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Crow: “Gaza demands military, political and humanitarian action”

CONFLICT IN THE MIDDLE EAST | Jason Crow advocates for military, political and humanitarian action. (Picture/El Comercio de Colorado)

INTERVIEW WITH THE REPRESENTATIVE FOR DISTRICT 6 OF COLORADO

Jesús Sánchez Meleán/ El Comercio de Colorado

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Jason Crow, Representative for Colorado District 6, visited Israel in 2021. That visit did not give him an advantage in anticipating the conflict that exploded at the end of 2023. “I was shocked by the atrocious attacks against Israelis on October 7. It was real terror. The target was children and babies and the murder and kidnapping of elderly people. Unacceptable. Horrible, malevolent. We cannot allow the terror to continue,” says this Democratic representative.

Crow was emphatic in stating that “in my opinion, we must support the right of Israelis to defend themselves and pursue the terrorist organization Hamas.” However, this congressman is one of the signatories of a letter in which they demand that President Joe Biden demand that Benjamin Netanyahu clarify his strategy in Gaza. “I learned that how you do it [fighting terrorism] and how you do it is just as important as what you do,” he said.

Focused and surgical military operation

This representative speaks from his experience as a soldier. Crow was part of the United States Army’s 75th Ranger Regiment, an elite unit that is part of the United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC). Crow and everyone who has joined that corps are selected from among the best soldiers in the army and undergo rigorous training that includes combat tactics.

Crow also knows the Middle East well because he was deployed there three times during the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Crow highlighted the lack of clarity on strategy and how the military operation in Gaza should evolve to ensure Israel’s security and the dignity of the Palestinians. The current rate of civilian casualties in Gaza is considered unacceptable by the representative, who stressed the need for a rapid change in the current strategy.

Regarding military strategy, Crow advocated a surgical and sustained approach to combating terrorism, avoiding large-scale invasions that could worsen the situation. “Considers that a focused, sustained, and surgical anti-terrorist operation is necessary. “That is the way forward, not a large-scale invasion of Gaza,” said the retired military officer. However, Crow has a more comprehensive vision and speaks as a politician and congressman.

Other actions necessary

To his military experience he now adds his activity as a member of the Intelligence and Foreign Affairs committees of the House of Representatives. “You cannot separate the military from the political, diplomatic, and humanitarian. Everything must come together. “You must have a unified strategy that recognizes the rights and dignity of all people, Israelis and Palestinians, that provides basic services, humanitarian aid, health care, food and clean water,” he added.

“That was the lesson of the recent fight against terrorism. The United States spent trillions of dollars in the Middle East. More than 6,000 members of the US military died trying to defeat terror. Still, we didn’t make it. Al Qaeda, ISIS and these other organizations still exist. “You cannot defeat a terrorist ideology with military force alone,” he stated.

Thesis of the states

Representative Crow delved into what he considers a political strategy. “We must recognize the rights of Palestinians and Israelis to have their sovereign states and live in peace and dignity. That includes a State of Israel and a State of Palestine. That is the only way, in my opinion, to achieve long-term peace. Until we approach that with full energy and confidence, we are going to achieve peace in the region,” he concluded.