Rare Congressional event: 20 Dems debate Israel-Palestine

(left) Kathy Manning (D-NC) speaks to House Democrats about her support for Israel; (right) Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), a Palestinian American, describes the Palestinian plight.

A special gathering of Dem House members discussed Israel-Palestine… here’s what they said.

News analysis by Kathryn Shihadah

Last Thursday evening, In a Special Order Hour – a time for debating non-legislative issues – a group of pro-Israel Democrats faced off against another group critical of Israel. Some of their messages are summarized below.

Dems who support Israel’s actions

Up first were 9 pro-Israel Democrats. Jewish Insider provided highlights of the speeches, in which pro-Israel speakers underscored the US’s alliance with Israel, the danger of rockets from Gaza, and the designation of Hamas – the ruling party in the enclave – as a terrorist organization.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) asserted,

Even though we may not always agree about Israel’s policies, we should be very clear that nothing — nothing — justifies a terrorist organization firing rockets at our ally.

Rep. Ted Deutch claimed that “this moment calls for…moral clarity,” adding,

If I’m asked to choose between a terrorist organization and our Democratic ally, I’ll stand with Israel every single day of the week, and so will you, and so will you, and so will you Mr. Speaker.

Gottheimer and Deutch reflected the position of AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee – one of the most powerful lobbying groups in the US). AIPAC perpetuates the characterization of Gaza’s ruling party, Hamas, as a “terrorist group” in order to accomplish its goal: persuading Congress to give Israel the largest possible amount of aid (currently $3.8 billion a year).

In fact, Hamas is a Palestinian political party with an armed resistance wing to oppose the Israeli occupation. In the past, Hamas – which was created in part by Israel – was responsible for acts of terror against the Israeli population, and called for its destruction (though at no point did it have power to do it).

In 2017, Hamas adopted a less aggressive stance. In keeping with international law, the new Hamas charter retains the right to armed resistance, although its capabilities are limited. The “rockets” it launches toward Israel are homemade and for the most part ineffective.

When Elaine Luria (D-VA) came up to speak, she argued,

Today — in their rightful homeland, [Jews] are attacked…Some call them villains for defending their homes and their families; for not turning a cheek and a blind eye to terror and bombings and missiles raining down. 

Who would turn a cheek when their mere right to exist is questioned?  

[We] must declare: That Israel has a right to exist. 

Luria’s assertion that Jews in Israel live “in their rightful homeland” lacks context and is disputed: while there has always been a small Jewish presence in the land, the vast majority of Jews in today’s Israel are at most second or third generation immigrants who live on land taken by force from the indigenous Palestinian population. Their official explanation for exiling the Palestinians is that, according to a highly questionable interpretation of a few verses in the Hebrew, the land was given to them by God. Palestinians maintain that Israel does not have a “right to exist” on the land of and in place of indigenous peoples.

As the meeting continued, pro-Israel Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) remarked that

Israel has taken serious steps to de-escalate the conflict while Hamas has only escalated its attacks.

Israel supporters often measure aggressions between Hamas and Israel as a simple tally of rockets vs. airstrikes. But while Israel’s airstrikes number in the hundreds, and Hamas rockets are in the thousands, there is no comparison in the potential for death and destruction.

A rocket from Gaza (if not intercepted by Iron Dome, Israel’s missile defense system) often lands in an unpopulated area; if it makes it to an urban area, it may damage a house. In 20 years (prior to the current outbreak) that resistance groups in Gaza have used rockets, they had killed 30 Israelis.

On the other hand, an Israeli airstrike involves bombs. In the 2014 invasion of Gaza – which was tame compared to the current conflict – it was estimated that Israel dropped at least 18,000-20,000 tons of explosives (read the details here).