The Philadelphia Jewish Voice
 

PJV#14
AUGUST 2006

Special Dossier
• War Versus Hezbollah

Top Stories
• Live From Israel
Dems Speak Out
• GOP Obstructs Support
• Hiram Bingham Stamp
• Two Different Conflicts
•  Joining the IDF
•  Mea Culpa
• McIntyre's Apology
• Arab State = Jew-Free?
• The Hammer
• Not In My Synagogue
• "Transparency" Is Black
• Where Have All The Rabbis Gone
• The Lobbies
• NIF v. ZOA
• Letters to the Editor

Community
• We Stand With Israel
• Blood Donations
• Shalom TV

In Their Own Words
• Peter Edelman

Networking Central
• Kehillah Secular Jews

Living Judaism
• The Halacha of War
• The Tahara Experience
• Organ Donation

Raising A Mensch
• Parenting during war
• Mazel Tov... It's A Girl!

The Kosher Table
• New In The Main Line



Free Subscription

Past Issues
• July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
• February 2006
• January 2006
• December 2005
• November 2005
• October 2005
• September 2005
• August 2005
• July 2005

 
  About       Free Subscription       Donate       Contact Us        Links   border="0" />    Archives

Kidnapped soldiers Eldad Regev, 26, of Kiryat Motzkin and Ehud Goldwasser, 21, of Nahariya. (MFA)
Op/Ed

Special Dossier: War on Hezbollah.

Republicans Obstruct Support For Israel
Iraqi Prime Minister: Condemns Israel, Invited to GOP controlled Congress

-- Ira Forman

Wednesday, July 12

  • Hezbollah terrorists cross into Israeli territory, kidnapping two Israeli soldiers and killing seven others. 
  • Democrats, led by Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid (NV) , House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (CA), Senate Democratic Whip Richard Durbin (IL) , and Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (MD) immediately express their full support for Israel and call on Hezbollah to return the soldiers and end terrorist attacks on Israel.

Thursday, July 13

    Approximate area of Northern Israel subject to Hezbollah rocket attacks. (MFA)
  • Hezbollah fires countless missiles into northern Israeli towns.
  • Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi signs off on an Israel solidarity resolution and calls on House Republican Leadership to pass the resolution before adjourning for the week.
  • Republicans reject Democrat's request and adjourn the House of Representatives until July 17 without considering the resolution.
  • Democratic support for Israel is overwhelming.

  Friday, July 14

  • Israel continues to be hit by Hezbollah missiles.
    Senator John Warner
    Sen. John William Warner, Jr. (R-VA)
  • The Senate does not pass an Israel solidarity resolution before adjourning for the week because two Republican Senators, including Republican Senator and Chairman of the Armed Services Committee John Warner (VA), object to a line in the resolution urging the President "to continue fully supporting Israel as Israel exercises its right of self defense in Lebanon and Gaza."
  • Nothing from the House.

Saturday, July 15

  • Israel continues to be attacked by Hezbollah terrorists.
  • The Associated Press reports that Republican Senator Warner considers Israel's acts of self defense "extraordinary" and urges the Administration to call on Israel to use restraint because Israeli actions could "affect our operations in Iraq..."
  • Still nothing from the House.

Sunday, July 16

  • Haifa is attacked.
  • The House is still silent on Israel despite House Democratic Leader Pelosi having signed off earlier in the week - for the second time - on a resolution expressing U.S. solidarity with Israel and calling for its immediate passage.
  • Republican Senators are still holding up an Israel solidarity resolution.

Monday, July 17

  • Haifa and cities north are all but shut down because of continued attacks. The Israeli military reports shooting down a long-range missile that was possibly aimed at Tel Aviv.
  • Over 3000 right-wing extreme activists converge on Washington in support of Republican legislation banning life-saving stem cell research, prohibiting gay marriage, and eviscerating the First Amendment.
  • Republican Senators finally let the Senate vote on Israel solidarity resolution. The resolution passes.
  • Still nothing from the House.

Tuesday, July 18

  • Hezbollah terrorists continue to attack Israel.
  • 89 percent of House Republicans vote in favor of a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. 82 percent of Democrats oppose it.
  • House Democrats block Republican efforts to limit life saving stem cell research techniques.
  • Still nothing from the House.

Wednesday, July 19

  • Hezbollah militants clash with Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon.
  • President Bush vetoes life-saving stem cell legislation. The veto, his first since taking office more than five years ago, "sets back embryonic stem cell research another year or so," according to Republican Senator and former Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (UT).
  • House Democrats attempt to override the veto, but nearly 78 percent of Republicans oppose it and the critical bill dies.
  • Republicans finally permit the House to begin debating an Israel solidarity resolution at 6:55 PM, but not before pushing through a bill stripping the Judiciary of its constitutional right to hear cases regarding the Pledge of Allegiance and which will "severely limit the rights of religious minorities."
  • The House adjourns without passing the solidarity resolution.

Thursday, July 20

  • Eight days have passed since the conflict in Israel began. Israeli towns from Haifa to the northern border are being bombarded by missile attacks.
  • Finally, after a week of playing politics with the resolution, Republicans permit the House to vote on an Israel solidarity resolution at 12:10 PM.

Tuesday, July 25

Congressional Democrats for calling on Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to immediately apologize for his recent anti-Israel statements regarding Israeli military operations against the terrorist organizations Hamas and Hezbollah. Most troubling is that the Prime Minister's comments came just days before his scheduled address to a joint session of Congress. NJDC commends the leadership of both the Senate and House Democrats for requesting that an al-Maliki apology should have been a precondition for Congress convening today's joint session. Republican Congressional leaders refused to postpone the session.

Once again, Republicans are showing that their support for Israel is limited to when it is politically advantageous. Instead of condemning the Iraqi prime minister for his offensive statements, Republicans are rolling out the red carpet for someone who has made clear his abhorrent views on Israel.

While Democrats continue to show that their support for Israel is consistently strong, deep, and sincere, Republicans only offer support to Israel when they think that they'll get something for it. Providing such a privileged forum to a state leader whose views on the war on terror are so weak is wrong, and Congressional Republicans should have cancelled the joint session.

Previous Special Dossiers