Renee Parsons<\/p>\n
It may be impossible for a functioning mind, a rationally thinking person to understand how the world, the entire planet of 195 countries allowed Israel\u2019s brutal genocide against Palestinian children and its families to occur on a daily basis, consistently for more than two years.<\/p>\n
Specifically, equally puzzling to grasp how the American public returned to its shallow material world,\u00a0 <\/span>to avoid the painful reality that it was a US President, the one who campaigned and was elected as a Peace President who created an appalling dilemma.\u00a0 <\/span>That same President supplied Israel with $22 B worth<\/span><\/a> of\u00a0 <\/span>weapons, missiles and bombs\u00a0 <\/span>to conduct an incessant violent attack on a defenseless Gaza population.<\/p>\n While over $4 billion worth of weapons were transferred almost immediately from U.S. stocks\u00a0which no doubt contributed to the US weapon shortfall for the war with Iran, the Gaza war was perhaps the first obvious identification of a long-term US-Israel alliance to function as one coordinated military campaign.<\/p>\n That military effort saw no relief from the hundreds of devastated schools, twelve universities, over 1900 hospitals and residential neighborhoods especially targeted doctors, medical personnel, ambulances, journalists and anyone who happened to be in the way, even a child throwing stones \u2013 all accomplished with American weapons and no apology.<\/p>\n Without US taxpayer funding, Israel\u2019s unspeakable destruction on Gaza which included elimination of its water supply, its sewer and electric systems would not have occurred as the US would not be complicit with Israel war crimes.<\/p>\n Given the intersection between the US funds supporting Israel\u2019s foreign policy, there has been no evidence of a conscience within the Trump Administration or within the majority of Congress who sat idly by reading the WSJ.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Since the Gaza genocide, Israel has been in violation of international law that protected the Palestinian territory in the West Bank and have killed over 1000 Palestinians, demolishing 6,000 Palestinian home with 200 new illegal settlements in Palestinian territory. Development within the West Bank is consistent with Israel government policy sweeping changes in removing constraints on West Bank\u2019s legal status for settlement expansion.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n As long as mainstream media does not divulge details of Israel\u2019s on going mass slaughter of an estimated 236,000 civilians or the connection between the US funding Israel\u2019s foreign policy, the American public remains comfortably immune from any responsibility for the fate of Gaza\u2019s 2.2 million population.<\/p>\n Contributing to US-Israel participation as war criminals was an inventory of US-supplied attack aircraft were F-15s, F-16s, and F-35s including most of its attack helicopters.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If the US decreased its weapons to Israel, the war in Lebanon would be equally diminished as Sanders\u2019 joint resolution of congressional disapproval would have impacted the proposed military equipment sale to Israel of those \u2018defense\u2019 articles.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n As the US Congress appear preoccupied with enabling wars, there was no serious effort to stop either of the Isreal wars or the war of aggression against Iran just as there has been no real concern about the ever-expanding $39 Trillion federal debt largely attributed to US wars in the last fifty years. \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n On April 15th<\/sup><\/span>, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt), a moral voice in the Senate,\u00a0 <\/span>proposed\u00a0 <\/span>SJ Res 138<\/span><\/a>, a joint resolution for congressional disapproval of the proposed foreign military sale to the Government of Israel of certain defense articles and services.<\/p>\n Those defense articles included $151 M for 12,000 1,000 pound bombs and $295 M for armed bulldozers for military operations capable of leveling entire communities.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>us \u2019sold\u2019 not happen\/us \u2018gifts to israel\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>\u2026AIPAC $ illegal horrific and expansion policy of israel \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The Senate record shows the Sanders vote lost on a 63- 36 vote<\/span><\/a> with eleven Democratic Senators voted NO on the bombs issue with all GOP Senators voting against Sanders.\u00a0 <\/span>Those No Senate Dem votes included\u00a0 <\/span>their\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cIsrael Lobby Total\u201d funding not just their PAC donations\u00a0 <\/span>: Senators Blumenthal $1.7 M (Conn), Fetterman $2 M (Pa),\u00a0 <\/span>Rosen $7.6 M (Nev),\u00a0 <\/span>Schumer $6.5 M (NY),\u00a0 <\/span>Gillibrand\u00a0 <\/span>$3.3 M (NY),\u00a0 <\/span>Coons\u00a0 <\/span>$1.7 M (Del), Cortez Masto\u00a0 <\/span>3.7 M (Nev),\u00a0 <\/span>Reed\u00a0 <\/span>$1 M (RI), Peters\u00a0 <\/span>$3.3 M (Mich), Warner (Va) and $3 M, Whitehouse (RI). \u00a0 <\/span>$1.5 M with Sen. Tillis (NC) \u2018Not Voting\u2019.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Sen. Chris van Hollen<\/a><\/span>, one of the Senate\u2019s Member who does not accept AIPAC campaign funds, spoke in favor of Sander\u2019s Resolution reminded the Senate that only Congress has power to declare war and that no President has that authority.<\/p>\n On the House side, on April 16th<\/sup><\/span> a vote on the War Powers Resolution<\/span><\/a> lost by one vote\u00a0 <\/span>213-214 <\/span><\/a> with one GOP vote in favor of the Resolution: Rep. Tom Massie (Ky) while\u00a0 <\/span>one Democrat voted No against War Powers:\u00a0 <\/span>Rep. Jared Golden (Me) $3.7 M from AIPAC (2025-2026). \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Four Non Voting GOP Members were\u00a0 <\/span>Reps. Boebert (Colo), Davidson (Ohio), Mace (Ky.) and Kean (NJ).\u00a0 <\/span>Obviously, if any of those four had voted in favor of War Powers would have been sufficient to adopt the Resolution.<\/p>\n It is essential to consider that every Member who receives AIPAC funding or other extracurricular campaign donations are receiving those funds in addition to $175 K salary plus generous federal benefits even after their term in office is complete; benefits like health care, retirement pension and reimbursement for staff.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n Out of 535 Members of Congress, approximately 21 Members totally \u201creject AIPAC funds citing a preference to base foreign policy decisions on human rights and international law.\u2019 <\/i> \u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n