Status quo must be rejected; U.S. people and policy must stand against Israeli oppression, stand with children of Palestine — U.S. Congresswoman McCollum

Courageous opposition to cruelty, injustice — wherever, whoever commits cruelty and crime

Excerpt from

a speech by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives Betty McCollum September 30, 2018, at the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights Conference in St. Paul, Minnesota

“… [T]he American people and our government (need) to stand with the children of Palestine and to stand with their parents. Because they deserve their rights respected, their voices heard and their future to be one of hope, one of opportunity; and most importantly, one of peace.”

“… [W]e must strive to make freedom, justice and equality — human rights, economic opportunity, and hope for the foundation of future U.S. policy for engagement with Israel and Palestine. It must be accountable and

Israeli oppression must not be supported by U.S. tax dollars.

The status quo of today must be rejected.”

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ajor McCollum legislation

House Res HR 4391: a bill “Promoting Human Rights by Ending Israeli Military Detention of Palestinian Children Act”; intro November 14, 2017, by Rep. Betty McCollum (referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs); number of cosponsors as of June 2018: 29.

HR 4391 “prohibits U.S. assistance to Israel from being used to support the military detention, interrogation, or ill-treatment of Palestinian children in violation of international humanitarian law or the use against Palestinian children of: (1) torture, inhumane, or degrading treatment; (2) physical violence or psychological abuse; (3) incommunicado or administrative detention; (4) solitary confinement; (5) denial of parental or legal access during interrogations; or (6) force or coercion to obtain a confession.

The Department of State shall annually submit to Congress: (1) a certification that none of the funds obligated or expended in the previous fiscal year for assistance to Israel have been used to support any of such activities; or (2) if the State Department cannot make such certification, a report describing each activity and the amount of funds used by Israel in violation of this bill.

The State Department shall include in each annual report on the barring of development assistance to a country that engages in human rights violations a description of the nature and extent of detention, interrogation, or ill-treatment of Palestinian children by Israeli military forces or police in violation of international humanitarian law.

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cCollum continues

“I don’t think it is particularly controversial or a statement of moral courage to condemn a government that systematically arrests and abuses children.

“…[A]s a member of Congress, I don’t think it should be a statement of political courage to say that the U.S. government should not spend one dollar of our taxpayers’ funds in supporting a brutal military detention that abuses children.

“In Congress you would think that that makes common sense but yet this is not the case when it comes to protecting Palestinian children, and when the government doing the abusing is Israel.

With HR 4391, moving forward, we are making a clear unwavering statement that we are not going to support US tax dollars funding Israel’s cruel brutal and dehumanizing system of juvenile military detention of Palestinian children.…”

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.S. Representative Betty Louise McCollum (Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party) of Minnesota has been a member of the U.S. Congress since 2001. Her government service before that included membership in the Minnesota State House of Representatives (1992-2001).

McCollum’s U.S. Congressional Committee assignments:

United States House Appropriations Committee; and Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies, and United States House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense (current) ● in previous Congresses: Education and the Workforce; United States House Committee on Government Reform; United States House Committee on Resources; United States House Committee on the Budget.

Party leadership, caucus and other memberships: Senior Whip; Co-founder of the Congressional Global Health Caucus; Co-founder of the Quality Care Coalition; National Council on the Arts; Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (Associate Member); Congressional Caucus on Global Road Safety; International Conservation Caucus; Congressional Arts Caucus ● Congresswoman McCollum is a former secondary school teacher and a graduate of University of St. Catherine (St. Paul, Minnesota).

 

Sources

Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=M001143

Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_McCollum

Mondoweiss “Israel practices ‘apartheid’ — Rep. Betty McCollum” Phil Weiss and Annie Robbins, October 2, 2018, https://mondoweiss.net/2018/10/practices-apartheid-mccollum/

Mondoweiss News & Opinion About Palestine, Israel & the United States describes itself as “an independent website devoted to informing readers about developments in Israel/Palestine and related US foreign policy”; providing “news and analysis unavailable through the mainstream media regarding the struggle for Palestinian human rights.” https://mondoweiss.net/about-mondoweiss/

Congress dot gov and Congressional Research Service https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/4391

 

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Speaking out for Justice is neither “anti” nor “… ism”

Anti-Semitism like “racism” and “fascism” is a term slung at people whose ideas or positions on issues or situations differ from those of the slandering attacker. 

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ejoratives such as “racism,” “anti-Semitism,” “fascism” — grossly and carelessly, usually narrow-mindedly and self-servingly abused, misused and overused —are smear tactics intended to ruin standing and reputations, not unlike McCarthyism's shattering of American lives and livelihoods. 

These targeted tactics aim to silence, distract, and scare. 

A current case in point is the barrage of politically charged “anti-Semitism” smears being hurled at UK politician Jeremy Corbyn and Palestine. 

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he July 5, 2018, edition of “The Sun Will Rise” features a discussion of Jeremy Corbyn and Palestine noting that Corbyn “has consistently shown support for the Palestinian cause.” 

In April, Corbyn “attacked Western silence over the killings in Gaza.” There is nothing anti-Semitic about standing up for justice. Many people “hope that” a Corbyn “election could lead to a more pro-Palestine—or at least less pro-Israeli—foreign policy.”  The UK Labour Party leader “has visited the Al-Baqa, a refugee camp in Jordan.”  

Despite silencing tactics, facts are on the faces of force and fear.

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uffering Unending Terror

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs “Protection of Civilians” Report June 19 June – July 2, 2018:

Israeli settlers reportedly uprooted, burned or vandalized 4,175 trees since the turn of 2018. This was reportedly a monthly average increase of “48% and 404%” compared with the two immediately preceding years.

“Israeli settlers stoned three Palestinian houses and, in subsequent clashes, injured six Palestinians including two children the Israeli-controlled H2 area of Hebron city.”

Settlers in other stone-throwing incidents injured another five Palestinians and damaged three vehicles.

In two neighboring Palestinian communities at risk of forcible transfer in the hills east of Jerusalem, Israel officials in recent days have intensified their aggression. The Israeli government “declared the Khan Al Ahmar – Abu Al Helu area” a ‘closed military zone’” and brought “heavy construction equipment” … on to the site. Israeli authorities on July 4, 2018, in Abu Nuwar “demolished 19 structures, including 9 homes” causing the displacement of “51 people among them 33 children.”

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leeing to Jordan

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Report Published on  June 20, 2018 - Azraq Refugee Camp (June 2018) UNHCR Jordan Factsheet:

REFUGEES: 40,092 total of concern; 36,699 registered

CHILDREN: 59.68% of these 278 unaccompanied minors.

DISABLED people: 1,288 of these 37.23% children.

FEMALE heads of household: 8,823 shelters 3 in 10 headed by women.

REFUGEE SHELTERS since the 2014 opening of Azraq Camp: 10,479 have been built.

 

Sources 

PressTV “What can we expect from Jeremy Corbyn when it comes to Palestine?” July 5, 2018 https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2018/07/05/567140/What-can-we-expect-from-Jeremy-Corbyn-when-it-comes-to-Palestine

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs “Protection of Civilians Report June 19 June -July 2, 2018” Relief Web July 2, 2018 https://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/protection-civilians-report-19-june-2-july-2018

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees “Jordan Factsheet: Azraq Refugee Camp (June 2018)” Relief Web June 20, 2018 https://reliefweb.int/report/jordan/unhcr-jordan-factsheet-azraq-refugee-camp-june-2018

Insight Beyond Today’s News, CLB