House urges Obama to shut PLO office as punishment for UN vote

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/house-urges-obama-to-shut-plo-office-as-punishment-for-un-vote-1.489472

"One important way of expressing U.S. disapproval would be to send the message that such actions are not cost-free and that, at a minimum, they result in setbacks to U.S.-Palestinian relations," said the letter sent Dec. 21, initiated by the incoming and outgoing leaders of both parties on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and signed by 239 members, including leaders such as Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.), the majority leader, and Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), the minority whip.


"Such actions are not cost-free."

How dare the Palestinians peacefully and willfully act to become a nation in the eyes of the world!!

[delrem]

1. The whole rest of the world voted with Palestine.

The US has time and again used its security council vote to veto any chance of fair dealing for the Palestinian people. Nothing is more clear than that the US doesn't give a damn about Palestine - and that the US is the most dishonest broker that Palestine could possibly encounter.

The best thing that Palestinian leadership can do is address the "suck it down" message that Israel and the US have been giving to the Palestinian people in the exact terms that it has been delivered, including the fact that new settlements are designated as "punishment" for the wish to be recognized - and so as "punishment" for the recognition that the world in fact gave. That means using a vocabulary that isn't 100% determined by Israel and the US - it means challenging the simplistic and biased vocabulary of "terrorists vs the good guys" that works so well for the Orwellian status-quo, and it means focusing on a vocabulary that underscores the kind of principles that underlie actual peace between differing peoples.

[azurnoir]

2. well I am glad that our elected officials can do bi-partisian work on someone's behalf

to bad it's not on the behalf of those that elected them if it's Israel they can't seem to do enbough but the American people not so much.............

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

4. I'm not really sure but they may be fearful of losing campaign donations.

Perhaps they are just hateful of the Palestinians and see them as a nuisance and second class citizens.

I don't see it as taking a stand against Israel inasmuch as just letting the Palestinians receive some recognition.


Regardless, I am relieved that they were able to do something and reach across the isle. Who cares about roads, bridges, taxes, assault rifles and the deaths of poor little kids and the like when we can all feel safe that the Palestinians are going to catch hell from our elected officials.

[Scootaloo]

3. Remember, the only legitimate Palestinian action is violence

Because only when the Palestinians are violent, can violence against them be handwaved and accepted. The Arab must remain in its cage, lest we stop thinking that it's an animal.

I wish I could use a sarcasm tag, but... that's how our nation(s) honestly seem to think. Punish and delegitimatize nonviolent action the Palestinians take in their own self-interest, because it doesn't fit the narrative of the savage bloodthirsty Arab.