Gaza War: Should the U.S. step in?

by Christina Lovato, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service

In a House Subcommittee on Foreign Affairs hearing today titled, "Gaza After the War: What Can Be Built on the Wreckage?" witnesses and officials expressed their concerns on the Gaza war and whether or not the U.S. should interfere and step in to help.

The war in Gaza escalated when Hamas, a Palestinian national-religious group succeeded in the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) elections in January 2006. The conflict in Gaza began because Hamas opposes a two state solution. In a report given by witness, Dr. Ziad J. Asali, President of the American Task Force on Palestine, it states, "The Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that between December 27, 2008 and January 31, 2009, 1,380 Palestinians had been killed, including 431 children and 112 women. A majority of those killed were reportedly civilians." There was also discussion about Iran and if the U.S. should urge them to stop providing Hamas with financial and military supplies as well as training.

Medea Benjamin, co-founder of CODEPINK said, "I feel so discouraged because in that hearing not only most of the witnesses but from the questions of the congress people, you continue to see a sense that Israel was justified... There was very little expression of sympathy for those who died and were injured. Thousands and thousands have lost their homes and their livelihoods. There was unanimous consent that we shouldn't talk to Hamas and I think we should always talk to our adversaries and I think that it was a very disappointing hearing."

Congressman Gary L. Ackerman (D-NY.) expressed his concerns about the U.S. getting involved and said, "Over the past six years there have been many plans and many envoys. And contrary to popular opinion, there hasn't been a deficit of attention, merely a deficit of performance. Commitments made to the United States, or between the parties, have often been honored only in the breach. The timing was never right. What was promised was not delivered. There was always a provocation, an incident, an upcoming election, a crisis, an attack. And so it is again today."

CODE PINK: Shame on McCain, Shame on Obama

As the Senate is about to vote on the bailout bill intended to relieve the current economic crisis on Wall Street, Code Pink protesters gathered today on the hill to rally against the bill. “Taxpayers revolt” was the theme of the rally, which included both women and men protesting against the bailout bill that the House choose not pass. Now the Code Pink ladies hope that the Senate will follow the House’s example and not pass the bill. “It’s time for the Senate to hear the voice of the people,” Medea Benjamin, cofounder of Code Pink and leader of the protest group.

The Code Pink rally started off outside Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) office in the Russell Senate Office Building, making statements to the media that the bailout bill should not be passed in Congress before entering the Senator’s office and demonstrating by lying on the floor shouting “BAILOUT? OVER MY DEAD BODY!”

After leaving the Russell Senate Office Building the rally continued at the Hart Senate Office Building were the Code Pink protesters wanted to find out whether Barack Obama's (D-Ill.) would support or reject the bill. After a similar demonstration outside Obama’s office, the protesters announced to the media that the Democratic presidential nominee will most likely vote “yes” to the bill. “If he votes for this bill he’s betraying the America people,” Benjamin said.

Congresswomen Speak on Women's Issues at Symposium

“At last [women] have a seat at the table,” Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D - CA) exclaimed to a crowd of cheering supporters at the Symposium for Unconventional Women in Denver. Notable Congresswomen and other champions of women’s causes spoke on the issues facing women’s participation in the federal government. Protesters from anti-war organization Code:Pink interrupted Pelosi’s speech on several occasions to voice their opposition to the American military involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In her speech Pelosi encouraged working women to run for federal office. “Isn’t it better to have working moms looking to Congress and seeing working moms?” she said. Pelosi’s words were echoed by Senator Claire McCaskill (D - MI) and Amy Klobuchar (D - MN) who recounted their experiences running for office as mothers.

The symposium also included women’s rights leaders Allana Goldman of She Should Run and Page Gardner of Women’s Voices, Women Vote. They noted the lack of single women running for office. Gardner said, “We can no longer afford to have single women sit on the sidelines of democracy.” Allana Goldman noted that while women tend to win elections at the same rate as men, too few are encouraged to run for office, a major reason that women constitute only 16% of Congress.

As Pelosi, the highest ranking female to hold office in the US, took the stage, members of Code:Pink rushed holding signs and pleading with the speaker to remove troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. One member denounced Pelosi from a balcony for supporting waterboarding and American military involvement in Afghanistan before being removed by security. Several members continued to interrupt Pelosi’s speech from the crowd, many insisting that Pelosi end the war. “I will stop the war,” Pelosi responded, while also saying she wished the protesters would “put their energy into voting for Barack Obama.”