Ellison and Elmo: Give Palestine Sesame Street

Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison has been known as sort of a character on the House floor, but this time, the Democrat wasn’t the only character testifying. Ellison, who was advocating for the return of funding to a program that would provide positive outreach in Palestine, brought Sesame Street’s Elmo to Congress to add to his argument.

“I brought a friend to the floor with me today,” Ellison said. “As we all know, this is Elmo. This guy taught us our 1-2-3s, but he also taught us tolerance and understanding. For the past several years, he’s been doing the same thing for children in the Palestinian territories.”

Ellison worries that without positive images provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development, Palestinian children will no longer learn about tolerance and compassion, and will only have characters who teach children extremism.

Watch Ellison (and Elmo) speak on the House floor.

Photo credit: you tube screen capture

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Joseph A.

1:33PM PDT on Apr 2, 2012

Why not they killed Mickey Mouse and blamed it on Israel

Hamas kids' TV: Mickey Mouse puppet killed by Israel becomes a Martyr
Farfur, Hamas's Mickey Mouse - beaten and killed by Israel:
[Farfur in interrogation]
Israeli interrogator: "Sit down Farfur. Farfur, we want to buy the land, we will give you a lot of money."
Farfur: "No!! We don't sell our lands to terrorists!"
Israeli: "Farfur!!! I want you to give me the documents, give me the documents!!!"
Farfur: "I won't give the document! Won't give! Won't give!"
Israeli: "Farfur!!! Farfur! Hand me the documents Farfur! Hand me the documents Farfur! You call us terrorists, Farfur?! Take this, take this! Take this! Take this!"
Farfur: "Stop! Stop!"
TV Host: "Yes, our children friends, we lost our dearest friend, Farfur. Farfur became a Shahid (Martyr) while protecting his land."

video at http://bit.ly/y1zaRa

Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/ellison-and-elmo-give-palestine-sesame-street.html#ixzz1quvDT6zq

April 2
send a green star

pam w.

9:39PM PST on Jan 27, 2012

After watching the video Tommy posted....(take note of the time/date)

I AM SPEECHLESS!

January 27
send a green star

Phyllis B.

2:26PM PST on Jan 27, 2012

Why did Israel have to build the Wall? 60 suicide bombers in the year preceding it's construction- more than one a week for a year! Now Hamas & the PA send rockets to kill schoolchildren and assassins top stab babies in their cribs. The hate and suspicion will never stop and peace never achieved while one side is excused for evil acts on the grounds of their alleged 'victimhood'.

Shanie M.

2:14PM PST on Jan 27, 2012

Yet another example of rabid isolationism! We MUST have positive images to counteract the unbelieveably negative ones put out there by Hamas & other anti-everything 'not ultraconservative Islam' polemics from repressive regimes. If we do not, we are telling the rest of the world that these xenophobes are right, that their xenophobic lies & half-truths are reality. Wake up, people - the ostrich learned a long time ago that burying your head in the sand only got you 'eaten' sooner!

Fred H.

10:31AM PST on Jan 27, 2012

It is sad how dedicated Hamas and the PA are to teaching Palestinians to hate Jews, to want to kill Jews, to never be willing to live in peace with Jews. If only Sesame Street could REPLACE Palestinian programming.

Deanna J.

10:21AM PST on Jan 27, 2012

As trivial as it sounds, Sesame Street is a wonderful program. It helped my brother, and myself, who are separated by 16 years, both TREMENDOUSLY in our early education. PBS is a fantastic broadcaster, and every effort should be made to extend Americans' good will to those who have different ideals than we do.

PBS is the least offensive material you could possibly send to a place/people that is/are so different from America, and is probably helping Palestinian children quite a bit.

PBS shows like Sesame Street and Mister Rogers' Neighborhood shaped my early education, and I absolutely adore them still to this day.