Israel

On Thursday, Rep. Michele Bachmann condemned the Goldstone report, a United Nations-commissioned report on possible war crimes during the Israel-Palestine conflict in the Gaza strip in 2008 and 2009. But it is clear from her press release that she either didn’t read the report or is willfully misleading the public.

Rep. Keith Ellison is urging members of Congress not to scrap the Goldstone report (pdf) on war crimes allegedly committed during the conflict culminating in December 2008 and January 2009 between Hamas and Israel. A resolution in Congress, backed by Republicans, would condemn the report, written by UN investigator Richard Goldstone, as unfriendly to Israel. [...]

U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann again ripped the U.S. Census at the outset of an August congressional break that she’s bookending with trips to Israel and Colorado.

Rep. Keith Ellison and six other members of Congress are sending a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urging immediate action to end the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. It asks for openings on the Gaza border for humanitarian supplies, the transport of critically ill residents out of Gaza and United Nations funding to aid [...]

Rep. Keith Ellison, one of 22 U.S. Representatives to vote “present” on the non-binding resolution supporting Israel’s attacks on Gaza over the past 14 days, gave this speech on the House floor on Friday:
Madame Speaker, I come to the floor today torn about this resolution.
Though I welcome resolutions by Congress to express support for the [...]

As expected, the U.S. House of Representatives approved, by an overwhelming 390-5 bipartisan vote, a non-binding resolution “[r]ecognizing Israel’s right to defend itself against attacks from Gaza, reaffirming the United States’ strong support for Israel, and supporting the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.” Aside from Reps. Keith Ellison and Betty McCollum, who voted “present,” Minnesota’s delegation, [...]

In defending her vote in favor of a non-binding resolution in support of Israel and its air and ground strikes against targets in Gaza, Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann today said:
“The current conflict in Gaza has drawn worldwide attention and concern. No one likes to see the destruction, the loss of life, the grief. But, Israel [...]

Yesterday, Rep. Dennis Kucinich sent a letter to Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice arguing that Israel is in violation of the Arms Export Control Act of 1976 (AECA), which says U.S. military exports may not be used to escalate violence. In a statement on his Web site, Kucinich says, the “disproportionate and collective punishment nature [...]

Rep. Betty McCollum called for an end to violence in the Gaza Strip late last week, adding her voice to those of Rep. Keith Ellison, Sen. Amy Klobuchar and former Sen. Norm Coleman.

As the Gaza Strip conflict between Israel and Hamas intensifies, few in Minnesota’s congressional delegation have commented. Protests prompted Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Republican Sen. Norm Coleman to respond to the conflict, while Democratic Rep. Keith Ellison called for an end to the violence and outlined some ideas to get there.
The International Jewish Anti-Zionist [...]