House, Senate Express Firm Support for Israel

The House and Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly approved resolutions to support Israel and condemn Palestinian suicide bombers, but only after a debate that exposed some sharp divisions over the congressional intervention in Middle East diplomacy.

The votes allowed lawmakers to express collectively the outrage many have voiced individually as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has escalated.

Approval of the two resolutions, legally nonbinding but politically significant, puts President Bush in a somewhat awkward position as he reaches out to Arab allies of the Palestinians in an attempt to defuse the Middle East violence.

The House voted 352 to 21 for a lengthy, tough-worded resolution sponsored by Majority Whip Tom DeLay (R-Texas) that condemns “the ongoing support of terror” by Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, suggests that his actions “are not those of a viable partner for peace,” and supports additional U.S. aid “to help Israel defend itself.”

In a 94-2 vote, the Senate approved a shorter, milder resolution sponsored by Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (D-Conn.). It declares “solidarity with Israel, a front-line state in the war against terrorism,” and urges “all Arab states”--pointedly naming Egypt and Saudi Arabia--”to declare their unqualified opposition to all forms of terrorism, particularly suicide bombing.”

The Bush administration had sought changes in both resolutions, with limited success. It endorsed neither.

“The Congress has a right to speak out,” White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said.

The outcome of Thursday’s votes was never in doubt from the moment they were scheduled. Congress long has supported Israel with military and economic aid; this year the assistance totals nearly $3 billion.

One late change to the House resolution, in response to administration concerns, included a statement encouraging an international effort “to alleviate the humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people.” Another change eased criticism of Arafat, deleting from the final version a phrase in an earlier draft that had condemned him for “coordination of terror.”

But overall, the House resolution gave staunch support to the Israeli government’s drive to defend its citizens from Palestinian bombings--comparing it to the U.S. military campaign launched after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

“The people of Israel are resisting a wave of terrorism,” DeLay told the House. “And as we watch the violence directed against them, we are roused to resolve that terrorism in all its forms must be defeated. There is no moral equivalence between a democratic government defending its citizens and a calculated strategy of death waged by terrorist organizations.”

Some lawmakers offered only muted support of the resolution. House Minority Whip Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), who voted for the resolution, stressed in a short speech the humanitarian needs of the Palestinians.

In the end, 194 Republicans, 157 Democrats and one independent voted for the resolution. Voting against it were 17 Democrats and four Republicans, nearly twice as many negative votes as the 11 recorded when the House approved a pro-Israel resolution in December. In addition, 29 lawmakers voted “present” as a way to lodge protest--most of them Democrats.

One Republican who voted for the December resolution but against DeLay’s resolution was Rep. Dana Rohrabacher of Huntington Beach. “We must be scrupulously honest,” he told the House on Thursday. “There are piles of bodies in the Middle East, and many of the victims are noncombatants.” He blamed “both sides” for “the slaughter of innocents.”

Other Californians who voted against the resolution were Reps. Gary A. Condit (D-Ceres), Barbara Lee (D-Oakland), George Miller (D-Martinez) and Pete Stark (D-Hayward).

Those who voted present were Reps. Xavier Becerra (D-Los Angeles), Sam Farr (D-Carmel), Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena), Hilda L. Solis (D-El Monte) and Lynn C. Woolsey (D-Petaluma). Reps. Calvin M. Dooley (D-Visalia) and Juanita Millender-McDonald (D-Carson) did not vote.