to which all parties can agree.

We honestly could, if the US wanted it.

I find this letter very disappointing.


Jeffrey Carlson