The US House of Representatives voted unanimously to support a non-binding resolution to reaffirm full U.S. support for Israel’s “defense of its citizens” and condemning Palestinian “unprovoked rocket fire”. The resolution made no mention of the nearly 2,000 tons of bombs that had been dropped by Israel on Gaza at the time it was passedIt also did not mention the 200 Palestinians (80% of whom are civilians, according to the UN) or the multiple attempts by Hamas to negotiate a ceasefire with Israel – including on July 6th, before the Israeli attack began in earnest.
The US House of representatives is currently Republican-led, but representatives of both political parties offered full support to the Israeli military’s attack, and ongoing siege of the Gaza Strip.
During the one minute speech sessions that followed the opening prayer on Friday morning, Republican Trent Franks from Arizona stated, “Last month Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas openly united with the terrorist group Hamas and right now they are raining down rockets on the innocent people of Israel. One half of all Israelis have sought shelter in bomb shelters.”
No U.S. members of Congress mentioned the Israeli attack on Gaza that began on July 8th, killing twenty civilians before Palestinian resistance fighters responded with homemade shells.
The resolution passed by the U.S. House claimed that Iran has provided material support in long-range missile production to both Hamas and Islamic Jihad, a claim that has been made by the Israeli government. But the Israeli government has not offered anything beyond infographics that show evidence of either group possessing any such weapons.
The American Israeli Public Affairs Committee, which is the wealthiest Zionist lobby in the U.S., immediately issued a statement praising the U.S. House for “passing a forceful resolution affirming Israel’s right to self-defense and holding Hamas responsible for the attacks on America’s democratic ally.”
Resolution 657 “states support for the state of Israel as it defends itself against unprovoked rocket attacks from the Hamas terror organization.”
In the seven days of Israel’s “Operation Protective Edge”, launched Tuesday July 8th against the people of Gaza, Israeli forces have killed 195 Palestinians, including at least 35 children. Over 1,400 Palestinians have been wounded, many of them severely. Hospitals are overflowing with wounded civilians, and are facing shortages of supplies and equipment since Israel began its siege on Gaza eight years ago.
No Israelis have been killed or wounded by Palestinian shells fired in response to the Israeli attack over the past seven days. Around a dozen Israelis have reported minor injuries sustained while running to bomb shelters.
