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