CONGRESSMAN ROSKAM FAIRNESS AWOL ON ISRAELI PALESTINIAN PROJECT
It was disappointing to see a video op involving Congressman Peter Roskam (Rep. IL) and Nir Barkat, the Mayor of Jerusalem, Israel (http://israelmatzav.blogspot.com/2010/04/video-mir-barkat-meets-with-peter.html). Without context one would think Roskam was an Israeli TV personality conducting a puff piece on the thriving Jerusalem building program in which Jews, Christians and Muslims are all living in peace and prosperity. Least the viewer confuse the Congressman's loyalties, he ended by saying Israel is America's great ally, not a "project".
Nothing could be further from the truth. Much of the unrest in the Middle East for the past 62 years involves the efforts of the Palestinians to have a homeland; a country of their own which includes an historic Palestinian section of Jerusalem. Palestinians in Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank are not just second class citizens, they are no class citizens, deprived of land, political power, the basic rights of citizenship, and means to economic and medical survival that should be a given to all in a supposedly democratic nation.
The word Palestinian was not mentioned in Roskam's three minute video and the single mention of "Muslim" was when Mayor Barkat proclaimed how wonderful Jerusalem governance was for them.
Uncle Sam cannot function as a neutral mediator in resolving probably the most difficult political, religious and cultural conflict in the world when powerful Congressmen are shilling for one side without an iota of fairness toward the other. Congressman Roskam is Co-Chair of the House Republican Israel Caucus. He should balance the scales of his unforturnate foray in foreign affairs by spending an equal amout of time as Co-Chair of the House Republican Palestine Caucus. Oh, I forgot. There isn't one because Palestinians are barely considered human in an American political climate which has marginalized them nearly out of existance. Maybe Congressman Roskam can rectify that shortcoming by forming the House Republican Palestine Caucus himself. Then he can move up from Co-Chair to Chair.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Much of the unrest in the Middle East for the past 62 years involves the efforts of the Palestinians to have a homeland; a country of their own which includes an historic Palestinian section of Jerusalem. Palestinians in Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank are not just second class citizens, they are no class citizens, deprived of land, political power, the basic rights of citizenship, and means to economic and medical survival that should be a given to all in a supposedly democratic nation.
The word Palestinian was not mentioned in Roskam's three minute video and the single mention of "Muslim" was when Mayor Barkat proclaimed how wonderful Jerusalem governance was for them.
Uncle Sam cannot function as a neutral mediator in resolving probably the most difficult political, religious and cultural conflict in the world when powerful Congressmen are shilling for one side without an iota of fairness toward the other. Congressman Roskam is Co-Chair of the House Republican Israel Caucus. He should balance the scales of his unforturnate foray in foreign affairs by spending an equal amout of time as Co-Chair of the House Republican Palestine Caucus. Oh, I forgot. There isn't one because Palestinians are barely considered human in an American political climate which has marginalized them nearly out of existance. Maybe Congressman Roskam can rectify that shortcoming by forming the House Republican Palestine Caucus himself. Then he can move up from Co-Chair to Chair.
posted by Walt Zlotow at 3:14 PM
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