Markey speaks at Temple Emunah
By Dan Tress
Lexington Minuteman
Rep. Ed Markey, D-Malden, brought hundreds of people to Temple Emunah Tuesday night.
They turned out to hear Markey speak with some showing support for Israel and some for Palestine. Israeli Consul General Meir Shlomo joined Markey for the event, which was sponsored and organized by the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston, Combined Jewish Philanthropies, the Anti-Defamation League, the American Jewish Community and Temple Emunah.
The visitors were not limited to inside the event, though, as several people holding signs with sayings such as, "Ed Markey Supports Israeli Genocide," gathered outside.
Inside the temple there were large "We Support Israel" signs. Many in attendance were wearing stickers with the same saying and blue ribbons, as Shlomo and Markey delivered their speeches to the packed auditorium.
Markey and Shlomo both spoke about Israel's history and urged the crowd to be optimistic about the recent fighting between Israel and Hezbollah forces in Lebanon. Hezbollah has been in Southern Lebanon since 1982 and have been blamed for numerous attacks in Israel, they said. For the past month Hezbollah has been firing rockets into Israel and Israel has been counterfighting to push Hezbollah away from their border and out of missile range.
Shlomo said: "Israel will win this war against Hezbollah."
Markey said the United States and Israel have been partners since 1948, and called Israel, "an oasis of democracy in a desert of despotism."
Markey's speech was accompanied by a large screen which displayed pictures and quotes chosen to reinforce his message. Among them were quotes from the Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah calling for the destruction of Israel.
In his talk, Markey called for a new energy policy which would make the United States less dependent on oil, which is the major income source for the Iranian government.
He also called for the United Nations to guarantee Israel it will guard the Lebanese border, enabling Israel to withdraw. The Lebanese have pledged to send 15,000 troops to the border, but Markey said without UN support and a guarantee that Hezbollah will be disarmed, Israel cannot withdraw.
Markey, who is a senior member of the House of Representatives committee on nuclear nonproliferation, also said President George W. Bush has been doing a good job standing by Israel, but needs to send former Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton, both strong Israeli supporters during their presidencies, to Israel to help with the peace process.
He focused on Iran as being the largest threat because of their nuclear development programs, saying the U.S. must focus on nuclear nonproliferation.
Shlomo stated that Israel has no claim to Lebanon; it only wants to protect itself. He asked, "When will Lebanon takes its fate in its own hands?"
He noted that Lebanon has failed several times to do this in recent years. After Israel left in 2000 after an 18-year occupation of southern Lebanon, Hezbollah was allowed by the Syrian-controlled Lebanese government to operate freely. When Syria was forced to leave in 2005, Hezbollah was elected to be part of the new government.
Markey and Shlomo both spoke about the history of the conflict between Israel and its neighbors. Markey told the crowd about 1948 when Israel was invaded by the surrounding Arab states on the day it was supposed to officially become a state. Israel fought off the invasion. It happened again in 1967 and 1973. He pointed to this history as a reason to believe that Israel will survive this most recent round of fighting.
Markey also pointed out that between 1948 and 1967 Egypt controlled the Gaza Strip and Jordan controlled the West Bank, the two areas most populated by Palestinians and hotbeds of violence. Neither nation chose to give these areas to the Palestinians. In 1967 Israel captured them, creating fuel for the fighting for the next several decades.
In 2000, he said, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak made a peace offer that would have given the Palestinians control of Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. This offer was rejected by Yassir Arafat, who was then the leader of the Palestinian Liberation Organization. Israel has since withdrawn entirely from Gaza and the West Bank.
Markey also spoke of the Camp David Accords in 1978, when Egyptian President Anwar Sadat became the first Arab leader to recognize the state of Israel. In 1994 King Hussein of Jordan did the same. Markey called these signs of progress and reasons to be hopeful that there can eventually be peace. Both speakers were cheered for each point they made and given standing ovations when they finished.
Markey had one underlying message throughout the event, though: The Malden native and Boston College graduate, repeatedly said, "If Hezbollah put down their weapons, there would be no more fighting. If Israel put down their weapons there would be no more Israel."
