"world peace is none of your business"
-morrissey

Significant that Sawant (and Herz) doesn't care about Arabs being killed in Iraq & Syria -- they only care about Gaza.

OK if Arabs kill Arabs but a no-no if Jews kill Arabs.

I guess it would upset the narrative about imperialism to even mention Iraq & Syria.

What a load of garbage from this paper I have enjoyed reading up until it decided it was a reliable source for reporting on the Arab-Israeli conflict. I am as liberal as they come and have no problem condemning Israel for its actions, but I also have the ability to look at this issue from all sides. I know its painful to agree with any Republican or Fox News reporters on any issue but I can't help but be on Israel's side in this conflict. You should be just as ashamed of yourself for not fully reporting on what Sawant wrote. She wants an end to the conflict and she is not necessarily picking sides.

"We also condemn the indiscriminate rocket attacks by Hamas against the civilian population living in Israel. We stand in solidarity with the ordinary people of Israel and their desire for security, and in particular with the Israeli anti-war movement."

Do your fucking job and report on local issues and where to buy pot. If you really care about the mid-east you would report on the atrocities occurring in Syria and nearly every other Mid-East country instead of continuing to publish this anti-semitic crap.

I could support a resolution condemning Israel IF it was paired with a resolution condemning Hamas. Yes, the deaths have been lopsided, but that due to the fact that Israel, facing rocket attacks and suicide bombers for years, has developed effective countermeasures.

In an ideal world, I would like to see the US (the backer of Israel) sit down with the countries that back Hamas and negotiate an agreement where we start withdrawing aid unless both sides start negotiating for peace.

If everyone who 'knew' which side is the clear offender in the middle-east could be confined into a football stadium then we'd have an accurate scale model of the middle-east.

If there is anything this conflict needs, it's more pointless resolutions by distant bodies.

Certainly if we pile up enough paper these assholes will figure out how to stop killing each other.

Rasmussen: "I believe that it is wrong to condemn one party alone"

Sawant: "We also condemn the indiscriminate rocket attacks by Hamas against the civilian population living in Israel"

If only the letter was even-handed...

You don't have to support Israel in this situation to believe that this kind of statement is meaningless. I am generally not that cynical - I vote for 3rd party candidates, for example, and I supported Occupy Wall Street. But the idea that the Seattle City Council resolution contributes anything positive is delusional. It's like thinking you did your part to stop global warming by giving a harsh look to someone who drives a hummer.

What happens if Seattle says something about this conflict? Nothing. What happens if Seattle says nothing about this conflict? Nothing. Considering nothing is going to happen anyway why not? We can be a city that stands on the side of "please stop killing people". I guess if there's enough time. Are there other pressing matters we need to attend to that should be given priority? I have no idea. If we're not doing anything else, sure, if we could possibly sneak in a bill that would give us better internet choices than Comcast, let's do that instead.

@11
Sure,let's write a letter.
Just add Iraq & Syria.
And North Korea for that matter.
And don't forget Saudi Arabia.
Oh, I forget: Israel wasn't instrumental in horrors of non-white people except Palestinians.

Stupidest Slog poll ever (and that's saying something). Ansel, you're no Lindy West.

heh, some script kiddie decided to vote bomb this quaint little poll. was that really worth it to somehow shout the louder?

For all of you trying to deflect with the a the false notion of being even-handedness or talk about the lack of condemnation for terrorist groups let's get some facts straight:

The US gives Israel more than $3 Billion dollars in military aid each year. The US was the only government on the Human Rights Council that opposed an independent inquiry into possibly Israeli war crimes. The US has used its veto power at the UN more times to shield Israel from condemnation than all the other vetos used by all the other countries COMBINED. Our government is therefore fully complicit in what Israel does by continuing to support it no matter how grotesque it acts. So when every major international human rights organization (Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, UN Human Rights Council) says that Israel is likely committing war crimes against the civilian population in Gaza then our government bears a portion of the blame. It is therefore our obligation, by virtue of our financial and political complicity, to either demand that Israel stop its aggression or to end our support to this belligerent state. Our government is already taking sides on our behalf and therefore it's our job to tell them to stop.

You may want to repeat "why isn't anybody condemning Hamas, or Al Qaeda or ISIS?" The fact is these organizations are universally condemned by our government and our media establishments? I don't think the US supplies them with weapons. I haven't seen the state department offer justifications for why it wasn't their fault when they slaughtered children playing on the beach - but that's exactly what we did for Israel two weeks ago. Enough of this nonsense.

This is why we should take a stand and call for immediate end to all US military aid to Israel - it may not make a difference but I for one would like us to go on record. For all you who disagree -- is this okay with you?

" ... So to summarize, we send Israel $3.6 billion dollars (that money comes from your taxes). They only need $500,000,000 worth of arms to provide for their own defense needs, so they use the rest of the money they get from us to sell incredibly large amounts of a military weaponry to other nations. As it turns out, we are a big part of those weapons sales – the United States government buys $1.2 billion worth of weapons from Israel every year (again with your taxes)."

http://www.polititalk.org/israel-peace/

This is why I stand with Kshama Sewant that we should take a stand and call for immediate end to all US military aid to Israel - it may not make a difference but I for one would like us to go on record. For all you who disagree -- is this okay with you?

" ... So to summarize, we send Israel $3.6 billion dollars (that money comes from your taxes). They only need $500,000,000 worth of arms to provide for their own defense needs, so they use the rest of the money they get from us to sell incredibly large amounts of a military weaponry to other nations. As it turns out, we are a big part of those weapons sales – the United States government buys $1.2 billion worth of weapons from Israel every year (again with your taxes)."

http://www.polititalk.org/israel-peace/

@4: So I'm a self-hating Jew, then? Do go on.

We give Israel billions of dollars in aid every year and resupplied them with munitions during their assault on Gaza. That means we have direct culpability for what Israel does, including Syria.

You undermine genuine charges of anti-Semitism by baselessly throwing the word around here.

Why not? All those "Free Tibet" bumper stickers sure have made a difference.

Mayor Ed Murray opposed the letter, and says Kshama Sawant is "demonizing Israel". Murray is playing the anti-semitism card. To criticize Israel equated with "demonizing" Israel. Get it?

I wouldn't expect the comfortable and privileged powers that be in Seattle would stick their necks out and do the principled thing and vote yes, but this guy would, and does. Listen and be inspired. Seattle talks a lot and in the end, does very little -- historically.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=101…

If we could stop all outside financial and material aid for both sides, and if all of the bad-acting parties would stop all forms of violence against each other - there would be an excellent chance that they could work it out.

None of that will happen in my lifetime, and I'm not going to support the actions of either side. Both sides are doing vile and repugnant things. And both sides are caught up in strong vengeance cycles that overpower the voices of peace on both sides.

Anyone who says that "if we do this now" or "if we do that now" it will be resolved in any way but slaughter is blowing smoke out of their butts. And anyone who gives either side a blanket endorsement is willfully ignoring the evils on both sides and the long, long history of injury inflicted by both sides.

Yes! We should condemn and bomb that dratted tunnel, and put it out of its misery! The downtown tunnel, of course!

GAWD I'm tired of people incorrectly saying anyone who doesn't agree with Israel is "anti-Semitic"
Arabs are Semites.
And you don't have to be Jewish to disagree with the government of Israel anymore than you would be anti-Christian for disagreeing with U.S. government policies!
Israel is guilty of war crimes. They lie, they murder and it's State sponsored and backed by the U.S. That's the difference between what they and others do.
We should pull all aid until they decide to behave like decent Humans again.

GAWD I'm tired of people incorrectly saying anyone who doesn't agree with Israel is "anti-Semitic"
Arabs are Semites.
And you don't have to be Jewish to disagree with the government of Israel anymore than you would be anti-Christian for disagreeing with U.S. government policies!
Israel is guilty of war crimes. They lie, they murder and it's State sponsored and backed by the U.S. That's the difference between what they and others do.
We should pull all aid until they decide to behave like decent Humans again.

"...but go ahead and demonize muslims."

It's too bad some people are still unclear on the fact that Israel is the aggressor, not the victim, and that there is no justification for deliberately targeting schools, hospitals, and civilian neighborhoods. Israel is becoming an international pariah, and rightly so. I appreciate Sawant's action.

@34 Israel is not the aggressor. It is responding to longstanding rocket attacks and other incursions. The Hamas leadership are worthless cowards; They deserve anything Israel can throw at them. The Palestinian people deserve better leadership; until they elect it it they don't get any of my sympathy.

Did the city council ever condemn the attempted murder of 700 gays by an African Muslim immigrant at a night club (Neighbours) in this city in January? Did the city council ever condemn the epidemic of mob attacks that have occurred in this city for over a decade with very little mention in the Stranger even when they happened on Cap Hill? Even when they targeted the most vulnerable residents in this city? A mob assault and robbery of a disabled man on Cap Hill by African immigrants wasn't even noted in this paper which found enough space to cover the Donald Sterling debacle a dozen times. Why would the city council condemn injustices Jews commit in another country when they don't have the balls on condemn the epidemic of civil rights violations certain groups who can not be criticized commit right here in Seattle.

Israel has been abusing its power and the unconditional military and political support that the US has been given using our tax money. I am pleased that we have a local effort to pressure Israel to abide by international laws. Yes even as Washingtonians, we can make a difference.

Murray and Rasmussen show once again that we have the best government money can buy.

International solidarity never makes a difference? Why does Israel spend so much energy and money fighting against the Boycott , Divestment and Sanctions movement? The mass demonstrations the world over ARE having an effect . The City Council should take a stand. Every little bit helps. The only problem with Sawant's letter is that it is too even-handed. Israel kicked out the Palestinians and stole their land. Palestinians have the right to resist the occupation and expulsion. Should we have been even-handedly against the violence of Apartheid South Africa and the Black resistance to Apartheid? The U.S. gives massive aid to Israel, not to Hamas. Our demand should be focused against U.S. aid to Israel, not to the actions of Hamas for fighting back against the occupation. As far as all the other issues named by people , of course we should have solidarity with oppressed people everywhere---but Israel is the biggest recipient of U.S. aid and is now slaughtering Palestinians. This is why this issue is key now.

@40
What about a letter condemning New Zealand and Australia for taking the aboriginal peoples' land?

@20: The "including Syria" part is a typo.

There should be a third choice:
Should the Seattle City Council take a stance in favor of Israel's legitimate right of self-defense against a regime that has spent billions of international aid dollars to stockpile missiles and build an elaborate system of tunnels to attack and kill Israelis?

There should be a third choice:
Should the Seattle City Council take a stance in favor of Israel's legitimate right of self-defense against a regime that has spent billions of international aid dollars to stockpile missiles and build an elaborate system of tunnels to attack and kill Israelis?

What biased language in the polling question itself. Hamas has fired over 12,000 missiles at civilian targets in Israel, has kidnapped and killed the three teenagers (including an American), and has built at least 35 tunnels into Israeli towns to kill and kidnap Israelis. The Stranger's "Yes" option asks people if the City Council should take a stand against "a fundamental moral outrage." What a one-sided biased question. Perhaps the City Council should take a stand against Hamas abuse of its own civilians, demanding that they act as human shields, shooting missiles from schools, hospitals, and mosques, and placing its military headquarters inside hospitals.

This poll is ridiculous and biased, and based on ignorance, false manipulations of reality, and antisemitism. It's very interesting that the only 2 options are: "Yes, we should condemn Israel" and "No, we should not get involved".

The truth is the 3 option: we should all condemn Hamas, the terror organization whose charter calls for the annihilation of of Israel and of all the Jews off the face of the Earth, who has fired thousands of rockets on Israel for more than a decade, who has placed millions of civilians in bomb shelters. Who is using its own civilian and children as human shields, firing from schools and hospitals, preventing civilians from leaving targets after the IDF has made every effort to warn them to evacuate.

Hamas is trying to kill as many Israeli civilians and also tries to maximize Palestinians casualties. For Israel, any Palestinian casualty is a tragedy, a mistake, something that they try to avoid at almost all costs.

That's not all. Hamas killed hundreds of Palestinians when it came to power, and kills any Gazan civilian who dares to speak against them (and of course those poor executed Palestinians are then presented as martyr murdered by the Israelis). Hamas has no credibility and uses lies and manipulations to trick the media.

Hamas rejoiced in the streets after 9/11 and condemned the US's killing of Osama Bin Laden.

That's not all. If you think Israel is fighting over land you couldn't be more wrong. This is not about land, this is about western civilization and values. Hamas is just a part of global Jihad. Their goal is to force extreme Islam on the entire world. Hamas is Al-Qeada, Hamas is ISIS. Hamas is Iran. You just have to open your eyes and listen to what they openly say in order realize that. If Israel loses, they won't stop there.

The City Council should vote in favor of peace. This draft letter singles out one side of the conflict to lose their funding. This is shameless and hateful.

Her letter contains inaccuracies to justify her stance and miseducate the uncareful reader. It has been shown that a missile from Hamas hit the UNRWA facility that is being blamed on Israel. There is video of Hamas firing from houses and near hotels. There is evidence of Hamas moving bodies and posing living people to stage 'massacres' at UNRWA facilities. No where does Sawant call out or condemn Hamas' war crimes of using civilians shields or continued firing during cease fires

Hamas, having used their funding to build tunnels instead of schools, to buy bombs instead of books, to train their children to how hate and kill instead of how to live in peace, they are the ones that should lose all their funding. Certainly from the US, as well as the funds used on Hamas' behalf through the UN. The Hamas leadership has shown that they will use it for their grand houses and expensive cars instead of what it was intended to do - Help the Palestinian people.

Sawant does not call for the US to help the Palestinian people. She is calling to harm Israel. That call to action into question her intentions. Hateful, hurtful, and unhelpful draft letters are not what I want from my politicians, whether or not they are in regard to citizens of Seattle or citizens of Israel or Gaza.

It's frightening that almost 50% of people agree with her. Think of that the next time you fly on an airplane, go into a hospital... On one side we have a group of people who have given so much to mankind. There isn't a history of animosity, just being a victim. On the other side we have a group whose most memorable gift to the planet is the term "suicide bomber."

The Seattle City Council has a history of speaking out about international politics including against the Iraq war. While there are many horrible events happening throughout the Middle East, indeed the world, the US is uniquely complicit in Israel's occupation, siege, oppression of the Palestinian people by our political, military, and moral support of Israel. Our tax dollars go to Israel for the protection of Israelis while nothing goes towards the protection of Gazans; the US blantantly ignores what the Palestinians need for their security, for their freedom and self-determination. Many of the munitions that have killed people in Gaza, destroyed civilian homes, mosques, school, hospitals, infrastructure have 'Made in USA' on them. Our tax dollars help to maintain a crippling blockade in Gaza and the checkpoints and military infrastructure that holds the Palestinians in the West Bank hostage to the limitations of a brutal occupation that has imprisoned thousands of people, including those who non violently protest against their occupiers. WHY NOT make a statement against the bombing of Gaza?? Surely we can all agree there are better ways to bring peace than more bombs? But to do this we will have to face the reality that the Palestinians want exactly what the Israelis are asking for: to be recognized as a people & to be given equal rights.

Gaza is different than other atrocities in the world. Gaza allows new standards of mans inhumanity to man to be set. The Zionists that hide behind anti-Semitism are setting new standards of vice when it comes to war. Anytime you use white phosphorous to kill innocent victims in their sleep you set a new standard. The Zionists do not even have the people take off their clothes and put them in rooms before they gas them. They do not even trick them into thinking they are taking a shower. They do not round them up, put them on trains or even collect the dead and put them in a mass grave. Nothing - they kill them in their sleep and suffer nor fear any consequences because the world at large is setting new standards for tolerating genocide. The new tolerance for war atrocities in our human psyche is the true tragedy of Gaza.

I would like to see all of you ignorant people condemn Israel when ISIS and other similar radical Islamic fundamentalists knock on your doors. Apparently, you guys will only understand their true intentions when (god forbid) another Sep 11 will occur or when someone will put a gun to your heads and force you to become a Muslim or die...
So sad...

And just in case, to all supporters of Hamas, here's a reminder what you support: http://gopthedailydose.com/2014/04/02/mu….

Alternative question:
"Should Seattle Take a Position on Gaza's Rocketing of Israel?"

@60 - you are ignorant to say the least. Hamas, as the rest of the terror orgs, aren't fighting guerrilla war, they are fighting Gihad war to eliminate you, me, any goodness and any democracy there is around the world.
Not supporting Israel in this fight, is supporting Hamas and shooting yourself in the leg. Because today, the fight is with Israel or with the Kurds in Iraq, tomorrow, it's in a theater near you...
Do you need another September 11 to understand who you are dealing with?!
Israel hasn't committed any war crime during this fight. A country cannot stand still when its citizens are being targeted by thousands of rockets on daily basis. Israel is targeting Hamas targets and when those are embedded within civilian areas, it gives notice and warning before attacking. Civilians have more than enough time to vacate. The only one who is committing war crime here is Hamas:
1. They are shooting rockets on civilian populated areas.
2. They are shooting from within populated areas in Gaza, using their own people as human shields (including women and children).
3. They prevent their own civilians from leaving those populated civilian areas, from which they are shooting at Israel, so Israel will not shoot back at them.
4. They are murdering their own people, if god forbid, anyone dares to protest against them.
5. News reporters that visited Gaza are reporting that their lives were threatened and they could not report the truth about what was really going on until they left Gaza. Only when they left, they felt secure and reported that Israel was right and that Hamas was indeed hiding behind civilians etc.
Sorry to shove reality in your face, but that IS the truth and that IS what's happening in Israel, Gaza, Iraq and in your back yard while your are asleep.
It's time to wake up!!

Do you need another September 11 to understand who you are dealing with?!

Oh. You can just fuck right off with that bullshit.

Do YOU need another disastrous trillion dollar invasion of Iraq to understand what YOU'RE dealing with?

War as a response to terror is barbaric and doesn't work.

Israel has killed over TEN to ONE Palestinians for every Israeli since Hamas started rocket attacks. TEN to ONE. Most innocent women and children. And it hasn't done SHIT to end terrorism.

Sorry to shove reality in YOUR face. Child murderer.

These are my principles for finding out who is at fault

1. You are not permitted to attack other people in order to hurt or kill them.
2. Any person who is attacked by someone else has the right to defend himself.
3. The attacker bears the responsibility for getting hurt or killed, the defender doies not.
4. Shouting and repeating a lie often results in many people who think the lie is true.
5. Failing to acknowledge prior agreements citing ancient history means you deny reality

Hamas is an attacker who denies Israel the right to defend itself. Hamas justifies attacking by citing ancient customs and denying the current reality.

I guess there are three standards by which countries are judged when it comes to human rights:
totalitarian countries, western countries and Israel.
No human right resolutions were made condemning any arab country for violating women, LGTBQ rights or killing and imprisoning people who do not agree with them (including Hammas who just last week executed 20 protesters in Gaza)..
no human right resolutions were made against China, Russia or any other country as much as were made against Israel where it has women rights, LGBTQ rights and people can express there opinions fore and against the war publicly.

this letter is pure hypocrisy.

An open letter to the Seattle City Council

Dear Seattle City Council Members,

I am a concerned citizen of Washington State. As a citizen, I feel very strongly that the letter that Council Member Sawant wishes to adopt is thoroughly misguided. While I agree with her that war is terrible, sometimes they have to be fought. It shouldn't be forgotten that the people of Gaza did vote in a terrorist organization to govern them. And now when that organization, Hamas, continues to bombard Israel on routine basis (present cease fire withstanding), I'm really shocked that Israel hasn't responded before now.

To put things more in perspective can you imagine our (the USA's ) response if Vancouver, BC should start shelling Seattle? And Gaza is much closer to Israeli population centers than Vancouver is to Seattle.

Another point to ponder, Israel had refrained from attacking until the murder by Hamas of the three Israeli teenagers combined with the need to stop the rockets and destroy the tunnels-tunnels which were built by Hamas for the sole reason of striking terror and committing massacres in Israel.

If the Gazans want peace, Israel is more than ready to let them have Gaza in peace. Israel would even be happy to open the borders if Hamas would repudiate their attempts to annihilate Israel. Israel has given up land for peace before. They captured the Sinai Desert after winning the Six Day War. During that war Israel was the one attacked. But to achieve peace with Egypt, Israel gave the land back. How often in history has a country that won a war- a war when they were not the aggressor given up conquered territory? I don't think you will find very many examples.

And even now, Israel had withdrawn from Gaza years ago. The only reason they imposed the current blockade to begin with was because of Hamas' practice of sending suicide bombers and their persistent launching of rockets at Israel. I literally tremble to think what force of arms Hamas might have been bringing to bear against Israel if there had been open borders all this time. Hamas is a terrorist organization whose charter calls not just for the dissolution but the annihilation of Israel. When an enemy is bent on your destruction, there really can't be any other answer but to fight-sometimes preemptively but definitely when attacked.

If any of you should think by my email that I am not upset by what is happening in Gaza, you'd be wrong. But a friend on Facebook actually made a very pertinent post today. On FB he wrote:

Being sensitive and caring is good.
Being so sensitive and so caring that we ignore facts and history and genocidal intent is unwise.
It's important to use our hearts and our heads.
It's vital to look beyond hate and propaganda.

There is definitely a pro-Gazan propaganda in most of the news stories reported- even on the major news outlets. It's not really hard to understand. Reporters are looking for a good gripping story. Presenting things as a David (Gaza) fighting against a Goliath (Israel) makes a more compelling story for them. But is it all true? Fatality accounts come from the Gazan government which is headed by Hamas. The reporters and photographers in Gaza are there on Hamas' sufferance. They are literally in danger of their lives if they report something that doesn't fit Hamas' narrative. And have you noticed that in the pictures coming out of Gaza, there are almost never photos of men? The photos are mainly of women and children. If there are men in the photos, they are usually elderly. There aren't many photos floating around that I've seen of men of the age to be actively fighting against Israel. And yet while men of the ages of 20-29
(prime ages for being a member of Hamas' military wing) only account for 7% of Gaza's population, they make up 34% of the deaths currently in Gaza implying that these men are part of Hamas' military and are actively fighting against Israel. The Israelis have the right to defend themselves, and the moral justification is on their side.

The following news story is report of a recent pro-Israel protest outside CNN in New York that I think nicely sums up many of the points I've made-

http://honestreporting.com/joe-hyams-at-…

In closing I want to reiterate my strong disapproval of Kshama Sawant's letter again. If the Seattle City Council should decide to send any letter regarding the situation, then I think it should be something along the lines that Israel has the legal and moral right to defend itself against Hamas- a terrorist organization that has sworn to annihilate Israel. And that Hamas bears the blame for the current situation in Gaza.

Thank you for your kind attention to my email.

Sincerely,

#68 you should learn your history. America did not give any weapons to Israel till after 1967. Actually during the independence war of Israel (1947-1949) there was an American embargo on weapons.

#68 The Jews are not the outsiders. Israel is their country from which they were exiled 2000 years ago. They have more rights in that country than you and I have in our country. So unless we are willing to give up our houses, land and give it back to the local tribes we cannot judge them as outsiders.