This post is not about Ron Paul, since I am not a libertarian and do not agree with most of his views outside of foreign policy (specifically his argument for the end of American empire in the Middle East and major cuts in defense spending). But there is something deeply wrong with Congress when this kind of deeply flawed, lob-sided resolution can go through with only one vote against:
On Wednesday, March 5, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 951, which condemns the ongoing Palestinian rocket attacks on Israeli civilians, holding both Iran and Syria responsible for “sponsoring terror attacks.” Additionally, the resolution claims that “those responsible for launching rocket attacks against Israel routinely embed their production facilities and launch sites amongst the Palestinian civilian population, utilizing them as human shields …”. For the full text of House Resolution 951, please click here.
This resolution problematically includes a strong defense of the recent Israeli incursions in Gaza. The following is one such exert: “Whereas the inadvertent inflicting of civilian casualties as a result of defensive military operations aimed at military targets, while deeply regrettable, is not at all morally equivalent to the deliberate targeting of civilian populations as practiced by Hamas and other Gaza-based terrorist groups…”
The resolution passed the House with an unequivocal majority of 404 to 1 with four representatives voting present and nineteen abstaining. Who was the lone Member of Congress to stand up to the Israel Lobby? Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) not only voted against HR 951, but also made a very strong statement explaining why he opposed such a biased pro-Israel statement.
Below is Rep. Paul’s statement he gave to the House before the vote:
Mr. Speaker I rise in opposition to H. Res. 951, a resolution to condemn Palestinian rocket attacks on Israeli civilians. As one who is consistently against war and violence, I obviously do not support the firing of rockets indiscriminately into civilian populations. I believe it is appalling that Palestinians are firing rockets that harm innocent Israelis, just as I believe it is appalling that Israel fires missiles into Palestinian areas where children and other non-combatants are killed and injured.
Unfortunately, legislation such as this is more likely to perpetuate violence in the Middle East than contribute to its abatement. It is our continued involvement and intervention – particularly when it appears to be one-sided – that reduces the incentive for opposing sides to reach a lasting peace agreement.
Additionally, this bill will continue the march toward war with Iran and Syria, as it contains provocative language targeting these countries. The legislation oversimplifies the Israel/Palestine conflict and the larger unrest in the Middle East by simply pointing the finger at Iran and Syria. This is another piece in a steady series of legislation passed in the House that intensifies enmity between the United States and Iran and Syria. My colleagues will recall that we saw a similar steady stream of provocative legislation against Iraq in the years before the US attack on that country.
I strongly believe that we must cease making proclamations involving conflicts that have nothing to do with the United States. We incur the wrath of those who feel slighted while doing very little to slow or stop the violence.
Nothing wrong with the resolution at all. What possible reason could the Palestinianitwits have to randomly fire rockets into Israel, other than to TERRORIZE the civilian population? What kind of psychosis permeates the Palestinitwits society that allows them to believe that indiscriminately firing rockets into Israel is a legitimate form of “resistance to the occupation?” Where exactly is Gaza OCCUPIED by Israel?
Ron Paul is a complete JERK. He is certifiably looney. Anything he may say has about as much legitimacy as the opinion of a 3 year old.
Ron Paul is right. To those who forget, the IDF left Gaza because it had become too expensive to defend and because disengagement from Gaza allowed concentration on the West Bank. An adviser to Mr. Sharon described that process as something like putting into formaldeyde the peace process. In addition, Gaza was not allowed to function as an independent economic unit. To those who forget, please read Mr. Wolfensohn interview which places the responsibility for the failure of his efforts to set its economy going on the Israeli government. So, Gaza is not occupied in the sense that it does not have IDF troops, but it is a gigantic prison, which the iIDF largely controls. Yes, killing innocent civilians is wrong, but Israel kills innocent civilians and is not condemned. Killing Palestinians is moreally wrong and counterproductive. It is a sure way to create martyrs. Israel either recurs to genocide — the word Shoah was used by the vice-minister for defense — or has to come to terms with Hamas. Reasonable people already suggest it, including Sderot’s mayor. But, as Uri Avneri suggests, Hamas is good for this Israeli government. It allows it to keep building settlements and expropriating the small proportion of the Palestine mandate that the Palestinians could claim as their land, less than one quarter of the whole.
You do not even have to go that far. Palestine is a single entity, just because the Israelis left Gaza, it does not mean the Israelis left Palestine. Of course the Israelis are responsible for starving the Gazans, but so are the Egyptians. The rockets are meant to counter incursions, arrests, checkpoints, settlements, land confiscations, walls, assassinations, tortures, and the rest of the ills that have come along with Israeli occupation.
Yes, the rockets are used to make a statement. The intent is not to kill Israelis but rather to scare them and keep Gaza on the agenda(so they don’t starve to death). Just like the Israelis do not intentionally kill Palestinians when they bomb an apartment building with one wanted man in it but in both the Israeli and Palestinian cases they both know that they have a chance of killing innocents (with the Israelis chance a lot bigger).
So until Gaza becomes its own political entity, Palestine is still occupied, militarily by the Israelis and partially politically by the Americans.
Damn well said.
“Yes, the rockets are used to make a statement. The intent is not to kill Israelis but rather to scare them and keep Gaza on the agenda(so they don’t starve to death).”
hahahahahaha. go outside. talk to people. log off of whatever ron paul forums you currently follow and get out into the real world.
“…the rockets are used to make a statement, The intent is not to kill Israelis but rather to scare them …”
then why use explosives? sending “empty” rockets will have better effect.
sending primitive rockets on intention to hit civilians will not help to make a change in israel, it only makes the situation more unsolvable
In Arabic there is one word that describes the state of the American warped Democratic Process
JAHILLIYA!!!
warped Democratic Process?
Blindness ?!
what do you know about real democracy ya waleed?