Washington — A congressional letter calling on the United States to press for the lifting of the blockades imposed by Israel and Egypt on Gaza has sparked controversy within the Jewish community.
Jewish groups from the left have actively supported the initiative, led by Democratic Reps. Keith Ellison of Minnesota and Jim McDermott of Washington. But other Jewish groups and Israeli representatives viewed the letter as flawed.
Israel and Egypt have strongly restricted the movement of goods and people in and out of Gaza — including raw materials and civilian goods — ever since Hamas took over rule of Gaza in 2007.
These measures, which were tightened following Israel’s Operation Cast Lead military campaign in Gaza in December 2008, are intended in part to prevent the import of materials that can help terrorists into Gaza. But through its broad prohibitions and the resulting civilian hardship the blockade generates, it is also intended to create pressure against the Hamas government.
“This concern,” the letter’s 53 signatories said, referring to Israel’s security interests, “must be addressed without resulting in the de facto collective punishment of the Palestinian residents of the Gaza Strip.”
Among the goods largely banned from entering Gaza are construction materials — a restriction that has prevented Gaza residents from beginning to rebuild an estimated 3,540 homes destroyed during Operation Cast Lead. The lack of essential imports, including raw materials, coupled with the ban on exports, has also “decimated” economic activity in the private sector, where 120,000 jobs have been lost, according to an August 2009 United Nations report.
The congressional letter, sent to the White House on January 21, expressed deep sympathy with the residents of southern Israel who were under rocket attacks from Gaza and stated that Israel’s siege on the region was imposed “out of a legitimate and keenly felt fear” of terrorism. But it calls on the president to “press for immediate relief for the citizens of Gaza” via a list of measures that include allowing movement into Gaza and out of it, and by enabling citizens to gain access to food, building materials, fuel and other products that are now restricted.
“Lifting these restrictions will give civilians in Gaza a tangible sense that diplomacy can be an effective tool for bettering their conditions,” the letter concludes.
All the letter’s signatories were Democrats.
Jewish groups from the left, including J Street, Americans for Peace Now and Rabbis for Human Rights, supported the letter with J Street actively lobbying members of Congress to sign it. The initiative also was backed by Arab and Christian Middle East advocacy organizations. Many of the members who signed appear on the list of 2010 political endorsements published in January by J Street’s sister organization, J Street PAC.
Jewish supporters of the letter said that having more than 10 % of House members join the initiative proves that lifting the Gaza blockade is an issue that resonates among lawmakers. But Jewish pro-Israel groups critical of the letter see support for it as marginal. They argue that the missive misrepresents the situation in Gaza, noting that Israel does not ban entrance of aid workers to Gaza and does not block transfer of medicine to the region or access to clean water.
The Israeli Embassy in Washington rejected claims in the letter that essential goods are prevented from reaching Gaza and said Israel is doing its best to ensure humanitarian aid gets to the citizens of Gaza. “But Israel will not allow a neighbor that calls for its destruction to enjoy the benefits of an open border,” the embassy added.
The Gaza letter quickly sparked an exchange of political punches between Jewish Democrats and Republicans.
The Republican Jewish Coalition issued a statement saying it was “disturbed” by the fact that so many Democrats signed the letter, stressing the point that no Republican lawmaker was willing to sign. “The fact remains that one in five Democrats in Congress have called on the President to pressure Israel to relax measures put in place after years of rocket fire from Gaza,” said Matthew Brooks, executive director of the RJC. The Republican group singled out Rep. Joe Sestak as a source for “special concern,” since he is now running for Senate from Pennsylvania.
The National Jewish Democratic Council was quick to shoot back. It, too, is “disturbed,” according to NJDC President David Harris, not by the list of those who signed the letter, but rather by what he called “Republican Jews’ selective memory.” Harris recalled the vote of more than half of the House Republicans against the foreign aid bill, which included $2.2 billion in military assistance to Israel, and the criticism of President Obama’s Middle East policy delivered by Republican minority whip Eric Cantor while overseas.
The administration has not responded so far to the congressional letter. According to sources briefed on the state of America’s efforts to negotiate with both sides, the issue of opening Gaza border crossings was mentioned by the administration’s special envoy, George Mitchell, as a possible gesture Israel could make if and when talks resume with the Palestinian Authority.
Contact Nathan Guttman at guttman@forward.com
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I call on the 52 congressmen who supported this measure to also sign a measure calling upon the enforcement of UN resolution 194, which requires the right of return of the Palestinian people. I have high hopes, particularly with Reps Keith Ellison, James Moran, and Pete Stark, who recognize the pernicious zionist influence on our congress
In Czarist Russia, when pre-adolescent boys tried to hide from the draft, there were "boy catchers" who went from town to town, collecting bounties for the Army. They would always cloak themselves in the mantle of "helping their fellow Jews understand that this is best for all of us." Stella Goldschlag, check your family tree, you probably have a lot in common with proud Judenrat veteran George Soros. You both continue to hunt the Jews for our greater good. I told an Arab once to beware Neturei Karta, as they have a rep for child molestation. He was not surprised; he figured any Jew who would turn rat could be capable of anything. Despicable.
Barry and Perlman in their desperate attempt resrt to abuses against Stellq! When nothing to defend with their bankrupt and racist ideology of zionism they call non-jews anti semit.If any rational Jew tells ir like it is they call him/her a self hating Jew! Shame on you guys.Remember the honeymoon the US Zinsts now enjoy wont last forever. The more I read and hear the likes of Alan Dershowitz and ZOA etc,I am convinced they have no case. By any definition the Zionsts have adopted the Stalnst and Hitlerite ideologies.Top it all they are new version of Apartheid.Let us call it Apartheit II!
I would like to know why Zionism is a racist ideology in Gil Troy's eyes but for some strange reason "Palestinian" or Arab ntionalism is somehow totally legitimate.
(Corrected) I am a Jew and a lifelong liberal Democrat. I favor a two state solution. This congressional letter (and J Street) are an affront to common sense. When Hamas stops proposing the destruction of Israel, and importing weapons and materiel for terrorism, Israel will lift the blockade. Does J Street know when this will happen?
It is simple. When a bunch of people with the backing (monetary, material and immoral, by their own standards) of a now unitary superpower dispossess an entire peoples of the only place and life they know then how do they hope to live in peace among them. So long as the US and Israel and their backers don't deal with this they are never going to see an end to it. And since they are more developed that those that they keep disenfranchised it is quite likely that they will eventually be swamped by those they try to proscribe.
kmashraf. You are correct. It is that simple. When millions of supposedly displaced "Palestinians" seek to destroy the only civilized nation in the Middle East they will continue to subsist as they currently do. While most inhabitants on the West Bank want to live peacefully with Israel in a two state solution they passively look the other way while the militant minority attempts to stage terrorist type raids into Israel proper, most of which are thwarted by Israeli intelligence before hand. The existence of Madrassas on the West Bank that routinely teach Palestinians to hate and kill Jews hardly helps the situation. While I realize that the settlements on the West Bank are an impediment to progress they are merely used as an excuse by the rejectionists to justify their aggressive actions. Israel unilaterally abandoned Gaza and got rockets in return. All Goldstone could point out is that Israel overreacted. Lovely! Enough apologies for the so-called displaced Palestinians. History in the 1920's, 30's & 40's clearly showed they collaborated with the Nazis in keeping Jewish refugees out of Palestine while allowing their fellow Arabs to migrate unimpeded. Unfortunately you reap what you sow. So let's stop all this rejectionism, political posturing and endless violence and sit down with Israel to work on an inevitable, constructive two state solution where both parties can live at peace. Then we will see how quickly the settlements come out. Jerusalem gets resolved and things fall into place.