Contact Reps Regarding Vote on Goldstone Report

November 7, 9:41 PMForeign Policy ExaminerAimee Kligman

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   Richard Goldstone in Gaza

ACTION ALERT
November 6, 2009

Many of you contacted members of Congress to urge them to vote NO on H. Res. 867, “Calling on the President and the Secretary of State to oppose unequivocally any endorsement or further consideration of the ‘Report of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict’ in multilateral fora.”

On Nov. 3 the House passed H. Res. 867 with the following tally: Yes, 344; No, 36; Present 22.

We suggest you say “thank you” to those who voted NO.  Let these offices know—with calls, e-mails and notes of thanks—that we recognize and appreciate their efforts to support transparency, accountability, and respect for international law and human rights.

Click here to see how your representative voted.

Thank the NOs for voting “no,” thank the PRESENTs for not voting “yes,” tell the YESs you are disappointed. Elected officials must know their constituents care about a just peace in Israel-Palestine and are noticing when actions support or detract from that goal.  Contact your representative TODAY.

Text of H. Res. 867

Letter from Justice Goldstone addressing H. Res. 867

Bill Moyers October 23, 2009 interview with Justice Goldstone

Writing in Roll Call, Congressman Brian Baird (D-3rd WA)— who has visited Gaza and Sderot —stated, “If our own country is truly to stand for human rights and the rule of law, and if facts matter, how can we do other than insist that legitimate questions and evidence are followed by further investigation and, if necessary and warranted, appropriate consequences?” Read the entire article at www.baird.house.gov.  

Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) made the following statement on Nov. 3, 2009 on the House Floor about H. Res 867, which condemns the ‘Goldstone Report’ or the Report of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict:

“Today we journey from Operation Cast Lead to Operation Cast Doubt. Almost as serious as committing war crimes is covering up war crimes, pretending that war crimes were never committed and did not exist.

“Because behind every such deception is the nullification of humanity, the destruction of human dignity, the annihilation of the human spirit, the triumph of Orwellian thinking, the eternal prison of the dark heart of the totalitarian.

“The resolution before us today, which would reject all attempts of the Goldstone Report to fix responsibility of all parties to war crimes, including both Hamas and Israel, may as well be called the “Down is Up, Night is Day, Wrong is Right” resolution.

“Because if this Congress votes to condemn a report it has not read, concerning events it has totally ignored, about violations of law of which it is unaware, it will have brought shame to this great institution.

“How can we ever expect there to be peace in the Middle East if we tacitly approve of violations of international law and international human rights, if we look the other way, or if we close our eyes to the heartbreak of people on both sides by white-washing a legitimate investigation?

“How can we protect the people of Israel from existential threats if we hold no concern for the protection of the Palestinians, for their physical security, their right to land, their right to their own homes, their right to water, their right to sustenance, their right to freedom of movement, their right to the human security of jobs, education and health care?

“We will have peace only when the plight of both Palestinians and Israelis is brought before this House and given equal consideration in recognition of that principle that all people on this planet have a right to survive and thrive, and it is our responsibility, our duty to see that no individual, no group, no people are barred from this humble human claim.”