By Donald H. Harrison
SAN DIEGO—The debate in Congress over the overlapping issues of Iran sanctions and the invitation to Israel’s Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu to talk to a Joint Session of Congress have prompted two Jewish senators to offer a compromise resolution on Iran, and a Jewish member of the House to suggest that much of the support voiced for Israel is intended by other Congress members to raise political funds.
Democratic U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein of California and Al Franken of Minnesota are among a group of senators urging a compromise resolution on the negotiations with Iran. Explained Feinstein: “Enacting new sanctions before the end of the negotiating period would gravely undermine our efforts to reach an agreement with Iran. For those who agree that the sanctions bill in the Banking Committee is detrimental, this resolution provides an option in support of diplomacy. The resolution states that if negotiations fail or if Iran violates any agreement, then it is appropriate for Congress to swiftly pass sanctions.
“Whether or not Iran is willing to make the compromises necessary to rejoin the community of nations remains to be seen,” Feinstein added. But we have an obligation to give our negotiators the time and space needed to test that possibility. We must see this diplomatic opening through. This is not just a matter for the United States, it’s the major world powers that have come together in negotiation with Iran. With the international community united and a temporary accord in place, this is the best chance we have to resolve this matter peacefully. The opportunity is there. To torpedo it would be reckless and dangerous.”
A cosponsor, Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut, added: “There should be no doubt that the United States Congress stands ready and willing to pass new sanctions if Iran fails to live up to its end of the bargain in these negotiations. Senator Feinstein and I introduced this resolution because we strongly believe that a comprehensive diplomatic agreement is the best way to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, and that passing new sanctions legislation at this time would be counterproductive. But this resolution makes clear that if Iran walks away from the table, or if talks fall through because they’re no longer negotiating in good faith, the United States will not hesitate to respond with debilitating new sanctions.”
Elsewhere, U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Kentucky) was reported to be highly critical of Netanyahu being invited by House Speaker John Boehner to address a Joint Session of Congress, according to Buzz Feed News. Yarmuth was quoted as saying on a local television show that the invitation was
deliberately designed to undermine the president—that’s close to subversion. I mean, the president is supposed to be conducting foreign policy, not the Speaker of the House. And you know a lot of it has to do with fundraising—I’m sure some of it is sincere support for Israel. You know, I’m a Jewish member of Congress, I’m a strong supporter of Israel, but my first obligation is to the Constitution of the United States, not to the Constitution of Israel. And unfortunately, I think, some of the demands that are made of members by AIPAC (the American Israel Public Affairs Committee) and some strong Jewish supporters are that we pay more attention—I guess we defer—to Israel more than we defer to the United States. And that’s another thing, because if he’s going to come over here and say ‘well my intelligence shows this’—you know, there’s an implicit, I guess, admission—or not admission, I guess concession—that Israeli intelligence is superior to American intelligence. I’m not ready to sit there and endorse that kind of proposition and I suspect he will, basically talk about things like that – you know, try to match their assessment of the (Iranian nuclear) situation against ours. And I’m not willing to believe theirs is superior.
Matt Brooks, executive director of the Republican Jewish Coalition, promptly denounced Yarmuth’s comments in a press release: “Today, Congressman Yarmuth questioned genuine support for the state of Israel and its security, saying that, ‘a lot of [the support for Israel] has to do with fundraising.'” He added:
The RJC is especially concerned with the implications of these comments as they come on the heels of President Obama citing pressure from “donors” as the reason some Democrats support enhanced sanctions on Iran. It seems that President Obama and Congressman Yarmuth live in some parallel universe where any support for the state of Israel is the result of “donors” or “fundraising” and not genuine concern and support for Israel and its security. Despite the tradition of bipartisan support for Israel in Congress, these troubling episodes are occurring more and more frequently from Democrats, including the President. No wonder the GOP continues to make inroads with the Jewish community, increasing Republican support in 6 of the last 7 elections. If Democrats want to continue to be taken seriously by American Jews they should condemn these outrageous remarks.
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SHOAH OBSERVANCE — Secretary of the Treasury Jacob Lew is leading the U.S. delegation to the observance of the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz on Tuesday, Jan. 26. Among Americans who will be there are Ron Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress; David Harris and Stanley Bergman, respectively executive director and president of the American Jewish Committee; movie producer Steven Spielberg and San Diegans Rose and Max Schindler, who are both Holocaust survivors.
Katrina Lantos Swett, chair of the U.S. Commission on International Freedom, noting that Jan. 27 is International Holocaust Remembrance Day, commented: “We must remember the horror of the Holocaust and honor the memory of millions of Jews whom the Nazis and their sympathizers slaughtered. However, remembering and honoring the victims, while vitally important, is not enough. We also must take action, unequivocally condemning attacks against Jews whenever and wherever they occur. We must make certain that governments hold accountable perpetrators of anti-Semitic acts, and rededicate ourselves to ensuring that such hatred, bigotry, racism, and prejudice is eliminated. We have our work cut out for ourselves, as the murder of four Jews in the kosher supermarket as part of the recent terrorist attack in Paris sadly underscores.”
USCIRF Commissioner Hannah Rosenthal said: “Seven decades after the Holocaust, anti-Semitism is again on the move. It is a global menace, a grave threat to Jews around the world, and a challenge to the basic humanitarian values of liberty, pluralism, and tolerance. Civil society, along with governments, has an indispensable role to play in combatting anti-Semitism in all its forms, whenever and wherever it takes place. Individually and as a nation, we must commit ourselves to closing the gap between the promise and practice of ‘never again.’”
The American Jewish Committee offered these thoughts for the occasion:
We Remember
In the Jewish tradition, we are commanded to remember (zachor) and not to forget (lo tishkach). On January 27, we commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance Day. On this solemn occasion, 70 years after the liberation of Auschwitz:
We remember the six million Jewish martyrs, including 1.5 million children, who were exterminated in the Holocaust.
We remember the entirely new alphabet created by the Nazis for the Final Solution — from the letter “A” for Auschwitz to the letter “Z” for Zyklon-B.
We remember not only the tragic deaths of the six million Jews, but also their vibrant lives—as shopkeepers and craftsmen, scientists and authors, teachers and students, parents and children, husbands and wives.
We remember the richly hued and ancient Jewish civilizations that were destroyed—from Salonika to Vilna, from Amsterdam to Prague.
We remember the slippery slope that began with the rantings of an obscure Austrian-born anti-Semite named Adolf Hitler and led, in the course of less than 15 years, to his absolute control over Germany.
We remember the fertile soil of European anti-Semitism—cultivated over centuries by cultural, political, and religious voices—that created an all-too-receptive climate for the Nazi objective of eliminating the Jewish people.
We remember the courage of Denmark, as well as Albania, Bulgaria, and Finland, for their extraordinary efforts to protect their own Jewish communities.
We remember the courage of thousands of Righteous Persons—whom we call, in Hebrew, Hasidei Umot Ha’olam—who risked their own lives so that others might live.
We remember the millions of non-Jews—Poles and Russians, Roma and the disabled, political opponents and homosexuals—murdered under the relentless Nazi onslaught.
We remember the valiant soldiers of the Allied nations who, at such great human cost, vanquished the Third Reich.
We remember the survivors of the death camps, who endured such unimaginable suffering and who have inspired us all with their indomitable courage, spirit, and will to live.
We remember the absence of an Israel in those war-time years—an Israel that, had it existed, would have provided a haven when so shamefully few countries were willing to accept Jewish refugees.
We shall never forget those who perished.
We shall never forget those who saved even a single life. As it is written in the Talmud: “He who saves one life has saved the world.”
We shall never forget the importance of speaking out against intolerance, whenever and wherever it occurs.
We shall never forget the inextricable link among democracy, the rule of law, and protection of human rights.
We shall never forget the age-old prophetic vision of a world of justice, harmony, and peace.
And we shall never forget that each of us, in ways large and small, can help bring us closer to the realization of that prophetic vision.
U.S. Senate
ROCKY MOUNTAINS — U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colorado) took notice of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Rocky Mountain National Park. He said: “Rocky Mountain National Park offers some of the best hiking, scenery and wildlife viewing that Colorado has to offer. Whether you’re climbing Longs Peak, watching the elk during the fall rut, or just driving Trail Ridge Road, Rocky Mountain National Park is iconic Colorado. It’s no wonder it attracts millions of visitors every year, who in turn support our state’s tourism and outdoor recreation economy. On the park’s centennial anniversary, we are reminded that protecting our public lands ensures that future generations will have the opportunity to enjoy them as we do.”
KEYSTONE PIPELINE – U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Maryland) has asked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) to allow his amendment and others on the Keystone Pipeline project to come to the Senate floor for a vote. “It is disappointing that just over three weeks onto the new Congress, the new leader has lapsed to setting arbitrary deadlines to cut off even the most token of debate on Democratic amendments. I am among those senators who still have amendments pending. My amendment and others deserve a chance for an up or down vote; they deserve at least one minute of debate. Tabling amendments that would protect public health and preserve our environment serves no public interest.” … Similarly, U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) said: “The number of votes the U.S. Senate has taken this year is not an indicator of the quality of those votes nor of the debate associated with those votes. I am disappointed that Sen. McConnell is moving to cut off debate and prevent dozens of amendments from seeing the light of day.”… Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) responded that he moved to cut off a Democratic filibuster on the Keystone project, and accused the Democrats of fostering the same kind of partisan gridlock they have rhetorically opposed.
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GREEK ELECTIONS–U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (Independent-Vermont) commented on the decisive victory on Sunday, Jan. 25, of the Syriza party of Alexis Tsipras, the next prime minister: “The Syriza victory in the Greek elections tells us that people around the world will no longer accept austerity for working families while the rich continue to get much richer,” he said. “The top 1 percent of the world’s population will soon own more wealth than the bottom 99 percent. This is wrong and unsustainable from a moral, economic and political perspective.”
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BUILDING REHABILITATION—U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-New York) has thrown his support behind the project of a non-profit group, Isaiah 61, that takes its inspiration from the biblical verse in Isaiah 61:4 “They will rebuild the ancient ruins, the wastelands of former times they will restore; they will renew ruined cities, generations-old wastelands” In the city of Niagara Falls, Isaiah 61 plans to rehabilitate an old fire station to be used as its headquarters where it will offer such programs as 400-hour trade and home renovation training, as well as OSHA-10 certification. Schumer wrote a letter to the television show “Rehab Addict” suggesting Isaiah 61 be featured in an episode.
California Legislature
E-CIGARETTES—State Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) announced his backing for legislation to ban the smoking of electronic cigarettes in workplaces, schools, restaurants and hospitals. “No tobacco product should be exempt from California’s smoke-free laws simply because it’s sold in a modern or trendy disguise,” he said. “Addiction is what’s really being sold. Like traditional cigarettes, e-cigarettes deliver nicotine in a cloud of other toxic chemicals, and their use should be restricted equally under state law in order to protect public health.”
Political Parties
ILLINOIS COO—Former Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle has joined the team of Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner. She was appointed as Chief Operating Officer of the State of Illinois. Matt Brooks, executive director of the Republican Jewish Coalition commented: “Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner said it best, describing Governor Lingle as a ‘superstar Governor.’ We know that Governor Lingle will continue her success in positions of immense responsibility and do great things for the state of Illinois. Governor Lingle has worked tirelessly to advance the RJC’s goals, helping grow our membership and increase Jewish support for Republicans in 6 of the last 7 national elections. Coming on the heels of the opening of our Midwest office, we look forward to adding Governor Lingle as a presence for the RJC in the Midwest.”
Interest Groups
BDS—Morton Klein, national president of the Zionist Organization of America, praised the Jewish Community Relations Council- Jewish Federation of New York for banning from its upcoming Israel Day Parade any group which supports boycotts of Israel products or personnel.
Items about Jewish women serving in Congress are sponsored by Laura Galinson in memory of her father, Murray Galinson
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Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. Your comments may be posted in the space provided below or sent to donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com
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