In other words, the speaker of the House has provided the Israeli prime minister with a global platform to both attack our president and deliver a campaign message to voters at home.
McCollum’s official website features her decision and a link to her op-ed, which also gets top billing on her Facebook page. Rep. McCollum was a J-Street endorsed candidate in 2014.
Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA- 7) @RepJimMcDermott 1035 Longworth Hob Washington, DC 20515 (202) 225-3106 Rep. McDermott issued press release during last summer’s Operation Protective Edge expressing “distress” over “reports that Israel has attacked hospitals, ambulances and medical personnel in its on-going military offensive in the Gaza Strip.” Although his language was not accusatory, he did not issue any press releases condemning Hamas or informing his constituents that Hamas placed fighters and launched rockets alongside and within humanitarian sites such as hospitals. In 2010, McDermott was a leader of the “Gaza 54” in which 54 Members of Congress called on President Obama to press for immediate relief for the Palestinian Arab residents of the Gaza Strip. Rep. McDermott was a J Street-endorsed candidate in 2014.
Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA-2) @RepMcGovern House Comm. on Rules 438 Cannon HOB Washington, DC 20515 phone: 202-225-6101 fax: 202-225-5759 On Feb. 26, Rep. McGovern issued a terse six sentence statement on his decision not to attend Netanyahu’s speech. In that statement McGovern calls the invitation a breach of protocol and common sense, and criticizes House Speaker Boehner for using the House Chamber as a “platform for a foreign leader to run his re-election campaign.” McGovern said that Netanyahu’s speech should wait “until after the Israeli election and after the Iran nuclear negotiations deadline.” Rep. McGovern was a J Street-endorsed candidate in 2014.
Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY-5)) @GregoryMeeks 2234 Rayburn HOBWashington, DC 20515Phone: (202) 225-3461 Fax: (202) 226-4169 On Feb. 11, 2015, Rep. Meeks issued the following statement, which appears on his official website as well as on his Facebook page, explaining why he will not be attending Netanyahu’s speech:
The United States – Israel relationship is one of the most important that we have. My commitment to Israel remains steadfast and my support for one of our greatest and most trusted allies is unwavering. Unfortunately, I will not be present during Prime Minister Netanyahu’s address to Congress. Just two weeks shy of an election in Israel, and without advance notice to the Administration, House Republican Leadership has broken protocol and invited the Prime Minister to speak before Congress. It is a breach of decorum for Republicans to break established norms and the bipartisan spirit of cooperation that we have had toward Israel, and I am disappointed in my colleagues for engaging our allies in domestic partisan ploys. However, my decision not to attend the speech is in no way a reflection of my support for Israel which remains strong.
Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX-16) @RepBetoORourke Freshman. 1330 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 202-225-4831 O’Rourke, a recent Columbia University graduate, explained why he won’t be attending Netanyahu’s speech in an op-ed in the El Paso Times. His pride in boycotting Bibi is also the top post on his Facebook page.
But by politicizing the U.S.-Israel relationship with an address which will be seen as a refutation of our foreign policy and our president, one that will take place two weeks before national elections in Israel, Prime Minister Netanyahu and Speaker Boehner are playing a destructive and reckless game with the U.S.- Israel relationship and will potentially upset the delicate state of our negotiations with Iran and our leadership of the P5+1.
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