(Dear Mods, as this is directly involves U.S. lawmakers, I hope you'll let it stay in GD)
U.S. lawmakers to Obama: Press Israel to ease Gaza siege
By Natasha Mozgovaya, Haaretz Correspondent
Fifty-four members of the U.S. Congress have signed a letter asking President Barack Obama to put pressure on Israel to ease the siege of the Gaza Strip.
The letter was the initiative of Representatives Jim McDermott from Washington and Keith Ellison from Minnesota, both of whom are Democrats. Ellison is the first American Muslim to ever win election to Congress.
McDermott and Ellison wrote that they understand the threats facing Israel and the ongoing Hamas terror activities against Israeli citizens but that "this concern must be addressed without resulting in the de facto collective punishment of the Palestinian residents of the Gaza Strip."
"We ask you to press for immediate relief for the citizens of Gaza as an urgent component of your broader Middle East peace efforts," they wrote, adding that the siege has hampered the ability of aid agencies to do their work in Gaza.
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http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1145382.htmlHere's a list of the signatories. All Dems, I believe.
Arizona
Raul Grijalva
California
Lois Capps
Sam Farr
Bob Filner
Barbara Lee
Loretta Sanchez
Pete Stark
Michael Honda
Lynn Woolsey
Jackie Speier
Diane Watson
George Miller
Connecticut
Jim Himes
Indiana
Andre Carson
Iowa
Bruce Braley
Kentucky
John Yarmuth
Maryland
Elijah Cummings
Donna Edwards
Massachusetts
Michael Capuano
William Delahunt
Jim McGovern
John Tierney
John Olver
Stephen Lynch
Michigan
John Conyers
John Dingell
Carolyn Kilpatrick
Minnesota
Keith Ellison
Betty McCollum
James Oberstar
New Jersey
Donald Payne
Rush Holt
Bill Pascrell
New York
Yvette Clarke
Maurice Hinchey
Paul Tonko
Eric Massa
North Carolina
David Price
Ohio
Mary Jo Kilroy
Marcy Kaptur
Oregon
Earl Blumenauer
Peter DeFazio
Pennsylvania
Chaka Fattah
Joe Sestak
Vermont
Peter Welch
Virginia
Jim Moran
Washington
Jim McDermott
Adam Smith
Jay Inslee
Brian Baird
West Virginia
Nick Rahall
Wisconsin
Tammy Baldwin
Gwen Moore
Virginia
Glenn Nye