I am trying to Be Responsible. Last week’s illnesses, the weekend’s wedding, and my own turn down Feeling-Like-Crap Lane earlier this week have all combined to create a circumstance in which I OWE PEOPLE A LOT OF WORK!! Ahem. Which I am trying to complete. So, I haven’t even taken the time that I took last week to say “Aaah! No time! Here’s something cool!”
But.
I saw a post by MJ Rosenberg yesterday (at Talking Points Memo‘s TPMCafe), and had to say something.
Though Rosenberg often writes some of the sanest stuff on the web about Israel/Palestine, with this post, he wrote nothing, instead simply putting up two minutes of tape from the House floor (re-posted below).
In the video, Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA) tells Congress, in no uncertain terms, that: Yes, Israeli children deserve to not live in fear of Hamas rockets — but Palestinian children have a right to not be killed by the Israeli military. He speaks in front of a poster-sized photograph of Palestinian toddlers laid out on a blanket, looking for all the world to be asleep — if not for the wailing of a man on his knees beside them.
Unlike most of our elected officials, Rep. Baird has actually been to Gaza and Sderot (the Israeli town where more Hamas rockets have fallen). He has seen with his own eyes the facts with which both sides have to live, and he has taken an inspiring lead in calling for changes in American policy. You can read about his trip, watch videos of him interviewing people living in the region, and read his thoughts about the Goldstone Report (and the Congressional response to it) on his website. [Though, note: As of this writing, the link to his op/ed about H.Res. 867, the anti-Goldstone resolution, leads to a statement about health care. You’ll find the op/ed here.]
If you live in Washington state, or know someone who does, pleaseplease, write to Rep. Baird to thank him for taking such a principled stand. If you don’t, but want to thank him anyway, you unfortunately can’t send an email from the website, and I wouldn’t recommend sending anything to his DC office (security measures mean that snailmail into Congress moves at an almost literal snail pace, taking upwards of two to three weeks to arrive…!), but, you could fax the DC office [(202) 225-3478] or send a note to his Vancouver office:
Rep. Brian Baird O.O. Howard House
750 Anderson Street, Suite B
Vancouver, WA 98661
As always, if you’re an American Jew, mention it. Something along the lines of:
Dear Rep. Baird,
I am not one of your constituents, but I am an American Jew who believes very firmly in the need for a just resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and I just wanted to thank you for the comments you recently made on the House floor regarding the Goldstone Report and the situation in Gaza. I was horrified to learn that Congress passed House Resolution 867 — turning our eyes away from ugly truths will not make them any less true, and it’s time that the Jewish people and the American political class understand the truth of Gaza.
Thank you again and all the best,
NAME, ADDRESS, PHONE
All righty then, here’s his statement. And God bless him for it:
**********************
Earlier:
Emily L. Hauser - In My Head 
Matt
/ November 16, 2009“Yes, Israeli children deserve to not live in fear of Hamas rockets — but Palestinian children have a right to not be killed by the Israeli military.”
A minor quibble, perhaps, but I am going to take issue with your choice of conjunction in your summary of his speech, because the argument is often framed this way: “Yes, Hamas’ qassam rockets are unacceptable, BUT…”
The beauty and power of Baird’s words come from the fact that he sees an “and” in it’s place: “Yes, Israeli children deserve not to live in fear of Hamas rockets AND Palestinian children have a right to not be killed by the Israeli military.” (Which, of course, is the essence of the UNFFM’s findings.)
Hopefully everyone can eventually agree on the two statements; they seem so self-evident. I fear, however, progress will not be made until we stop seeing the two as competing. They are not only compatible, but two sides of the same coin, and something that we must strive for.