Outgoing Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) on Tuesday objected to a House resolution that declared “vigorous support and unwavering commitment” to the State of Israel.

Kucinich said the non-binding resolution, which supports Israeli airstrikes on Gaza in strong terms, was passed by the House in about a minute and without any advance notice. The resolution was passed on Friday by a voice vote with no debate.

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“The root of this latest flare up in hostilities is deep,” the congressman said in a statement. “Negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians on a two-state solution have been virtually non-existent. Innocent people in Gaza continue to suffer under a blockade that has deprived them of everything from food and clean water to educational opportunities. Illegal settlements continue to be built in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, further diminishing prospects for a negotiated two-state solution.”

Israeli defense forced killed Hamas’s military leader Ahmed Jabari last week in an aggressive missile strike, sparking the latest conflict between Israel and Palestine.

Kucinich noted that Jabari was reportedly interested in a long-term cease-fire and had policed militant groups in Gaza, preventing them from launching rockets into Israel. Though Jabari was committed to the destruction of Israel, he realized the attacks were a futile and counter-productive strategy.

“The hastily written, and even more hastily passed resolution, fails to mention any of that,” Kucinich added. “In its deficiencies are writ the failures of our own Middle East policies. This latest outbreak in violence is deplorable and I am strongly supportive of Egyptian efforts to negotiate a ceasefire. Innocent people on both sides deserve to live without fear. Can the House Leadership spare a minute for that point to be made?”

[Kucinich photo via Shutterstock]