Roskam should visit Gaza
My Congressman Peter Roskam (IL-6) just returned from a first class trip to Israel where he led a group of pro-Israeli activists promoting the interests of Israel's Likud Party over that of the his home country, the Good Ol' USA. How so? Roskam claims, incredulously, our shared interests with Israel include sabotaging American policy of Roskam's nominal leader, President Obama, to conclude détente with Iran regarding nuclear development. Israel demands destruction of its only rival for hegemony in its neighborhood. Roskam dutifully falls in line.
But equally disturbing is Roskam's complicity with Israel's continued subjugation, indeed destruction, of the 1.8 million Palestinians penned up in the world's largest open air prison Israel maintains in Gaza. Roskam does this by joining senior Israeli officials from the Foreign Ministry, National Security Council, and Strategic Affairs Ministry, to discuss efforts to combat the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. That is the world wide movement seeking to put pressure on Israel to cease their crimes against humanity in Gaza. Roskam has been a ceaseless cheerleader for Israel every time Prime Minister Netanyahu "mows the grass" by inflicting catastrophic carnage on the Gazans, such as the 50 day campaign last year that killed 2,200, including hundreds of children. That was the third such massacre in six years, which apparently poses no problem for my Congressman. Under Israel's eight year blockade, 80% of Gazans require outside humanitarian assistance just to survive. 95% of its water is unfit to drink. Besides water; energy, sanitation, housing and education are all in pitiful, unlivable condition.
I'm ashamed to have a congressman who conducts himself more as a representative of a foreign government than an American congressman. I'm horrified by his ghoulish disregard for the plight of an enslaved people and his enabling of that enslavement. Congressman Roskam should pass on Israel and make his next Middle East trip to Gaza. I'd love to see his website www.roskam.house.gov filled with pics of that trip, instead of bucolic scenes of him being entertained by Gaza's subjugators. Two bits of advise for the Congressman if he does go. Bring along a good supply of bottled water...and check with his preferred leader, Prime Minister Netanyahu, to make sure it isn't grass mowing time.
But equally disturbing is Roskam's complicity with Israel's continued subjugation, indeed destruction, of the 1.8 million Palestinians penned up in the world's largest open air prison Israel maintains in Gaza. Roskam does this by joining senior Israeli officials from the Foreign Ministry, National Security Council, and Strategic Affairs Ministry, to discuss efforts to combat the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. That is the world wide movement seeking to put pressure on Israel to cease their crimes against humanity in Gaza. Roskam has been a ceaseless cheerleader for Israel every time Prime Minister Netanyahu "mows the grass" by inflicting catastrophic carnage on the Gazans, such as the 50 day campaign last year that killed 2,200, including hundreds of children. That was the third such massacre in six years, which apparently poses no problem for my Congressman. Under Israel's eight year blockade, 80% of Gazans require outside humanitarian assistance just to survive. 95% of its water is unfit to drink. Besides water; energy, sanitation, housing and education are all in pitiful, unlivable condition.
I'm ashamed to have a congressman who conducts himself more as a representative of a foreign government than an American congressman. I'm horrified by his ghoulish disregard for the plight of an enslaved people and his enabling of that enslavement. Congressman Roskam should pass on Israel and make his next Middle East trip to Gaza. I'd love to see his website www.roskam.house.gov filled with pics of that trip, instead of bucolic scenes of him being entertained by Gaza's subjugators. Two bits of advise for the Congressman if he does go. Bring along a good supply of bottled water...and check with his preferred leader, Prime Minister Netanyahu, to make sure it isn't grass mowing time.
posted by Walt Zlotow at 12:15 PM
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