An open letter to Senator Charles E. Schumer on Israel
by Diane V. McLoughlin
The McLoughlin Post Feb. 14, '09
So I got an e-mail from Senator Schumer in my in-box asking me to
answer a brief on-line survey. He wants to serve me better.
He wants to know my priorities.
I take the survey. I give more detailed answers in little boxes when
my answer is 'other'. My 'other' answers are about Israel. I am not happy with
Israel's barbaric mistreatment of the Palestinian People. I am keenly unhappy
with the apparent bias embedded into Senator Schumer's survey.
I got another e-mail. Below is the text of Sen. Schumer's reply to my survey
answers. Obviously, no human read what I wrote on the survey.
Following, is my more detailed response which I subsequently submitted via his
on-site web-form - my Open (angry) Letter.
```````````
Subject: A message from Senator Charles E. Schumer
Date: Fri, 13 Feb 2009 15:06:14 -0500
Dear Ms. Mcloughlin:
Thank you for contacting me to express your concerns about the
current situation in Gaza. I too support Israel’s right to defend itself
against terrorism and share your concerns about the safety and security of
those living in the region.
I strongly support Israel’s right to defend its citizens from the
terrorist actions of Hamas. That being said, I am deeply troubled by the
suffering of those who have played no role in the conflict and are now
being punished for the actions of others. I share your hope that the
conflict will be resolved quickly and I am committed to doing all that I
can to help Israel restore stability to the region.
I will continue to support a strong peace process, which I see as the
only permanent solution to the problems in the region. Like you, I look
forward to the day when Israelis and Palestinians can work together and
live in peace.
Again, thank you for contacting me on this important issue. Please
do not hesitate to contact me in the future if I may be of assistance on
this, or any other matter.
Sincerely,
Charles E. Schumer
United States Senator
Please do not respond to this email. To send another message please visit
my website at
http://schumer.senate.gov/SchumerWebsite/contact/webform.cfm . Thank you.
``````````````````
My Open Letter:
Senator Schumer,
I am writing to protest in the strongest possible terms. Your office e-mailed me a
survey seeking to know my views. I shared them.
I shared my view that Israel is a criminal, rogue regime. I shared my view that the
U.S. should recognize Hamas as the legitimate political voice of the Palestinian
People forthwith.
I am incensed that the U.S. Government is actively participating in the
oppression of a people. The Bush administration insisted that the Palestinians
select new political leadership in 2006. The Palestinian elections were
internationally monitored, free and fair. The Bush administration didn't like the
results. There are allegations that they then clandestinely armed an opposing
militant faction to attempt to overthrow the democratically elected leadership of
the Palestinians -Hamas. (See, 'The Gaza Bombshell'; David Rose, Vanity Fair,
April, 2008.)
In your survey I shared my view - a view that is being shared by greater and
greater numbers of Americans - that the U.S. should immediately cut Israel off of
the annual billions in American tax dollars in financial and military support.
In response, your office sent me what has to be an automated e-mail reply
AGREEING WITH ME that Israel has a right to defend itself. In fact, you state
this canard twice when it is Israel that is the terrorist, the Palestinians their
victims.
So let me be crystal clear. Israel is a racist and fascist regime that is committing
genocide against a people who have suffered occupation, torture, arrest without
trial, extra-judicial executions and ethnic cleansing for over sixty years.
The people in Gaza that were killed -hundreds of innocent people, half of whom
were children - were killed by bullets, guns and bombs that we paid for.
The IDF-embedded senior rabbis induced the soldiers to treat EVERYONE as
equally 'guilty' (read: of defending themselves from Israel's aggression) and to
show NO MERCY. Thus, it is no surprise to anyone that grandmothers, women,
children and babies were murdered in cold blood at close range in broad
daylight by the Israeli military.
It should be repeated yet again, that Hamas abided by the ceasefire. Israel did
not. And Israel girded, not for peaceful negotiations to cement peace, but for war
the entirety of the time of the ceasefire.
Further, one should be reminded that the entire time of the ceasefire, and for
two years prior, and since the renewal of the ceasefire - Israel illegally
maintained and continues to maintain a military blockade on Gaza reducing it to
a concentration camp.
The U.N. currently is responsible for feeding 900,000 people in Gaza. Israel
permits enough truckloads of food to cross into Gaza each day to feed 30,000.
In addition to the war crimes noted above, I believe you should note well that
during this latest assault on Gaza Israel took pains to destroy as much as 60% of
Gaza's agricultural land. Hundreds of chicken coops, greenhouses, wells and
orchards were destroyed. The cattle were slaughtered where they stood and left
to rot in the fields.
I demand not only that the U.S. Government cease funding Israel's atrocities, I
further demand that the U.S. Government outlaw all charitable funds collected
that could find their way to funding the illegal occupation and settlement of
Palestinian land.
Americans are beginning to demand that blind allegiance to Israel's nefarious
aims come to a swift end.
And I am one of them.
I am writer and publisher of
The McLoughlin Post
http://www.mcloughlinpost.com
Sincerely,
Diane V. McLoughlin
home
Gaza Page
contact
by Diane V. McLoughlin
The McLoughlin Post Feb. 14, '09
So I got an e-mail from Senator Schumer in my in-box asking me to
answer a brief on-line survey. He wants to serve me better.
He wants to know my priorities.
I take the survey. I give more detailed answers in little boxes when
my answer is 'other'. My 'other' answers are about Israel. I am not happy with
Israel's barbaric mistreatment of the Palestinian People. I am keenly unhappy
with the apparent bias embedded into Senator Schumer's survey.
I got another e-mail. Below is the text of Sen. Schumer's reply to my survey
answers. Obviously, no human read what I wrote on the survey.
Following, is my more detailed response which I subsequently submitted via his
on-site web-form - my Open (angry) Letter.
```````````
Subject: A message from Senator Charles E. Schumer
Date: Fri, 13 Feb 2009 15:06:14 -0500
Dear Ms. Mcloughlin:
Thank you for contacting me to express your concerns about the
current situation in Gaza. I too support Israel’s right to defend itself
against terrorism and share your concerns about the safety and security of
those living in the region.
I strongly support Israel’s right to defend its citizens from the
terrorist actions of Hamas. That being said, I am deeply troubled by the
suffering of those who have played no role in the conflict and are now
being punished for the actions of others. I share your hope that the
conflict will be resolved quickly and I am committed to doing all that I
can to help Israel restore stability to the region.
I will continue to support a strong peace process, which I see as the
only permanent solution to the problems in the region. Like you, I look
forward to the day when Israelis and Palestinians can work together and
live in peace.
Again, thank you for contacting me on this important issue. Please
do not hesitate to contact me in the future if I may be of assistance on
this, or any other matter.
Sincerely,
Charles E. Schumer
United States Senator
Please do not respond to this email. To send another message please visit
my website at
http://schumer.senate.gov/SchumerWebsite/contact/webform.cfm . Thank you.
``````````````````
My Open Letter:
Senator Schumer,
I am writing to protest in the strongest possible terms. Your office e-mailed me a
survey seeking to know my views. I shared them.
I shared my view that Israel is a criminal, rogue regime. I shared my view that the
U.S. should recognize Hamas as the legitimate political voice of the Palestinian
People forthwith.
I am incensed that the U.S. Government is actively participating in the
oppression of a people. The Bush administration insisted that the Palestinians
select new political leadership in 2006. The Palestinian elections were
internationally monitored, free and fair. The Bush administration didn't like the
results. There are allegations that they then clandestinely armed an opposing
militant faction to attempt to overthrow the democratically elected leadership of
the Palestinians -Hamas. (See, 'The Gaza Bombshell'; David Rose, Vanity Fair,
April, 2008.)
In your survey I shared my view - a view that is being shared by greater and
greater numbers of Americans - that the U.S. should immediately cut Israel off of
the annual billions in American tax dollars in financial and military support.
In response, your office sent me what has to be an automated e-mail reply
AGREEING WITH ME that Israel has a right to defend itself. In fact, you state
this canard twice when it is Israel that is the terrorist, the Palestinians their
victims.
So let me be crystal clear. Israel is a racist and fascist regime that is committing
genocide against a people who have suffered occupation, torture, arrest without
trial, extra-judicial executions and ethnic cleansing for over sixty years.
The people in Gaza that were killed -hundreds of innocent people, half of whom
were children - were killed by bullets, guns and bombs that we paid for.
The IDF-embedded senior rabbis induced the soldiers to treat EVERYONE as
equally 'guilty' (read: of defending themselves from Israel's aggression) and to
show NO MERCY. Thus, it is no surprise to anyone that grandmothers, women,
children and babies were murdered in cold blood at close range in broad
daylight by the Israeli military.
It should be repeated yet again, that Hamas abided by the ceasefire. Israel did
not. And Israel girded, not for peaceful negotiations to cement peace, but for war
the entirety of the time of the ceasefire.
Further, one should be reminded that the entire time of the ceasefire, and for
two years prior, and since the renewal of the ceasefire - Israel illegally
maintained and continues to maintain a military blockade on Gaza reducing it to
a concentration camp.
The U.N. currently is responsible for feeding 900,000 people in Gaza. Israel
permits enough truckloads of food to cross into Gaza each day to feed 30,000.
In addition to the war crimes noted above, I believe you should note well that
during this latest assault on Gaza Israel took pains to destroy as much as 60% of
Gaza's agricultural land. Hundreds of chicken coops, greenhouses, wells and
orchards were destroyed. The cattle were slaughtered where they stood and left
to rot in the fields.
I demand not only that the U.S. Government cease funding Israel's atrocities, I
further demand that the U.S. Government outlaw all charitable funds collected
that could find their way to funding the illegal occupation and settlement of
Palestinian land.
Americans are beginning to demand that blind allegiance to Israel's nefarious
aims come to a swift end.
And I am one of them.
I am writer and publisher of
The McLoughlin Post
http://www.mcloughlinpost.com
Sincerely,
Diane V. McLoughlin
home
Gaza Page
contact
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