The recent one-sided vote by the House and Senate on a resolution holding Lebanon responsible for recent actions by Israel and calling for total support of Israel in its confrontation with Hezbollah again shows how little difference there is between the Democrats and Republicans when it comes to foreign policy.
The resolution, which passed unanimously in the Senate and by a 410-8 margin in the House, does not reflect the opinion of the majority of Americans, who are overwhelmingly pessimistic about the state of affairs in the Middle East.
In a democratic society those elected to government would ideally embody the views of a representative cross-section of it citizens. This one-sided vote, however, illustrates just how much our election system denies representation to those Americans who desire peace.
It is important for citizen's to let congress know that the intensive bombing of Beirut and other Lebanese cities by Israel, and the killing of civilians, are not legitimate acts of self-defense. This is especially true after Israel's bombing this weekend in Qana, which killed 56 people, almost all of them women and children.
In recent days, Israel has fired missiles destroying infrastructure in Lebanon including roads and bridges, the airport and power stations. Israel warships have blocked Lebanese ports. These actions have shut down land, sea, and air movement and have trapped ten's of thousands of U.S. and Lebanese civilians in regions where Israel continues its terror bombing attacks.
All of this is justified in the American press as fair retaliation for the capture of two Israel soldiers by Hezbollah, with little mention of the fact that Israel has been kidnapping Palestinian and Lebanese citizens for years.
Jewish Leaders speak out against Israel government's action
Rabbi Michael Lerner, editor of Tikkun magazine, writes in a recent article entitled Israel has Crossed a Moral Boundary,
...The outrage in Israel about [the capture of two Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah] reflects a huge level of systematic denial going on in the consciousness of Israelis. Virtually every human rights group including the various Israeli human rights organizations has chronicled tens of thousands of [kidnappings] by the [Israelis] against Palestinian civilians, who are then kept in detention for as long as six months without a trial, often facing brutal torture, and then released without ever having been charged with any crime.
Haaretz, one or the most respected newspaper in Israel, recently wrote an editorial entitled The government is losing its reason saying,
Bombing bridges that can be circumvented both by car and on foot; seizing an airport that has been in ruins for years; destroying a power station, plunging large parts of the Gaza Strip into darkness; distributing flyers suggesting that people be concerned about their fate; a menacing flight over Bashar Assad's palace [President of Syria] ; and arresting elected Hamas officials: The government wishes to convince us that all these actions are intended only to release the [the kidnapped soldier].
But the greater the government's creativity in inventing tactics, the more it seems to reflect a loss of direction rather than an overall conception based on reason and common sense.
Violation of International Law
The violence in the Middle East, in particular the brutal terrorist attacks by Israel on civilians in Lebanon and Gaza, threatens to escalate if Israel is not stopped. These actions could lead to horrific consequences in the region if not stopped, as well as, violate many international laws, UN Resolutions and treaties.
For instance, the current offense by Israel violates the Arms Export Control Act (Public Law 90-829) which limits the use of U.S. weapons given or sold to a foreign country for 'internal security' and 'legitimate self-defense'. And strictly forbids the use of U.S. weapons against civilian populations.
Israel is also violating international law by its collective punishment of civilians in Lebanon and Gaza. Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention states, "No protected person may be punished for an offence he or she has not personally committed. Collective penalties and likewise all measures of intimidation or of terrorism are prohibited." To do so is a war crime.
Finally, a recent CBS News report suggests that Israel may have used phosphorus incendiary bombs and vacuum bombs, which suck up the air and collapse buildings. If true, Israel is guilty of using illegal weapons of mass destruction in Lebanon.
We must remember that Israel is committing war crimes with weapons we have provided them, making the United States complicit in these acts. Remaining silent, protecting Israel in the Congress or in other ways increases U.S. responsibility for these war crimes, because we are the country that funds Israel's military.
International leaders voice there concern
The extreme overreaction and targeting of civilians by Israel has been widely condemned throughout the world.
For Example, the Vatican has labeled Israel's actions as "an attack" on a sovereign and free nation and has called on Israel to respect international law, particularly regarding the safeguarding of civilian populations.
The European Union has criticized Israel for using "disproportionate" force in its attacks on Lebanon saying actions, which are contrary to international humanitarian law, can only aggravate the vicious circle of violence and retribution, and cannot serve anyone's legitimate security interests."
France's Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy condemned Israel's attacks as a disproportionate act of war.
Australia's Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, said sending an international peacekeeping force into southern Lebanon while the conflict continues would amount to a "suicide mission".
As Rabbi Michael Lerner writes "... it is impossible as a Jew and as an American to not notice that a new human rights violation by Israel has taken place which manages to surpass many of its previous violations in cruelty and in the outrage it has generated."
Demand that congress call a halt to the invasion and respect the will of the people
We must demand that congress pass a resolution decrying Israel's actions and calling for the cessation of all funding if Israel does not immediately cease their attack. The U.S. taxpayer, many who have no representation under our limited two party system, should not be forced to be complicit in Israel's illegal and brutal attack on innocent civilians.
Former New York Times Middle East Bureau Chief Chris Hedges predicts that "if we do not find a new way to speak, and soon, there will be untold suffering-not only for many innocents in the Middle East but eventually innocents at home. It was the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon that spawned and empowered Hezbollah. It was the decades-long occupation and humiliation of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank by Israel that spawned and empowered Hamas, and it is the brutal American occupation that has bred the legions of extremists in Iraq. And when Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah promises 'open war' against Israel, as he did in an address shortly after his Beirut offices were bombed, and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says he won't cease his attack until Israel is secure, it is time to run for cover"
The propensity of both major parties to push our draconian foreign policy in the Middle East highlights just how fragile our democracy has become. The voices of reason have all but been silenced.
We need to reform our voting system so people are free to vote for parties that stand for peace in the Middle East and else where in the world. As long as voters feel trapped into supporting the lesser of two evils, Americans interventionist will continue to play "risk" as they strive for empire.