A story universally missed last week was the extraordinary debate that occurred in Congress in advance of a vote on a resolution against the Goldstone Report. It may have been that this story was not seen as newsworthy as others playing out at the same time: the fallout over Secretary of State Clinton's "whip lash" performances in Jerusalem, Marrakesh and Cairo; Palestinian President Abbas' announcement that he would not run in 2010; and Israel's seizure of a ship it claimed was transporting weapons from Iran to Hizbollah.
When the report was first released, members of Congress were quick to denounce it using, at times, near hysterical language. Since Goldstone had no vocal champions, when Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Howard Berman and ranking Republican Ileana Ros-Lehtinen introduced their AIPAC supported anti-Goldstone resolution, one might have thought that the matter would be quickly resolved with a near unanimous vote. But that was not to be the case.
Justice Goldstone mounted a vigorous defence of his work. In an open letter to the Congressional sponsors, the Justice offered a point-by-point rebuttal of what he detailed as the misleading and factually incorrect statements in the resolution. In addition, two members of Congress, Keith Ellison (D-MN) and Brian Baird (D-WA) who had visited Gaza after the war, wrote articles and pressed their colleagues urging a more thoughtful consideration of the report. And the NGO community (including leading human rights organisations, Arab American and American Jewish groups, and a coalition of Christian churches) mobilised their memberships and addressed letters to Congress. As a result, instead of a quick and quiet vote, an extended debate took place. At least 16 members rose to speak eloquently about their opposition to the bill. They defended the integrity of Justice Goldstone and the report; decried the efforts of some to cover-up the horrors that occurred in Gaza; and expressed concern with the lack of any open and transparent process that rushed this anti-Goldstone measure to a vote.
What follows are a few excerpts from some of those who spoke:
Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA): "The deaths of civilians in Gaza and the devastation brought upon their homes, schools, and infrastructure have worsened a humanitarian crisis that cannot be ignored. Residents of Gaza and the West Bank continue to lack appropriate access to the most fundamental needs, including food, fuel, water, sanitation, education, health care, and the basic materials needed to rebuild their communities."
Congressman William Delahunt (D-MA): "This resolution came to the floor on suspension without a hearing, despite the willingness of Judge Goldstone to come before the US Congress and answer any questions that we might pose to him."
Congressman Brian Baird (D-WA): "Unlike most of my colleagues here, I have been to Gaza and I have read in its entirety the Goldstone Report. And I will tell you he says many things that, though unpleasant, are true and must not be obstructed."
Congressman John Dingell (D-MI): "Neither Israel nor Hamas, nor any other country or other non-state political actor is exempt from international human rights laws or free of consequence for violations of them. If nothing else, the Goldstone Report should serve as a document that Israel, Hamas, and the rest of the international community can use to ensure that future human rights violations do not take place in civilian areas..."
Following this extraordinary debate, with both Democratic and Republican leadership actively pushing their members to vote for the resolution, passage was a foregone conclusion. But, the final vote yielded more votes in opposition than in any similar vote on an AIPAC supported resolution, with: 344 For, 36 Against, 22 Present, and 30 Not Voting ("Against" and "Present" votes are opposed, and about one-half of those "Not Voting" were also opposed). What this debate and vote point to is the growing resolve of some significant members of Congress (a committee chair and several sub-committee chairs, the chairs of the Congressional Black Caucus and Progressive Caucus, and some Jewish members) to speak out and challenge pro-Israel orthodoxy. It should not go unnoticed.
jzogby@aaiusa.org
