Thank you, Keith Ellison. ONE Democrat takes a progressive stand on Israel.

[Comrade Grumpy]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/keith-ellison-end-the-gaza-blockade-to-achieve-peace/2014/07/29/e5e707c4-16a1-11e4-85b6-c1451e622637_story.html

End the Gaza blockade to achieve peace

By Keith Ellison July 29
Keith Ellison, a Democrat, represents Minnesota’s 5th District in the House of Representatives.

It seems as though each day brings new horrors and heartbreaks in the Holy Land. More than 1,000 dead. Gazan children blown up on the beach. A U.N. shelter hit. Two-thirds of Israelis living in fear from indiscriminate rocket fire launched by Hamas. But as the calls for a cease-fire gain momentum, it is important to understand that many Gazans who have no association with Hamas view the return to the way things were as unacceptable.

These people aren’t rocket shooters or combatants. For the past several years they have lived in dreadful isolation. The status quo for ordinary Gazans is a continuation of no jobs and no freedom. This is not an attractive future. Gazans want and deserve the dignity of economic opportunity and freedom to move. This can be accomplished only with an end to the blockade of the Gaza Strip, which must be considered within the framework of a cease-fire. Israelis likewise deserve to live free of rocket fire and terror attacks. In order for Israelis to live safely and securely in their homes, Hamas must give up its rockets and other weapons.

I have traveled to Gaza three times since 2009 and have visited hospitals and schools there. As I have talked with ordinary Gazans, I have not encountered anyone representing Hamas. During one visit, I had the opportunity to meet Scott Anderson, deputy director of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). Anderson, a 21-year veteran of the U.S. Army, said it best when I spoke to him again this week: “Unless there is material change to the status quo, you’re just resetting the clock for another cycle of violence.” Continuing to block goods and services to and from Gaza keeps the keys to opportunity away from the people who just want to live, work and travel.


The vast majority of Gazans do not support firing rockets into Israel or killing Israelis. In fact, the majority of people in Gaza are women and children. During my first visit to the region, this fact was clear: There were kids everywhere. This week, I also spoke with Yousef Moussa, chief area operations officer at the UNRWA office in Rafah. He puts this observation in context, noting, “50 percent of Gazans are under the age of 18. Seventy percent of Gazans are women and children. 80 percent of Gazans live below the poverty line. Relatively few Gazans are associated with Hamas.”

So how can the international community support those Gazans who don’t support indiscriminate rocket fire? We could take steps to allow for the safe flow of goods and services into Gaza and the export of goods and services to neighboring countries. We could advocate for Gazans to have freedom of movement. Now, if you’re a Gazan traveling in the West Bank, the Israeli military can forcibly return you to Gaza. Being able to import goods such as food, fuel and medicine would mean that Gazans would not be forced to buy necessities from a tunnel economy controlled by extremists. International actors should be involved in the process to address Israel’s security concerns about lifting the blockade.

<snip>

[kelliekat44]

1. I hope his career is not ruined. I remember Cynyhia. Nt

[geardaddy]

8. Not a chance.

He's safe in this district.

[hifiguy]

37. Safe as can be.

His district, which I happen to live in, has been represented by extremely liberal Democrats for 54 years - Don Fraser, Martin Sabo and now Keith Ellison.

I am very proud of my Congressman at this moment - moreso even than usual.

[Faux pas]

2. I truly LOVE LOVE LOVE

Keith Ellison. He always says it like it really is.

[gwheezie]

3. I agree with Ellison on so many positions

The man is always thoughtful and well reasoned.

[gaspee]

4. Because he is Muslim

He will be dismissed as a Jew hater - just watch.

[Fred Sanders]

6. Any utterance not in lockstep with the propaganda will be viciously attacked, it is the way

propaganda is made to work.

[emsimon33]

19. Yep! You nailed it!

[Fawke Em]

32. Of course. I thought the same when I read it.

My ex is Muslim Palestinian and my current husband is Jewish on his mother's side - in other words, the two men I loved enough to marry and have children with are both Semitic.

Yet, because I (and my current Jewish husband, FWIW) think that Israel has far over-stepped any humanitarian boundaries during this confrontation, I've been called "anti-Semitic." I found this roll-on-the-floor funny: the people, outside of my own parents, who are WASP/WASC, that I love most in this world are all at least partially Semitic.

[Wellstone ruled]

5. Keith has for years

said it as it is. Very surprised we haven't had a harsh vocal response from the Yapping Dog Press of the Twin Cities. Especially the Gannett yellow rag of St Paul.

Keep up the truth saying Keith.

[Fred Sanders]

7. The response may be interesting, people need to hear the truth of the massive propaganda campaign

underway, maybe this will start lifting the veil.

[geardaddy]

9. I'm glad he's my rep. n/t

[Douglas Carpenter]

10. knr

[green917]

11. I'm proud to have voted for Keith!

Thank you Keith for upholding your principles and always speaking the unvarnished truth!

[jimruymen]

12. stop mob rule

There is no end to America's blind ignorance when it comes to Israel's treatment of occupied Palestine and the theft of Palestinian land under the false meme, "Israel is justified in defending itself". Kerry: "please stop killing Palestinian civilians", most of whom are women and children but here, accept more made in America weapons to do it. America the hypocrite.

[sabrina 1]

34. They always forget to add 'Palestine is justifed in defending itself'.

We're in the 'weapons' business, all over the world. We are now sending more weapons to Iraq, which we left in chaos.

Libya will be next on the list as it too becomes a failed state.

And naturally Afghanistan will need more weapons too.

Everywhere we went on our 'humanitarian' missions we left behind a devasted population taken over by extremists with the body count rising every day.

But wait, we're not done yet, we're getting ready for another 'humanitarian' venture, this one will need tons of weapons, in Ukraine. To rescue the failed government of Kiev this time, who are currently bombing their own people.

And then there is the big prize, not yet accomplished but definitely still on the agenda, Iran.

The weapons industry is booming.

[mylye2222]

13. Thank your Mr Ellison.

[cheapdate]

14. Last night on Al Jazeera I learned about a teenager in Gaza

whose live tweets during the Israeli bombardments have gone viral in parts of the world and captured the attention of many people. She was 16-years old, beautiful and intelligent. Pictures of her with her friends and family were shown during the her telephone interview with Al Jazeera. Her father is a doctor and is obviously busy night and day with the wounded. She talked about her friends, her hopes to one day become a lawyer, and about her fears and about comforting her younger siblings during the shelling.

Her story was compelling and heartbreaking. At the end of the interview she was asked about the rockets fired from Gaza. She said without hesitation that she fully supports the resistance and hopes that some of the rockets will find their targets in Israel.

My point is this, Ellison, who I strongly admire and support, claims that, "The vast majority of Gazans do not support firing rockets into Israel or killing Israelis." Maybe he believes that, but it isn't true. Most Gazans support the resistance.

[panader0]

16. Farad Baker

[truedelphi]

24. If she made that statement this week, who could blame her?

I mean, it is hardly as though the Gaza rockets are incinerating vast areas of Tel Aviv or Jerusalem. But look at the damage done by the Israelis:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2710868/Razing-Gaza-Before-satellite-images-true-devastation-Israels-bombardment-700-homes-mosques-turned-rubble-400-craters-blight-war-zone.html

[enid602]

26. new

A new Anne Frank.

[sabrina 1]

35. Palestinians have the right to defend themselves. She is living in a prison where

she has most likely lived through several of these horrific assaults on her people and seen people she knows, killed. She is also in a situation where she is not free to just go out like any other teenager and buy basic necessities without the 'approval' of an occupying force.

It would take a saint not to feel some anger living in such a horrible situation where you know that there exists so much hatred for your loved ones, that killing them is no big deal, or has not been until now. Imagine knowing that the world's most powerful superpower does not recognize you and your loved ones as worthy of any consideration and all you hear is 'Israel has a right to defend itself'.

So does Palestine.

Elliston is absolutely right. The situation there has to change or this will continue, which may be what is intended.

[gaspee]

41. I think if I

were living in Palestine right now, subject to shelling and death everywhere I looked, I might want the rockets to hit something too, even if I did not before this. I think Israel is CREATING more people who want to harm them. I think that will be the result of this slaughter and destruction - the creation of more people who want to harm them. And that is sad because another generation will be lost - on both sides.

[TheKentuckian]

15. Sounds like a great practical mission for the UN to ensure humanitarian goods come through

while weapons, weapons materials, and militants are kept out via an intense and laser focused gate keeper.

I see no security issue with exports or allowing folks to leave the area if they desire (return would be more dicey).

Freedom of movement should be permitted if proper precautions are made not to allow such freedom of movement to result in a return of the suicide bombers, kidnappers, and militants to inflict harm on the people of Israel.

Further, if natural resources are being or will be exploited then the Palestinian people should be given a fair dividend and a real seat at the table to decide the if, when, and who portions of that debate.

If Israel requires certain territories for strategic security concerns they will have to trade those territories for equally useable and hospitable lands.

Both sides (and outside interests see the US, see the Arab League) must accept the existence of Palestine and Israel and by definition a two state solution.

Jerusalem will be an international territory and a UN jurisdiction until and unless both parties are able to design a way to share the city and it's control (which I find unlikely)

Israel will pay reparations to Palestine in the amount of 5 billion a year for 50 years but will be forfeit if Palestine directly attacks Israel or fails to police it's own citizens from vigilante attacks in a reasonable fashion. The reparations will also be forfeit if Palestine is used to facilitate an attack by another nation or is found to provide material support to such an effort.

Palestine may create a police force and an Army capable of self defense and maintaining internal peace but I would limit any navy in size and class of ships to what is required to deter piracy and provide basic security and prohibit an air force for at least 25 years. Israel will be responsible for air security during this phase and will have some shared responsibility for naval based security.

I believe neighboring Arab nations should be prevailed upon to provide small portions of their lands (also created via mandate) for use in the new nation of Palestine as reparations for repeated attacks on Israel and to the Palestinian people for making them refugees in many cases. Particularly for their own seaport and access to it.

That said the rockets must stop, not blasé and silly excuses for their lack of effectiveness, not slow down a lot, not reduced, not play the game of we didn't do it, but cease or Israel must do what they can to stop them and destroy capacity. Same goes for infiltration tunnels and of course there must be no rehash of the days of bombings and other acts of terror.

[bonniebgood]

25. Israel will pay reparations to Palestine in the amount of 5 billion a year for 50 years?

What if USA stop sending 3 Billion to Israel instead and send it to the Palestine directly?
Are you saying that the UN should broker peace between the two nations and control what goes in
and out of Gaza and Tel Aiv?

[TheKentuckian]

39. US aid is besides the point and isn't guaranteed. Palestine also receives substantial aid from us.

The responsibility is Israel's. If you believe the US should increase aid to Palestine then that is always open for discussion.

The UN inspections are a short to mid term solution while a broader peace plan is negotiated, put in place, and while the resource of a port is shared. Once Palestine has its own supply chain the UN involvement can end on that phase.
Israel has legitimate security concerns that dictate the blockade, my suggestion is a bandaid to allow the flow of goods and humanitarian supplies into occupied territories while seriously addressing those security concerns.

[Laughing Mirror]

17. That's right, the Status Quo has got to go

Thank you, Rep. Ellison.

[bvar22]

18. Keith Ellison...

A Bright Star in the darkness.

[oberliner]

20. "The vast majority of Gazans do not support firing rockets into Israel or killing Israelis."

I'm not sure that poll numbers bear that out. I think it was about 50/50 prior to this recent attack, and I would imagine that the numbers supporting killing Israelis have gone up considering recent events.

[HooptieWagon]

29. I would thnk most Jews in Warsaw ghetto....

.... favored resistance of some form.

[oberliner]

30. Keith Ellison said "The vast majority of Gazans do not support firing rockets into Israel"

That's the statement that I am suggesting is probably not accurate.

Do you agree?

[HooptieWagon]

33. I haven't polled Gazans.

I think the statement was possibly true a month ago. Now, with Gazan women and children being slaughtered by the hundreds, I imagine the numbers may have changed.... Just like Jewish opinions of Zionism changed dramatically after events in Europe in 30s/40s.

[blkmusclmachine]

21. Thx. Although I do take exception to the End Times reference of calling that real estate "Holy Land"

[MustBeTheBooz]

22. K & R

[blackspade]

23. K&R for Ellison

[JustAnotherGen]

27. Wow

He made no comparisons of the Israeli Government to the Nazis, Gaza to the Warsaw Ghetto - and zero mention of the "Jewish Controlled/Owned Media" -

Yet he made a clear and concise argument for peace.

Ultimately, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict must be resolved with a final status agreement, and ending the violence and the blockade is a first step toward a permanent solution.

That needs to be on the table - start there and see where it leads.

[Dragonfli]

36. Yes, he did not make those comparisons and I believe that makes his argument more effective

It is clear to me that arguments can be made without closing peoples minds by pushing buttons that will make them defensive.

Whether certain comparisons are apt or or not has zero to do with convincing people that the actions themselves are wrong in the context of the present as they are being carried out by the actual actors in the specific conflict.

What should be discussed is what is happening now, the actors involved directly in what is happening and if the argument is true, it will carry it's own weight without adding comparisons to the scales.


The only criticism I have is references to holy land as war is never holy even when people use religion as an excuse, such references should also be left out in favor of examining the actions themselves.

A personal pet peeve of mine regarding Israel/Palestine is when people reference "the Jews" or "the Arabs" as people are people and organizations are organizations. I feel using either when discussing the conflict is racist to the core and one should stick to the actual aggressors (that never represent an entire ethnicity) in this case the Israeli Leadership and the organization Hamas, the ones actually directing the weapons.

[Puglover]

28. I stand with my congress critter! nt.

[ladjf]

31. You've got my vote Mr. Ellison. nt

[Dopers_Greed]

38. K&R

[realFedUp]

40. I agree

This country is so biased towards Israel. Let the President and press talk about all the facts, on both sides. Tired of sending so much monetary and press support for Israel.
Good for Chris Hayes to argue the other side!