Dems Unite w/ Republicans to Continue Genocide and Launch Fascist Repression Against Protected Free Speech and Press Rights
Democrats handed the incoming Trump administration, their AIPAC sponsors and Israel two major victories yesterday November 20.
Joint Resolution of Disapproval, Sanders Bill, Fails
A “Joint Resolution of Disapproval” (JRD) offered in the US Senate by Vermont Independent (who caucuses with Democratic Party) Senator Bernie Sanders to symbolically withhold some weapons systems from sales to Israel (Israel uses US tax dollars for the purchases) was roundly defeated.
Earlier this week, the US Senate Hart building was occupied by protesters demanding the passage of the JRD and to fund jobs, education and health care, not genocide.
In the lead up to the vote, the White House quietly issued talking papers accusing those of supporting the Senate resolution, which was largely symbolic as it was not a complete arms embargo, of aiding Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran as was reported by Huffington Post.
Huffington Post reported that Biden “administration officials are suggesting lawmakers who vote against the arms are empowering American and Israeli foes from Iran to the militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah, which the U.S. treats as terror organizations.”
That smear by the Biden Administration is similar to the pro-Israel smear of anyone who criticizes Israel as being anti-Semitic, pro-Hamas, a nazi or a terrorist – a false smear that has been adopted by both the Republican and the Democratic parties – with just a hand full of dissenters among the Democrats.
In a follow up Huffington Post reports that AIPAC, DMFI (Democratic Majority for Israel), US Senator for Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and other pro-Israel entities and officials pushed hard against the Sanders bill. There were 3 separate votes for 3 separate weapons systems to be opposed, because the use of those systems to slaughter 1000s of Palestinians, with the votes receiving 78, 79 and 80 votes respectively. Republicans were unanimous and Democrats had 19, 18 or 17 supporting each respectively. The US Senate Democrats were about 60% in favor of there being no weapons withheld from the US – Israel genocide operation.
9495 Fascist Bill Advances to Allow Smear to Kill Non Profit Groups and to Coerce Repression of Student Movements on US Campuses
In another example of Democrats uniting with Trump and the Republicans – in this case in support of fascist repression against pro-Palestine organizations and freedom supporters, Democrats again split their vote like they did about a week ago (when 2/3 majority was needed on a fast track) to deliver a victory for Trump and the Republicans. The tally was 219 in favor of the fascist measure and 184 against. A statement of the work of all those who lobbied and pressured opposing 9495 – while the earlier vote registered 52 YAYs from Democrats – this vote only yielded 15 so some of those 52 refrained from voting and others might have converted to No. It is also possible some might still register their votes. The 3 NJ Democrats, Pallone, Norcross and Gottheimer that voted YAY in the first round are NOT listed among the 15 that voted YAY (so far) this time around:
Allred Democratic Texas Yea
Caraveo Democratic Colorado Yea
Case Democratic Hawaii Yea
Cuellar Democratic Texas Yea
Davis (NC) Democratic North Carolina Yea
Golden (ME) Democratic Maine Yea
Gonzalez, V. Democratic Texas Yea
Lee (NV) Democratic Nevada Yea
Moskowitz Democratic Florida Yea
Panetta Democratic California Yea
Perez Democratic Washington Yea
Schneider Democratic Illinois Yea
Suozzi Democratic New York Yea
Torres (CA) Democratic California Yea
Wasserman Schultz Democratic Florida Yea
Nonetheless the Democrats split their vote as they often do – giving victory to the Republican sponsored measure in the House. The bill now queues up in the US Senate. There it can be delayed or it can be voted on. The vote could be closer but if there is not absolute Democrat unity in the Senate and if a Jon Fetterman (D-PA) or Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and a few others vote for it – it can pass. It would then head to Biden’s desk for signing – he has not stated a position on it so he could indeed sign it. If it is not passed in the US Senate this session it can be requeued after the 2025 transition and it will likely succeed at that point.
Hats off to all of those who kept the pressure on at least turned some of the votes back from the earlier tally.
The other pro-Israel fascist measure in motion is Chuck Schumer, D-NY trying to sneak the fascist IHRA false definition of anti-Semitism to include having questions about the policies of US support for Israel into the Defense bill.
So after months of Democrats telling voters to unite with them against Trump and Republican “fascism,” the Democrats are showing their fascist colors by voting to defeat a measure to prevent arming of genocidal Israel (if genocide is not fascist, not sure what is) as well as fascist measures 9495 and the IHRA definition being coded through back door sneak on the Defense Bill.
Our response needs to be to continue to pressure – on 9495 pressuring the US Senate to vote it down or not move it forward.
Our other task is to use each of these developments to educate voters as to how to evaluate false promises of Democrats to fight fascism while in actual fact they are hopelessly supportive of Israel and that includes willingness to eliminate our protected free speech rights so that Israel doctrine can be used to repress and harm pro-Palestine voters and residents of the US who dare to speak out in face of the many dangers from bipartisan unity in support of Israel and fascism in the USA.
There are likely to be additional measures introduced in 2025 to broaden the definition of so-called anti-Semitism to include any reference to Israel in negative light and any mention of Palestinians in a positive light. Those bills will likely result in unity from republicans and a split from the Democrats that – along with the incoming Republican majorities in both houses – will allow such fascist measures to pass.
Sadly both the Democrats and Republicans are unified in support of Israel and in support of fascist measures to prevent US citizens and residents from exercising our protected free speech rights to oppose genocide and support an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine and a FREE PALESTINE!
Keep the pressure on to the legislative process and be advised that we are going to need to find ways to continue to say Palestine Every Day. And if they make that illegal – we will say Free Palestine ANY WAY!
