WRMEA, August 2010, Pages 38-40

Congress Watch

Israel's Hijacking of Gaza Freedom Flotilla Draws Predictable Congressional Support

By Shirl McArthur

Within hours of Israel's May 31 assault on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, Israel's congressional acolytes leapt to defend Israel's actions. AIPAC reported that no fewer than 16 senators and 81 House members issued statements, most of which, in an incredible twist of the facts, strongly defended Israel's "right of self-defense." Typical was the statement of Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-NY), which began with, "I strongly support Israel's right to defend itself, and the right of Israel's naval commandos, who were executing a legal mission, to defend themselves by using force when they were brutally attacked." House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's more moderate statement said simply, "I regret the loss of life and look forward to learning the facts from a credible and transparent investigation. This event underscores the urgent need for negotiations designed to achieve an enduring and comprehensive regional peace."

On June 9 Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced S.Res. 548 expressing "the sense of the Senate that Israel has an undeniable right to self-defense" and condemning the "actions by extremists aboard the ship Mavi Marmara." Cornyn's measure also condemns Hamas and urges Turkey to "recognize the importance of continued strong relations with Israel." And on June 14 Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) introduced H.Res. 1440 supporting "Israel in its general right to defend itself and specifically for its actions on May 31, 2010, stopping a flotilla attempting to break the blockade of Gaza."

But there were a few lone congressional voices criticizing Israel's actions. On June 2 Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) began circulating for signatures a strongly worded letter to President Barack Obama saying that Israel's action requires the U.S. to "begin to redefine its relationship and to establish such boundaries and conditions which are sufficient for mutual respect and cooperation." The letter also says the attack "requires consequences for the Netanyahu administration and for the state of Israel. Those consequences must be dealt by the United States. They must be diplomatic and they must be financial." Also, on June 4 Reps. Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Keith Ellison (D-MN) wrote to Obama urging him to do "everything in your power" to support "a prompt, credible, impartial, and transparent investigation" of the incident, and to end the blockade on Gaza.

$205 Million Authorized for Israel's "Iron Dome" Rocket Defense System

Following Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak's visit to Washington in mid-May, Obama announced that he would ask Congress to approve $205 million for Israel's "Iron Dome" short-range missile and rocket defense system. Accordingly, on May 18 Rep. Glenn Nye (D-VA), with 54 co-sponsors, introduced H.R. 5327 to authorize the funds. On May 20 it passed the full House, with 55 co-sponsors, under "suspension of the rules" and was forwarded to the Senate, where Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) on May 27 introduced the companion S. 3451.

However, there apparently is some dispute within Israel over how effective the Iron Dome system is. Tests have shown that it is probably effective against Katyusha rockets, but its effectiveness against the shorter-range Qassams is questioned. The extreme right-wing Israeli news service Arutz quoted a Tel Aviv professor and military analyst as saying that the flight time of a Qassam is about 14 seconds, and the time for the Iron Dome system to identify a target and fire is at least 15 seconds.

Another Jerusalem Resolution; Other Pro-Israel Measures Make Progress

The previously described H.R. 3412 and S. 2737, which would strip presidential waiver authority from the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 and require the U.S. Embassy in Israel to be established in Jerusalem, and the non-binding H.Res. 1191, calling upon the president to fully implement the Jerusalem Embassy Act, have made scant progress. But on April 29 Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) tried a side-door approach by introducing H.Con.Res. 271, with the relatively innocent title of "commemorating the 43rd anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem." But among the "resolved" clauses is one "urging" the president to discontinue using the waiver authority and begin the process of relocating the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. The resolution has 48 co-sponsors, including Wilson.

On May 25 Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) introduced H.Res. 1391 "congratulating Israel for its accession to membership in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development." It passed the full House under "suspension of the rules" on May 28, with 57 co-sponsors. Also, H.Res. 1241, introduced in April by Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ) "supporting the right of Israel to defend itself against terrorists and the Israeli construction of new security fences along the border of Egypt," has gained 23 co-sponsors, and now has 61, including Garrett.

H.Con.Res. 260, introduced in April by Ros-Lehtinen, "recognizing the 62nd anniversary of the independence of the State of Israel, and reaffirming unequivocal support for the alliance and friendship between the U.S. and Israel," continues to gain co-sponsors, even though the anniversary has passed. It has gained 55 co-sponsors and now has 192, including Ros-Lehtinen. The measure still has not been brought to the House floor and remains held in the House Foreign Affairs Committee, probably because of its implicit criticisms of the Obama administration's dealings with Israel.

Also, on April 21 Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY) introduced H.Res. 1285 "condemning the government of Syria for transferring Scud missiles to the Hezbollah terrorist organization." It has 17 co-sponsors, including Engel.

61 Representatives Urge Strong U.S. Leadership Toward Two-State Solution

On May 27 61 House members, led by Reps. Bill Delahunt (D-MA), Ron Kind (D-WI), David Price (D-NC) and Vic Snyder (D-AR), wrote to Obama urging him "to continue your strong efforts to bring U.S. leadership to bear in moving the parties to a negotiated two-state solution." The letter quotes extensively from Gen. David Petraeus' March testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee that continued lack of resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict threatens the security interests of both Israel and the U.S. The letter also quotes Israeli Defense Minister Barak as saying, "we have an interest in drawing a border line which includes a solid Jewish majority for generations, and beside it an economically and politically viable Palestinian state."

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) reportedly is circulating a similar Senate letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton applauding "the Obama administration's commitment to re-start the stalled peace process and play a lead role in securing an agreement." As circulated, the letter includes a couple of statements likely to irritate Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. For example, it says an agreement can only be achieved by the U.S. "bringing the parties together and driving them to a settlement." Netanyahu, of course, doesn't want the U.S. to "drive" him, preferring to drag out the negotiations for a few more years, while settlement expansion continues. The letter also says that "the expansion of settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem" undermines confidence, whereas Netanyahu insists, in the face of international law and world opinion, that East Jerusalem is not a settlement.

Lee Resolution Urges Government to Investigate Tristan Anderson Case

On April 28 Lee introduced H.Con.Res. 270 "calling on the U.S. government to investigate the case of Tristan Anderson, a U.S. citizen from Oakland, California, who was critically injured in the West Bank village of Ni'lin on March 13, 2009, and expressing sympathy to Tristan Anderson and his family, friends, and loved ones during this trying time." In a press release, Lee said that, more than a year after Anderson was struck by a tear gas canister fired by Israeli Border Police while engaging in peaceful protest activities, "serious questions remain regarding the circumstances that led to this tragic event." She said, "We must seek accountability in this matter, and most importantly, ensure that such an unfortunate event does not occur again." The resolution has five co-sponsors, including Lee.

Senate Passes "Emergency" Supplemental Appropriations Bill

In March the House passed H.R. 4899, a relatively modest $6 billion disaster relief and summer jobs bill. Then, on May 27, the Senate took up the bill and loaded it with "emergency" funding for the troop "surge" in Afghanistan, plus money for Haiti, veterans, and victims of hurricanes, floods, and oil disasters, bringing the total to about $59 billion. This includes $33.5 billion for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and $1.6 billion for economic support for Afghanistan and Pakistan. It also includes $100 million in economic aid and $50 million in military aid for Jordan. The measure now goes to conference, but the House is sharply divided over how large an "emergency" bill should be.

The previously described H.R. 5015, introduced in April by Rep. James McGovern (D-MA), has gained strong support. It would require that the president "submit to Congress a plan for the safe, orderly, and expeditious redeployment of U.S. Armed Forces from Afghanistan, including military and security-related contractors, together with a timetable for the completion of that redeployment and information regarding variables that could alter that timetable" not later than Jan. 1, 2011 or 90 days after the enactment of the bill, whichever is earlier. The bill also includes recommendations on contractor oversight. It has gained 62 co-sponsors, and now has 95, including McGovern. Even H.R. 3699, introduced in October by Lee, which has been overtaken by events, has gained three co-sponsors and now has 32, including Lee. It would "prohibit any increase in the numbers of members of the United States Armed Forces serving in Afghanistan."

On May 20 Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) tried a different approach in introducing HR. 5353, titled the "War is Making You Poor Act." It would "reduce the $159.3 billion from the discretionary overseas contingency operations funds in the president's fiscal year 2011 budget for operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan," and use the savings to "provide individuals a 'War is Making You Poor' tax credit." An interesting approach, but it will never happen. The bill has 19 co-sponsors, including Grayson.

Action Postponed on Punitive Iran Sanctions Bill

As reported in the July issue of this magazine, a conference committee was appointed to reconcile the differences between the House and Senate versions of H.R. 2194, the irresponsible, punitive and counterproductive "Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment" bill. The committee's stated goal was to complete its work and present a conference report no later than May 28. That didn't happen. On May 25 the conference committee's co-chairs, Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT) and Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA), announced that further action would be put off until the end of June to allow the president time to pursue U.N. sanctions against Iran. "We have always said that tough multilateral sanctions are the most effective means to persuade Iran to cease its efforts to develop a nuclear weapons capability," their statement said.

Most of the other previously described Iran sanctions bills keep plodding along. Of the three bills introduced in February with the short title of the "Iran Human Rights Sanctions Act," S. 3022, introduced by Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), still has 15 co-sponsors, including McCain. However, the identical H.R. 4647, introduced by Rep. Michael McMahon (D-NY), has gained five co-sponsors and now has 30, including McMahon. The bills would require the public posting on the Web sites of the Treasury and State Departments the names of persons "who the president determines are complicit in human rights abuses committed against citizens of Iran or their family members on or after June 12, 2009" [the date of the Iranian elections]. Both bills include a presidential waiver provision and a provision that the president may authorize exceptions to comply with international agreements.

The other "Human Rights Sanctions Act," H.R. 4649, introduced by Ros-Lehtinen, is very similar to S. 3022 and H.R. 4647, except it does not include the provisions authorizing presidential waivers and exceptions to comply with international agreements. It has gained four co-sponsors, and now has 47, including Ros-Lehtinen.

H.R. 4807, introduced in March by Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL), which would amend the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 (ISA) to require that the General Accountability Office publish a list of "potential ISA violators," has gained two co-sponsors and now has 18, including Kirk. H.R. 4896—introduced in March by Ros-Lehtinen "to authorize the president to utilize the Proliferation Security Initiative and all other measures for the purpose of interdicting the import into or export from Iran by the government of Iran or any other country, entity, or person of all items, materials, equipment, goods and technology useful for any nuclear, biological, chemical, missile, or conventional arms program"—has gained one co-sponsor and now has 31, including Ros-Lehtinen.

Positive Iran Measures Continue to Languish

Of the relatively positive measures previously described, H.R. 4301, the "Iran Digital Empowerment Act," introduced in December by Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA), and H.R. 4303, the "Stand with the Iranian People Act," introduced in December by Ellison, have each gained only one co-sponsor. H.R. 4301, which would enhance the ability of the Iranian people to access the Internet and communications services, now has 12 co-sponsors, including Moran. H.R. 4303, which would impose restrictions against Iran's human rights abusers, prohibit federal procurement contracts with persons who provide censorship or surveillance technology to the government of Iran, and authorize U.S. non-profit organizations to provide humanitarian and people-to-people assistance to the Iranian people, now has seven co-sponsors, including Ellison.

Ros-Lehtinen Introduces Perennial Anti-UNRWA Bill

During every session of Congress either Ros-Lehtinen or Kirk launches an attack against the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). This year it was Ros-Lehtinen's turn as she, with Kirk and 22 other co-sponsors, on April 20 introduced H.R. 5065, the "UNRWA Humanitarian Accountability Act." It essentially would gut UNRWA and place Palestinian refugees under the responsibility of the U.N. High Commissioner of Refugees. This despite the fact that successive Israeli governments have called UNRWA's work essential, and last spring Clinton strongly defended UNRWA during a House hearing.

Shirl McArthur is a retired U.S. foreign service officer living in the Washington, DC area.

SIDEBAR

'Nuff Said:

The President's Meeting With Jewish Members of the Democratic Caucuses, May 18, 2010

The president met with Jewish members of the Democratic caucuses for approximately an hour and a half this afternoon to discuss a range of issues important to U.S. foreign policy. The conversation included an update on proximity talks and administration efforts to strengthen Israel's security, including the administration's recent decision to provide Israel with an additional $205 million in funding for the Iron Dome missile defense system. They also discussed today's announcement of a consensus P5+1 draft of an Iran sanctions resolution. The president and the members had a wide-ranging and productive exchange about their shared commitment to peace and security in Israel and the Middle East.

List of Members Attending the Meeting

Senators

Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
Benjamin Cardin (D-MD)
Al Franken (D-MN)
Russ Feingold (D-WI)
Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
Herb Kohl (D-WI)
Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Joseph Lieberman (I-CT)
Charles Schumer (D-NY)
Ron Wyden (D-OR)

Representatives

Gary Ackerman (D-NY)
John Adler (D-NJ)
Shelley Berkley (D-NV)
Howard Berman (D-CA)
Stephen Cohen (D-TN)
Ted Deutch (D-FL)
Susan Davis (D-CA)
Eliot Engel (D-NY)
Barney Frank (D-MA)
Jane Harman (D-CA)
Paul Hodes (D-NH)
Steve Israel (D-NY)
Steve Kagen (D-WI)
Ron Klein (D-FL)
Sander Levin (D-MI)
Nita Lowey (D-NY)
Jerrold Nadler (D-NY)
Jared Polis (D-CO)
Steve Rothman (D-NJ)
Jan Schakowsky (D-IL)
Allyson Schwartz (D-PA)
Adam Schiff (D-CA)
Brad Sherman (D-CA)
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL)
Henry Waxman (D-CA)
Anthony Weiner (D-NY)
John Yarmuth (D-KY)