Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) was the lone member of the House to vote against a resolution equating criticism of the modern state of Israel with antisemitism.
The resolution passed in a vote of 412-1-1, as Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) voted “present.” The bill states that the House “reaffirms the State of Israel has the right to exist” and “recognizes that denying Israel’s right to exist is a form of antisemitism.”
Massie explained his opposition in a post on X. “I agree with the title ‘Reaffirming the State of Israel’s Right to Exist’ and much of the language, but I’m voting No on the resolution because it equates anti-Zionism with antisemitism. Antisemitism is deplorable, but expanding it to include criticism of Israel is not helpful,” he wrote.
Tlaib said she didn’t vote in favor of the resolution because it “ignores the existence of the Palestinian people” and “brings us no closer to peaceful coexistence.” The resolution states that Jewish people are “native to the Land of Israel” without mentioning that the modern state was founded mainly by recently emigrated Jewish Europeans who drove over 700,000 native Palestinian Arabs out of the land in 1948.
Massie has voted against other Israel-related legislation, including a bill to give Israel $14.3 billion more in military aid to support its war in Gaza. For his position, Massie has been targeted by the Israel lobby.
“Why does Israel historically get more foreign aid than any other country? Because they have the most aggressive lobbyists working for them. I voted NOT to send another $14.3 billion overseas, so now they’re running ads on radio, TV, and facebook. I won’t vote to give them your $,” Massie wrote on X on November 16.
One honest person is worth more than the entire pile of excrement representing the American people in DC.
amen
We are witnessing an open genocide in action, word and deed as people mostly from other countries have invaded Palestine, had the UN to gift them a big chunk, and have taken 80 or more percent of the remainder. The people whose families have been there for 1000s of years have become refugees in their historical homeland. This is not honest, justice or fair in any way.
In 1948, Zionists took 78%. In 1967, Zionists took the remaining 22%. It is one state ,with the largest group, Palestinians, having no rights. Since 2006, Gaza has been a concentration camp for the Palestinians,with no movement in or out of Gaza (except for rare instances), limited food, potable water, electricity, fuel, medicines. A blockade instituted by the Zionists, with the aid of the “indispensable one”, the U.S. of Atrocities. So, who are the terrorists?
78% of what? Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza combined comprise a whopping 10% or so of Palestine. Jordan controls the rest.
What? Which of the many (many!) versions of Palestine do you think is 90% controlled by Jordan?
Jordan is Palestine. Or, rather, 90% of Palestine.
No, Jordan is Jordan; Palestine is Palestine. The territories were divided by UK under their mandate; and the Jordanian part, while 75% of the original mandate, is SEPARATE from the remaining 25%.
If you’re referring to the region known as Palestine, you’re incorrect. Jordan is part of that region, and per your logic, if Jordan isn’t part of Palestine, neither is Israel, so “problem solved, heckuva job, Brownie.”
If you’re referring to the state of Palestine, you’re correct. It does not include Jordan. And it does include quite a bit of territory occupied by the Israelis.
There was never a country or even an officially designated region called “palestine” that consisted of Jordan and Palestine EXCEPT for the artificial drawings of the Mandates in the Sykes-Picot agreement; And THAT only lasted until 1921, when “Transjordan was split off as a “quasi independent” kingdom..
The Ottoman turkish provinces didn’t correspond to that; in fact parts of both were included, with Lebanon, at different times as “greater Syria”. Throughout history, “Palestine” has been an informal generic geographic term, not a political entity. Where do you see anything that recognizes a “geographic region” of Palestine consisting of what is now Israel, Jordan, and the occupied territories except for the three years between 1918-1921?
There’s a question mark at the end of that, but I was unable to sort out your dueling counter-claims of how Palestine can magically not only be whatever you want it to be at any given moment now, but can also have been whatever you want find it convenient to have been at any given moment throughout history, because REASONS.
That’s ridiculous. There is no “historically defined Palestine” matching your description.
Find a time when YOUR definition of “Palestine” applied – other than the arbitrary lines drawn for the initial mandate.
“Palestine” has since 1921 been defined as what is now Israel and the occupied territories. Jordan is Jordan. Jordan is NOT “Palestine”.
“Find a time when YOUR definition of ‘Palestine’ applied – other than the arbitrary lines drawn for the initial mandate.”
Just one time? OK, 132 to 390 AD, when it was the Roman province “Syria Palaestina.”
That’s incorrect; “Syria Palaestina” did NOT incorporate the vast majority of Jordan, nor did it include all of present day Israel. See the map at https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/Palestine_according_to_Eusbius_and_Jerome_-_Smith_1915.jpg
Your statement is that “Jordan”, ALL of “Jordan”, is historically part of Palestine”. I see nothing, anywhere, that confirms that. Like your “90/10” split; that seems to not exist.
Sorry that history doesn’t magically change to begin whenever you prefer.
Where’s your evidence??? I sent you the map for your citation of “syria Palaestina”; it’s not what you say it is. Just like your “90-10” comment, repeated endlessly; It’s Not True.
What does “Jordan” have to do with it? UK, which had control of the area, divided “Palestine” from “TransJordan” in 1920, giving “Jordan” to the Hashemites, and the UN partition plan only referred to “Palestine”.
Of Palestine, where Jews were about 33% of the population, the proposed Jewish State was allotted near 60% of the territory, which hardly seems fair, since the majority of the population was to be given much less than an equal percentage of the land. Yet even with that, the Jews began expanding the territory they controlled, driving arabs off arab-allocated territories BEFORE partition, and then greatly expanding their land grab in 1948 under the guise of “defending themselves from invading Arabs” (in Haifa? really?).
The Hashemites in Jordan are self-serving bums, but they do not have any legitimate claim to Palestinian Arab territory any more than Israel does.
The Palestinians have been caught between a rock (Israel) and a hard place (the neighboring arab rulers) since 1948; their own bad leadership hasn’t helped, but they are still a tragedy.
Israel is NOT a “good guy” here, and is NOT deserving of “our aid”, any more than Egypt or Jordan is.
And; your mileage is off. Israel and the conquered territories are 11,200 square miles (see https://maps.cga.harvard.edu/cmes/Map_02.pdf)
Jordan is 34,495 sq miles (see google); so 25%-75%; NOT “90-10”
Correct — the British gave 90% of Palestine to the Hashemits as Transjordan/Jordan in 1920.
Since when, Jews and Arabs have squabbled over the other 10%.
I’m not claiming the partition percentages were “fair,” or that the thing should have happened at all. But it happened in 10% of Palestine, so per your numbers, the Zionists were allocated a whopping 6% of Palestine and have since occupied more.
Again, what does Jordan have to do with it?
And again, Jordan is NOT “90%” of the combined Jordanian-Palestinian mandate; it is 75% based on square mileage readily available to anyone looking at a map; I gave you the square mileage of both British defined “Palestine” and “Transjordan”, yet you persist in your incorrect claim.
Not that it matters; the people within the borders of Palestine as designated by the UK “squabbled” over the part that THEY LIVED IN; “Jordan” is irrelevant to that disagreement; just like “Iraq” is irrelevant to it, even though the British controlled that part under mandate too.
The issue is that the zionists, less than 40% of the population of UK-designated Palestine, were allotted 58% of the territory within UK-designated Palestine; hardly “fair”; and the palestinian arabs, christian or muslim, over 60% of the population of UK-designated Palestine, were allotted 42% of the territory of UK-designated Palestine. “Jordan”, “Iraq”, “Kuwait” or “Egypt” have nothing to do with that issue.
Only Knapp can argue semantics and act like it’s important.
If the US was invaded and the invaders gave everything except Rhode Island to new country A, then split Rhode Island 60/40 between new countries B and C, would it be “arguing semantics” to say that no, new country B doesn’t control 90% of the former US?
The British controlled Palestine. They gave 90% of Palestine to the Hashemites as “Transjordan” (later Jordan), then the UN split the remaining 10% between a Jewish state and another Arab state. That Jewish state has since occupied most or all of the 4% or so of Palestine set aside for that second Arab state, but unless it invades Jordan, it will never control more than 10% of Palestine. That’s not “semantics,” it’s fact.
If the US was invaded and the invaders gave everything except Rhode Island to new country A, then split Rhode Island 60/40 between new countries B and C, would it be “arguing semantics” to say that no, new country B doesn’t control 90% of the former US?
The British controlled Palestine. They gave 90% of Palestine to the Hashemites as “Transjordan” (later Jordan), then the UN split the remaining 10% between a Jewish state and another Arab state. That Jewish state has since occupied most or all of the 4% or so of Palestine set aside for that second Arab state, but unless it invades Jordan, it will never control more than 10% of Palestine. That’s not “semantics,” it’s fact.
Jordan is not Palestine. Palestine is Palestine. The issue is the division of land within Palestine between the different people that live there.
He’s not even arguing semantics; he’s making shit up.
“In 1948, Zionists took 78%”. Not sure what math you are using, but what I am sure that nation of Israel expansion that occurred in 1948 was the direct result of the armies of Egypt, Syria and Jordon losing the 1948 war. A war that those Arab countries started. And than there is Jordon taking over the West Bank in 1948 and annexing it two years later. So land that UN set aside for Palestinians was lost due to the actions of the Arabs.
“limited food, potable water, electricity, fuel, medicines” Yes Gaza suffers from these shortages. They had a choice work on these problems or build weapons and war tunnels. There is not enough resources to do both. They chose to do the later and attack Israel. Bad choice.
False the Arabs didn’t actually start a war as the Palestinians were being kicked out by 1947.
Also Gaza doesn’t have a choice to get food and water because they have been under occupation since the beginning.
This is hasbara nonsense.
No, it wasn’t. The expansion of territory by the Zionists into what was designated for the arabs began BEFORE partition, hence, before the 1948 war; then, while some of the additional expansion occurred as a result of the war, other parts occurred using the war as an excuse – like the Zionist seizure of Haifa, which was never on the front lines. The Zionists wanted partition, but refused to accept the percent allotted to them, even though it was disproportionately in their favor based on population; they used every opportunity, from before partition up to TODAY in the west bank, to increase their share.
I congratulate Rep. Massey. Stay firm.
I world like to be the first to be labeled anti semitic because I don’t think Israel has a right to exist.
I don’t admit or deny Israel’s right to exist. Ditto the right of the Palestinians to their own state. I just say that it’s none of my country’s business.
” I just say that it’s none of my country’s business.”
Too bad that your country & mine has chosen to provide material support to their state terrorism and genocide
Having the right to exist in this case seems to include the right to expell the natives and wantonly kill their children. It’s a wonderful world, but sometimes people go way to crazy in their quest to control everything, Religions that embrace the right to move in and expel the natives and kill their children ought to be discouraged, not sanctified. Ethnic cleansing and
“ERASING” the children should not be and are not privileged by thr rules based order that we hear so much about. The U.S. constitution proscribes the establishment of any religion so the religious beliefs based Zionism certainly should be at least questioned when it condones ethnic cleansing & killing kids, if not outright be criminalized when it practices such things.
Actually, by its actions these past seven to eight decades Israel demonstrates it is the one that denies its neighboring nations the “right to exist”! Israel’s “right to exist” is in reality the “right to violate” others. If Israelis had moved into Palestine like normal respectful human beings, instead of rampaging across Palestine, murdering and stealing land, the Middle East would be a nice place to be nowadays! I just hope that Ukrainians and Palestinians remember who allowed NATO/Israel to attack innocent people- the prostitutes in the US Congress and their puppet Joe Biden!
The US and Israel have both forfeited the right to exist. European countries that support human genocide by murder, and cultural genocide by bombing of hospitals, schools, libraries and government buildings are also too disgusting to exist for much longer.
Note that civilized Russians, though driven to war much like Palestinians, have not bombed the Ukrainian capitol building.
” civilized Russians” Did you forget last winter attempt to freeze the citizens of Ukraine by attacking the power grid?
I believe the Ukrainian power grid was left intact until the Nordstream pipeline was sabotaged. Russian pipeline volume to China etc has been increased to replace lost sales to Europe.
To be clear; War is a dumb idea partly because once it starts it is as difficult to stop as it is ugly and expensive. Bombing houses, libraries, hospitals, schools and government buildings is as grotesque as using them as forts.
Just because Russia has not or could not bomb a building does not make them “civilized” as you claim. They are not.
They have not targeted civilians in anything like the numbers Israel has; not even close, even though they have the capability to do it. I would argue Ukraine is more intent on killing civilians than Russia is.
Garrett is correct; Russia attacked the Uke power-grid in retaliation to the Uke sabotage of Nord-stream pipe
“I believe the Ukrainian power grid was left intact until the Nordstream pipeline was sabotaged.”
True, but correlation and causation are not the same thing, and there’s a better explanation:
Attacking the Ukrainian power grid any earlier than they did would have given them several months to restore and harden it before winter. Waiting until closer to cold weather made the attacks more effective both in terms of their impact and in terms of requiring repairs be done under harsher conditions.
Gotta wonder how much this cost The Lobby? … 534 votes!
Just when I thought my opinion of Congress couldn’t go any lower….
But, once again, Massie…… Cheers for that!.
Its funny huh. Wheres MTG? Wheres Gaetz? Wheres Hawley? all bent over? Nothing but willfully unaccountable self serving twats in the fed gov.
Right to Exist has nothing to do with Anti-Zionism or Antisemitism whatsoever…!
All the Palestinians are Semites, her point is that the Bill should include their rights to having a State of Palestine. The majority want a Two State Solution and that is what needs to happen.
Palestinians have turned down the Two State Solution 5 times already! They don’t want peace; they want Israel gone! Now it is time to make Hamas gone! You should do some more homework before posting. You have been nothing but wrong in all your posts!
O tempora o mores. What a confused society we live in. Where a special attention must be btought to the fact that a state has tve right to exist. As if this is so unique to the state of Israel. What no vote ever addresses is -/ right to exist within what borders? As it turns out, Israel actually has no legally defined borders, and the nation in the process of expaanding has an implicit entitlement to “occupied territories”. Clearly, US Congress has just approved Zionist objective to expand to undefined historic lands. This denies other people the right to sovereignity, territorial integrity and rights of people to self determination.
How many laws and principles have to be set aside, how many people’s rights must be violated in order to anoint one country’s righ to trample on the existence of others.
Are these congresspeople hypnotized?
By the money flashed in their faces, yes they are.
No, not hypnotized, just bought off and frightened of the Zionist Mafia which clearly has gotten way too much control over these United States of America. Sometimes I detect their presence even here at antiwar.c-m
Israel did 911.
uncle sam did 9/11. uncle sam would never let Israel nor anybody else anywhere near the US with the the weapons that it took to demolish all 7 WTC buildings in 2 days.
the 3 towers on the first day and the other 4 regular buildings the next day.
neither would Israel be allowed to fire a missile directly at the pentagon building.
For my amusement, would you be willing to share your best guess(es) as to the “weapons” you think took down the WTC buildings?
Oh, by the way, the twin towers and WTC 7 all collapsed on 9/11 and were the only WTC buildings to collapse as a result of the attacks. The other buildings were badly damaged and were later demolished.
on 9/11 the twin towers were literally rendered into powder including most of the massive steel beams at the unheard of rate of 11 floors per second, which is actually faster than a billiard ball would drop from the same height. the only thing that could achieve such a demolition of steel beams is incredibly high-heat. there are actually small fission devices that are controllable at that small scale. i won’t say the word but you can infer my implication.
and the WTC7 was imploded in a regular demolition from the bottom at the regular rate of 7 floors per second.
the next day the other 4 regular sized buildings all suffered explosions which gutted them making them easy to scoop up later.
these are all scientific/engineering facts which the 9/11 commission report, the NIST report, the IAEA report and the media all left out when they kow-towed to uncle sam’s fairy-tale 9/11 narrative.
None of this is true. All of it is nonsense. It’s astonishing that anyone of even average intelligence ever believed it. In reality, though, a large percentage of Americans did and still do believe it.
Others believe that Donald Trump is or was a Russian agent and that the Kremlin had a significant effect on an American election. Still others think the next presidential election was stolen, and the ways they think that happened are preposterous.
And on and on. It’s not easy to avoid the conclusion that humans, on average, are too gullible, too emotionally driven, and too intellectually lazy for effective democracy. And maybe just not bright enough.
sure thing. you can believe that jet-fuel fires could destroy massive steel all you want, but the reality is that it doesn’t even burn hot enough to mar the coating on my wheel-barrow, because jet-fuel is nothing more than glorified kerosene.
also you can believe that a Boeing 767 defeats massive steels all you want to but the reality of that is that if a hollow aluminum tube with a plastic nose-cone (767) impacts the same steel with a force equivalent to X, then the massive steel is also impacting the hollow aluminum tube with the same force equivalent to X.
don’t throw strawmen such as Trump & Russia into this because they are irrelevant. and that is as much argument as you are going to get out of me, because obviously 9/11 has served it’s purpose well.
I wish it weren’t the case, but 9/11 conspiracy nonsense is an intelligence test and a seriously-disturbing segment of Americans have failed.
Read this, slowly and carefully:
https://www.nist.gov/world-trade-center-investigation/study-faqs/wtc-towers-investigation
Then read this, very carefully and very slowly:
https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/a6384/debunking-911-myths-world-trade-center/
NIST Conclusions are BS…!
ironic when one realizes that Palestinians, Lebanese & Jordanians, etc are actually semites.
sad, but ironic.
Dissent will be criminalized as hate speech.
And who the phuck does our government think it is, playing god, and determining what countries have a right to exist? What countries don’t have a right to exist?
Oh wait, yeah those countries with human rights abuses and war crimes, right? Oops can’t use that excuse anymore.
He’s got a point.
Massie: “I’m voting No on the resolution because it equates anti-Zionism with antisemitism.”
text: recognizes that denying Israel’s right to exist is a form of antisemitism;
Zionism: a movement for (originally) the re-establishment and (now) the development and protection of a Jewish nation
Here is a debate on this very topic from four years ago.
https://youtu.be/K1VTt_THL4A?feature=shared
Well… at least we now see that in the fed gov they equate criticism of the state of israel with criticism of zionism. Anyone still pretending these clowns represent Americans will have a fun time trying to VOTE FOR CHANGE. 😛 CLOWN SHOW!