NEW YORK (Press Release)– Leaders of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations welcomed the letter to President Obama currently circulating in the House of Representatives supporting the U.S.-Israel relationship and urged members of the House to join the effort led by Representatives Ted Poe (R-TX), Gary Peters (D-MI), House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH), House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA), House Foreign Affairs Chairman Howard Berman (D-CA), and Ranking Member Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL).
The joint House letter states that it is “in the national security interest of the United States to unequivocally reiterate that the United States stands behind its longtime friend and ally” and urges President Obama to “remain steadfast in the defense of Israel.”
“We welcome this very important statement reflecting the enduring support for the U.S.-Israel relationship and urge other members of the House to sign onto this letter. The letter details the efforts Israel made to divert the flotilla peacefully; voices concern about the role of the IHH in the attack against Israeli soldiers on the Mavi Marmara and the IHH’s connection to recognized terrorist groups; and also questions the true intent of the flotilla, noting that Hamas turned away the aid that was aboard the Mavi Marmara after it had been inspected by Israeli officials. We wholeheartedly agree that the U.S. should make every effort to ‘thwart international condemnation [of Israel] and focus the international community on the crimes of the Iran-backed Hamas leadership against Israel and the Palestinian people’ and hope that the U.S. continues to recognize the value that Israel, as the sole democratic country in the Middle East, provides to the region and the world,” said Chairman Alan Solow and Executive Vice Chairman Malcolm Hoenlein.
“We are grateful to Representatives Ted Poe and Gary Peters and the leaders in the House as well as to the representatives who have signed or will sign on to show their support for this statement. Similar to the letter authored by Senators Reid and McConnell, this statement illustrates the deep commitment of the American people to the special U.S.-Israel relationship and to Israel’s need to protect its citizens from terrorism in all forms,” the leaders said.
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Preceding provided by Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations