[Peace-discuss] Fwd: TAKE ACTION: AIPAC Banned by Rep. McCollum

[Robert Naiman]

I thought y'all would enjoy this. I certainly did.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation <
uscampaign at mail.democracyinaction.org>
Date: May 19, 2006 3:26 PM
Subject: TAKE ACTION: AIPAC Banned by Rep. McCollum
To: naiman.uiuc at gmail.com



<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=127024922&url_num=1&url=http://www.endtheoccupation.org/>

*TAKE ACTION: AIPAC Banned by Rep. McCollum (MN-4)*


* **TAKE ACTION:  **Rep. Betty McCollum* (D-MN-4) has banned the American
Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) from her office until she receives a
formal, written apology from AIPAC for equating her vote in the House
International Relations Committee against HR4681, the Palestinian
Anti-Terrorism Act, with "support for terrorists".

Please take a moment to thank Rep. McCollum for her stance against
HR4681 and for her courage to stand up to AIPAC's mischaracterization of
her.  You can call her office directly at *202-225-6631 *or call the Capitol
switchboard toll-free at *1-888-355-3588 *and ask to be transferred to her
office.

If no one is able to take your call, please leave a brief message of thanks
along with your name and address so that Rep. McCollum can get in touch with
you.  *Please call today!!*

New York Review of Books

   - Volume 53, Number 10 June 8,
2006<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=127024922&url_num=2&url=http://www.nybooks.com/contents/20060608>

*http://www.nybooks.com/articles/19063<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=127024922&url_num=3&url=http://www.nybooks.com/articles/19063>
*
A LETTER TO AIPAC By Betty
McCollum<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=127024922&url_num=4&url=http://www.nybooks.com/authors/12173>

*The letter below was sent by Representative Betty McCollum, a Democrat from
**Minnesota**, to the executive director of AIPAC. The bill mentioned, H.R.
4681, the Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act of 2006, would place so many
restraints on aid to the Palestinian people, and so many restrictions on the
administration's ability to deal with the Palestinians, that even the State
Department has opposed it. AIPAC has strongly backed it. The Senate version
of the bill, S. 2237, would allow the administration far more flexibility.
On April 6, the House International Relations Committee passed H.R. 4681 by
a vote of 36 to 2; McCollum was one of the two nays. As of May 11, AIPAC has
yet to respond to her demand for an apology.*

*-Michael Massing*

April 10, 2006

Mr. Howard Kohr
Executive Director
American Israel Public Affairs Committee
440 First Street, NW; Suite 600
Washington, D.C. 20001

Dear Mr. Kohr:

During my nineteen years serving in elected office, including the past five
years as a Member of Congress, never has my name and reputation been
maligned or smeared as it was last week by a representative of AIPAC. Last
Friday, during a call with my chief of staff, an AIPAC representative from
Minnesota who has frequently lobbied me on behalf of your organization
stated, "on behalf of herself, the Jewish community, AIPAC, and the voters
of the Fourth District, Congresswoman McCollum's *support for
terrorists*will not be tolerated." Ironically, this individual, who
does not even live
in my congressional district, feels free to speak for my constituents.

This response may have been the result of extreme emotion or irrational
passion, but regardless, it is a hateful attack that is vile and offensive
to me and the families I represent. I call on AIPAC to immediately condemn
this un-American attack and disavow any attempt to use this type of threat
and intimidation to stifle legitimate policy differences. I will not stand
to be labeled or threatened in a manner that questions my patriotism or my
oath of office.

Last week, I did vote against *H.R. 4681* during mark-up of the bill in the
House International Relations Committee. As a Member of Congress sworn to
uphold the Constitution, and ensure the security of the US and represent the
values and beliefs of the constituents who I serve, it was my view that *H.R.
4681* goes beyond the State Department's current policies toward Hamas and
the Palestinian Authority and potentially undermines the US position
vis-à-vis the coordinated international pressure on Hamas. The language
contained in *S. 2237* accurately reflects my position.

Keeping diplomatic pressure on Hamas to renounce terrorism, recognize the
State of Israel, dismantle terrorist infrastructure, and honor past
agreements and treaty obligations, while preventing a humanitarian crisis
among the Palestinian people, are all policy goals already strongly
supported by myself, the Bush administration, Congress and the American
people. But, if the purpose of *H.R. 4681* was to send another strong
message to Hamas and the Palestinian people, as Congress already has sent
with the passage of *S. Con. Res. 79*, then I disagree with the vehicle for
that message. In my opinion, Congress should be articulating clear support
for the Secretary of State's present course of action; not creating a new
law which likely diminishes the diplomatic tools needed to advance US policy
goals with regard to the Palestinian people, potentially cuts US funding to
the United Nations, and largely restates current law while creating on-going
and burdensome unfunded reporting requirements.

As you well know, in Congress we do not shy away from condemning the vile
words of despots and dictators who use anti-Semitism as a weapon to incite
hatred, fear and violence. AIPAC should not have a lower standard for
persons affiliated and representing its organization when they label a
Member of Congress who thinks for herself and always puts the interest of
our nation and people first a supporter of terrorists.

You and your colleagues at AIPAC have the right to disagree with my position
on any piece of legislation, but for an AIPAC representative to say that I
would ever vote to support Middle East terrorists over the interests of my
country will never be tolerated by me or the families I serve. This incident
rises to a level in which a formal, written apology is required.

Mr. Kohr, I am a supporter of a strong US-Israeli relationship and my voting
record speaks for itself. This will not change. But until I receive a
formal, written apology from your organization I must inform you that AIPAC
representatives are not welcome in my offices or for meetings with my staff.

Betty McCollum
Member of Congress
4th District, Minnesota
Washington, D.C.


-- 
Robert Naiman
Just Foreign Policy
www.justforeignpolicy.org

"...to involve the two countries in a war, and trusting to escape scrutiny,
by fixing the public gaze upon the exceeding brightness of military glory --
that attractive rainbow, that rises in showers of blood, that serpent's eye,
that charms to destroy – [President Polk] plunged into it, and has swept, on
and on, till, disappointed in his calculation of the ease with which Mexico
might be subdued, he now finds himself, he knows not where…" Abraham
Lincoln, speech to the House of Representatives against the war with Mexico,
Jan. 12, 1848.
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