Israel is blocking humanitarian aid in clear violation of U.S. law, (Bernie on what used to be twitter)

[Uncle Joe]

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[littlemissmartypants]

1. Go Bernie!

[Trueblue1968]

2. I agree with bernie !!!

[TexasDem69]

3. Why do some folks insist on posting stories about Bernie?

He’s not a Democrat, he’s worked against Democrats for decades, and no Democrat should care what he thinks. Especially when he’s so monumentally wrong.

[Uncle Joe]

4. Do you only want Democrats to vote for President Biden in November?

Do you believe watching children starving to death will help President Biden in November?

[TexasDem69]

5. Hamas is responsible for whatever suffering is happening

In Gaza. Quit trying to place the blame on Israel. I want Biden to win reelection and stand behind the principles that every Democrat should support. One of those is assisting our ally Israel against Hamas’ murderers and rapists.

[Uncle Joe]

6. Hamas is responsible for October 7th, but history didn't stop on that day

and it won't stop before November, and I damn sure wouldn't want to be a President trying to win a reelection selling your message.

[DemocraticPatriot]

32. Some people think that history stopped with the Holocaust---

and that the third or fourth generation of their descendants are therefore entitled to kill just as many innocent women and children as they want, "forevermore"....

[aurora the great]

9. There are none so blind as those who will not see.

The Palestinians are dying of disease, malnutrition and an endless barrage of attacks, The health care system has collapsed. Humanitarian aid is essential at this point. But I guess you don't care about any of this. Just hide behind the "Hamas is responsible" mantra and refuse to see the whole of the situation. Look at these children dying of starvation and say well that's just too bad. It must be nice to have everything be so black and white.

[Mosby]

31. Why doesn't Hamas release the hostages?

Israel is just playing a role that Hamas is dictating.

It's not hard to understand.

[DemocraticPatriot]

33. HAMAS is not dropping the bombs on Gaza,

nor blocking food and water shipments into Gaza,
nor gunning down unarmed civilians who are frantically rushing towards food trucks.

It is ISRAEL who is doing all those things,
so I will place the blame where it belongs.


HAMAS deserves condemnation for their attack on Israel on October 7th,
and all of the crimes that they committed on that date.


However, it is now March 14th of the following year,
and the overwhelming number of subsequent civilian casualties ever since,
have been brought by Israeli fingers on the trigger.

I don't have to "try" to place the blame on Israel.
Israel have convicted themselves of these war crimes.

[Beastly Boy]

7. I want Trumpers to vote for Biden in November.

Should I be posting trump's quotes?

[Uncle Joe]

8. Good

Sometimes, if the quote is the truth and actually works to promote democracy while not letting children starve to death.

Good luck with your search.

[Beastly Boy]

12. That was a rhetorical question, Uncle.

You know there are plenty of Trump quotes praising Bernie, but you also know I am not permitted to quote Trump by the DU Terms of Use.

You also know there are plenty of Bernie quotes bashing Democrats.

The point is, quoting someone who is not a Democrat under the pretense of attracting non-Democrats to vote for Biden in November is quite a disingenuous proposition.

[Uncle Joe]

15. That was a rhetorical answer, Beastly

You know that Bernie isn't running in this race, you know that he has endorsed President Biden.

You also know that Bernie doesn't "bash" he constructively criticizes.

The point is quoting any conscientious human being; whether Democrat, Republican, ie: (Liz Cheney, Adam Kissinger) Independent or even a non-American to attract any legal American vote for President Biden is the most logical and moral course out of the quagmire that is the Republican cult.

[Beastly Boy]

21. Whew, I am glad your answer was rhetorical!

For a second I thought you were actually inviting me to quote Trump in my (rhetorical) desire to see non-Democrats voting for Biden. I was all ready to go with Trump quotes praising Bernie, which I doubt you would argue does not works to promote democracy while not letting children starve to death.

I am also glad to hear, regardless of the context or absence thereof, that Bernie is not running and is endorsing Biden, but that deserves a whole different thread in addition to this one.

BTW, how often do you quote Liz Cheney, Adam Kissinger (Kinzinger?), Independents or non-Americans to attract any legal American vote for President Biden?

[Uncle Joe]

22. I was clear in my answer and you knew exactly what I meant

You couldn't find a decent *rump tweet if you tried.

I don't believe that I've made OPs of Cheney or Kinzinger, but I was speaking of D.U. We've had countless Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger posts here rightfully attacking *rump and bringing more voters of all stripes to President Biden, do you dispute that?

We've had posts here as well citing Bernie's announcement of endorsing President Biden, did you miss those as well?

I'm beginning to think the real problem that you have is with the message, it's against U.S. law to arm Israel while they're blockading humanitarian assistance for the people of Gaza.

You can't serve two masters, support Netanyahu or support President Biden, take your pick Beastly.

[Beastly Boy]

23. You are daring me to violate TOU again.

Should I send you a couple of juicy Trump quotes praising Bernie via DU mail?

We can keep it a secret, just between the two of us...

[Uncle Joe]

24. If you want to let *rump rent space in your head, have at it.

I couldn't care less about what *rump has to say about anything.

If *rump says he likes puppies, does that mean you hate dogs?

[Beastly Boy]

28. But you cared to challenge ME about what Trump says!

Are you withdrawing your challenge?

Because, frankly, I also couldn't care less about what Trump says, Bernie or not.

[Uncle Joe]

29. It doesn't look that way, you're the one that introduced *rump into this thread post# 7 n/t

[Beastly Boy]

38. Again, that was a rhetorical question, which addressed your previous post.

We can make it a circular argument if you wish, and get back to the question of how quoting a non-Democrat is not necessarily useful in attracting non-Democratic voters to vote for Biden.

[DemocraticPatriot]

35. You obviously have no clear understanding of the site rules here....

That renders the rest of your opinions as unworthy of consideration.

[Beastly Boy]

37. I obviously don't.

I therefore humbly request your explanation how my refusal to violate TOU despite a challenge to do so renders all of my consequent opinions unworthy of consideration.

[DemocraticPatriot]

34. "Strawman" much?

NOTHING in the DU Terms of Use prevents you from quoting Trump---
only from advocating for him.

We quote Trump here 24-7 every day of the week,
because his quotes convict himself.


Your supposition here is utterly stupid. Perhaps you should delete it....

[Beastly Boy]

39. Clearly, the prohibition is not against the quotes that self-convict Trump.

The praises he extended to Bernie do not convict Trump of anything. Still, I would consider gratuitously quoting Trump on any subject to be a borderline violation and will not risk it for the sake of defending a hypothetical question which illustrates a point that has nothing to do with Trump and has everything to do with a general statement that presumes that quoting a non-Democrat would convince non-Democrats to vote for Biden.

It was an analogy. An analogy is not synonymous with Strawman. Look it up. Then, hopefully, you might change your mind about bringing up the subject of utterly stupid suppositions.

[TheRealNorth]

17. Its only a "big tent"....

When they need the votes.

[Nanjeanne]

11. I've been a Democrat for 50+ years. I care what he thinks. And agree with him.

[H2O Man]

10. Recommended.

I've really liked Bernie since I first met him, over 40 years ago. He was amayor then.

[edisdead]

13. I guess I don't understand the point he is making

Israel is breaking a U.S. Law? Ok. Not that it is right what they are allegedly doing, but they aren’t breaking a law because how do you break a law that is outside the jusrisdiction?

[SocialDemocrat61]

14. It is a violation of US law

for the US to give military aid to any country that blocks humanitarian aid. The law applies to the US government not to foreign governments.

[Ping Tung]

16. We don't want no durn humanitarians telling us Democrats what to do.

I became a Democrat in 1965. I was already a Socialist and remain both to this day.

I realize there are Democrats who are hawks and think it's good for the party and country to kill people to protect us from the current bogeymen.

See My-lai, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, for reference to our humanity.

[electric_blue68]

19. "current" bogeyman?...

Exactly what do you mean by that?
Are you calling Hamas 'ficticous' as a "bogeyman"?

Hamas did hideous, heinuous things on Oct 7.
But in my post below you'll see I'm not for the way Netanyahu is conducting his war.
__________________________

As for the horrific events you've mentioned - I was a younger teen when Mai Lai happened, and I was appalled.

As for the nearly unthinkable use of atomic bombs against Japanese cities I can't say 100% that I agree with that action. Or perhaps at least with the most sobering reluctance to agreeing with it.

We in NYC in the ' ?'70's: I believe we were the first to see a traveling exhibit from Japan of Atomic Bomb actifacts
(along with photos, and text).

There was the infamous "Stopped Clock"; the clock frozen at the time the bomb exploded. More sobering: seeing pieces of a "Shadow Wall" (what I'm calling it, though it is a literal description of what it is - don't know if there's a official name for them).

For those who don't know...
the shadow walls are real walls. People who were standing in front of them when the A Bombs exploded the light was so brightthat the shadows it cast of those people onto various walls, and the light surrounding them (the shadows) - I think the walls almost acted as photographic paper retaining their images.

I've met Hibakushas (A Bomb victims) in the ?'80's on NYC when they were here as part of increasing the idea of dismantling more nuclear weapons around the world. I think rallies at, marches to the U.N.

But to judge the US's humanity by only those actions; doesn't acknowledge the other genuine humanitarian actions we have taken through the decades.

We are a flawed country, but we have done good as well.

[Ping Tung]

20. I was in Japan in 1962-1963

I was 18 - 19 and in the marines. There was a young lady (in her 20s) who was a bar maid in the EM club. The other young marines called her "Ground Zero" because she lost one eye and had a heavily scarred face and one arm. She had been a young girly in 1945 in Hiroshima.

Seeing her and others there was one of the things that started to push me towards becoming a pacifist. My enlistment was up in '[65 and LBJ was sending more and more troops to Vietnam to fight the Commie Bogeyman there. And enhance his creds as a "Strong Leader". LBJ did some good and humanitarian things while in office. But, he remained a war criminal in my eyes after the slaughter in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos.

I'm old enough to remember too many manufactured "threats" that had be confronted by violence and the deaths of innocents. I'll have no part of it.

[electric_blue68]

41. Can't say I'm a total pacifist, but I'd sure rather see Diplomacy...

to, and beyond the max before resorting to war. I also believe in defending one's self, family, friends, country.

That poor bar maid. Still, she lived. Hmmm, sounds like keloid scars. Very heavy, raised. They also showed photos of those at that exhibit.

[DemocraticPatriot]

36. Yes, Hamas did hideous things on October 7th....

but the tide of blood shed at the hands of the Israeli military in Gaza,
dims my memory about whatever Hamas did 5 months ago....

[electric_blue68]

18. I don't have agree w everything Bernie has said to say he's said good things at times...

I didn't know about this law.

Perhaps we need to do this to in order to shake up enough of the Israeli politicians, general citizens to move against Netanyahu?

I support Israel's right to exist.
I don't support what seems to me like excessive military action that has wound up causing death, injuries, and now current, or pending starvation against too many innocent Gazans in order to eradicate murderous Hamas fighters that started the whole process by their heneious actions on Oct 7.

[moondust]

25. Reporting that I've heard

says that the aid trucks are slow because IDF has to inspect them all closely for anything that might help Hamas. I don't know who loads the trucks but with so many of them I can see how that could potentially be an issue. ???

I suppose the ships would be loaded by parties trusted by IDF, as are the air drops, so close inspections wouldn't be needed. ???

[Basic LA]

26. The tectonic plates are shifting.

It's geologically slow, then sudden.

[Beastly Boy]

27. A bit of research here:

Here is the full text of Section 620I in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 ( https://www.foreign.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Foreign%20Assistance%20Act%20Of%201961.pdf ) that Bernie is referring to:

SEC. 620I. PROHIBITION ON ASSISTANCE TO COUNTRIES THAT
RESTRICT UNITED STATES HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE.—
(a) IN GENERAL.—No assistance shall be furnished under
this Act or the Arms Export Control Act to any country when
it is made known to the President that the government of such
country prohibits or otherwise restricts, directly or indirectly,
the transport or delivery of United States humanitarian assist-
ance.
(b) EXCEPTION.—Assistance may be furnished without re-
gard to the restriction in subsection (a) if the President deter-
mines that to do so is in the national security interest of the
United States.
(c) NOTICE.—Prior to making any determination under
subsection (b), the President shall notify the Committee on
International Relations, the Committee on Foreign Relations,
and the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and
House of Representatives of his intention to make such a de-
termination, the effective date of the determination, and the
reasons for making the determination.

A few procedural matters:
1. Who let Biden be known that the government of Israel prohibits the transport or delivery of US aid in Gaza? What is the evidence? Without this formality being met, there is no violation of the Foreign Aid Act.
2. Did Biden respond as per (c) above? Of course not. He had nothing to respond to.
3. If he ever gets to respond, he has full discretion to disregard Section 620I. Just because someone says someone violated the law doesn't make it so.

So what violation of the US law is Bernie talking about? What US aid to Gaza did Israel prohibit?

But wait, there is more!

There is no military assistance to be furnished to Israel under the Foreign Aid Act. The only military assistance that may or may not be withdrawn under the Foreign Aid Act is covered by the Arms Export Control Act.

Ok, so let's do that, right? Not so fast!

Here's the part of it that deals with Israel specifically:

Statement of Policy Regarding United States Arms Sales to Israel

Pub. L. 95–92, §26, Aug. 4, 1977, 91 Stat. 625, provided that: "In accordance with the historic special relationship between the United States and Israel and previous agreements and continuing understandings, the Congress joins with the President in reaffirming that a policy of restraint in United States arms transfers, including arms sales ceilings, shall not impair Israel's deterrent strength or undermine the military balance in the Middle East."

https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title22/chapter39&edition=prelim

Now THAT is the law! And Bernie is calling for violating it without as much as meeting the criteria for challenging it under the Foreign Assistance Act!

But wait, there is more!

The majority of U.S. assistance to Israel is provided through Foreign Military Financing (FMF), which are grants that allow recipients to purchase U.S. defense articles and services. U.S. FMF alone represents approximately 16 percent of Israel’s defense budget.

https://www.stimson.org/2023/law-and-policy-guide-to-us-arms-transfers-to-israel/

So Bernie is calling for violating the Arms Control Act without as much as meeting the criteria for challenging it under the Foreign Assistance Act in order to cut a small portion of military aid to Israel while the great majority of US aid to Israel continues unimpeded.

Bernie wants to cut military aid to Israel just a little bit. But it sounds very progressive in a tweet!

[Uncle Joe]

30. This is just the beginning of the process. n/t

[Beastly Boy]

40. If this is the case, talking of "clear violasrions" of the Foreign Assistance Act is

a bit premature, no?