House Democrats Scuttle Bill to Place Sanctions on Hamas

House Democrats Scuttle Bill to Place Sanctions on Hamas

  21 May 2021

Bill Sheridan

There was a time when the Democratic party could be counted on for its support of Israel, today not so much.

As tensions in Gaza continue to escalate, House Democrats rejected a recent Republican push to consider legislation that would apply sanctions on Hamas militants.

Democrats blocked a bid to bring the Palestinian International Terrorism Support Prevention Act up for consideration in a 217-209 vote along party lines. The bill, introduced by Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., would have imposed sanctions on foreign entities known to have provided financial assistance to Hamas, among other measures.

“Under my bill, the United States will sanction these groups that are supporting terrorism,” Mast said in a floor speech in support of the legislation. “Or if we do not pass this bill, we will not stand together to sanction these groups that are enabling this terrorism.”

Mast was actually reintroducing the bill, which had passed the House unanimously in 2019 but was not taken up for a vote in the Senate. Republicans brought the bill up for consideration through a procedure known as the “previous question,” which functions as a call to end debate on a measure and bring it up for an immediate vote.

Prior to the vote, Mast’s bill drew support from prominent Republicans, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. Mast had previously penned a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Gregory Meeks to expedite a vote on the bill.

“The ongoing rocket attacks against Israeli civilians show why America must unequivocally support Israel, condemn Hamas, and sanction those who fund terrorism,” McCarthy wrote on Twitter.

The Biden administration has faced intense pressure from lawmakers on its response to the crisis. Prominent Democrats, including Pelosi, have called for a cease-fire, while progressives such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have criticized Biden for not speaking against the Israeli government’s actions.

President Biden and Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib engaged in a tense, roughly eight-minute conversation on the airport tarmac Detroit after Biden’s arrival there on May 17. One can only assume it was about Tlaib’s anti-Israeli views.

Tlaib has been fiercely critical of Biden and the State Department’s handling of the recent conflict between Hamas and Israel.

“If you support a cease-fire, then get out of the way of the UN Security Council and join other countries in demanding it,” she said in a tweet directed at the president and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.

Meanwhile, Republicans have pressed Biden to affirm US support for the Israeli government. A group of Senate Republicans led by Sen. Rick Scott of Florida drafted a resolution affirming Israel’s “right to defend itself against terrorist attacks.”

What do you think? Is Democratic support of Israel wavering thanks to new members of the party who fail to recognize the value of the US’s strong alliance with Israel? Please reply using the comments below!

4 thoughts on “House Democrats Scuttle Bill to Place Sanctions on Hamas

  1. This is going to cost democrats support from Jewish voters in the United States. Hamas is recognized as a terrorist organization in this country and any support for a terrorist group over an entire “race” of people who have historically backed democrats is not only a bad idea its simply ludicrous. Every nation on this planet has a right to defend itself but apparently that only applies to the nations democrats choose to side with. When a terrorist group denies an entire nation of people that they have a right to exist what possible reasons could anyone have in supporting such a ridiculous concept? Palestine has never been a nation. Isreal has been a nation since the end of world war two and clearly since they entered “the promised land”. When Israeli leadership speaks about their neighbors they speak about peaceful existence but when Arab leaders are asked they refuse to accept the Israelis right to even exist. How can we have a logical conversation much less an amicable solution with such unreasonable people? Jews are not asking for anything that appears unreasonable except the right to exist without constant attacks. We know this latest confrontation was instigated by Hamas and of course couldn’t do so without Iranian financial support. Yet here we are again with the left handing money to Iran and the inevitable result is Hamas attacking Israel. This isn’t difficult to understand. So why does the left continue to play out the same methodology and tactics that always lead to more deaths of innocent peoples? I know people love to believe Biden is a moron but let’s be realistic. These are the same issues that repeatedly have the same outcomes yet we see the left doing the very same things over and over again. Trump’s sanctions on Iran were clearly working evidenced by absolutely zero attacks on Isreal by Hamas during his four years I office. Biden takes the helm and immediately we see the conflict start up again. I simply cannot believe that every single member of the Biden administration didn’t know this was going to happen. So what’s really going on here? Are we trying to fulfill some ancient prophecy, destabilize the middle east even more, or perhaps the sale of munitions is the goal? None of this makes sense from a normal thinking persons perspective. I ignore people like Talib because she is clearly one sided anti Jewish and pro Muslim therefore her credibility can’t be relied upon but what about the entire Democrat party? How can they commit political suicide by turning their backs on their Jewish supporters? Oil doesn’t seems to be a factor as the left is all about the new green deal or perhaps they truly aren’t. Again the contradictory behavior of the left seems illogical. Regardless of political posturing the Israeli people have every right to exist and defend themselves and any disparity of response doesn’t matter. This entire conflict lies in the hands of Hamas Iran and perhaps the Biden administration itself. None of this makes any sense.

  2. ALL DUMPACRAPS NEED TO DIE ! ESPECIALLY JOE BIDEN, PISSalocie, ADAM SHIT, K. HARRIS, SCHUMER !

  3. If I was the Republicans I would constantly make it known that the Democrats do not support Israel.
    I would make public on the Sunday and MSM shows that this is the case. The Democrats do not want to sanction Hamas. It was Hamas that started the missile firing into Israel. Israel was just defending themselves.
    Turn this into a Republican talking point

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