Rep. Davis criticizes Trump’s cancellation of Speaker’s flight; Surveys partial shutdown views
Congresswoman Susan Davis (CA-53), a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, released the following statement on the Speaker-led congressional delegation, of which she was a member, to visit troops in Afghanistan.
“For a president to cancel and leak the details of a Speaker’s trip to a war zone is beyond reckless. The importance of confidentiality until members and those accompanying safely returned from their mission is paramount. Not only did he and his staff endanger the Speaker and other members on the trip, but he also endangered our troops, security personnel, and the other travelers on our flights. It’s appalling that the Commander in Chief who is supposed to protect the American people is the one putting us in danger.”
In another news release, Davis told her view of the partial government shutdown, and accompanied it with two survey questions:
“It’s now Day 28 of the partial government shutdown, the longest in history. House Democrats have passed several bills to reopen the government immediately and are urging further discussion on border security. In my view, Senate Republican leadership continues to block House bills to reopen the government until the president’s wall demands are met. Without discussion or negotiations, there’s no end in sight. Millions of Americans are now feeling the impact.”
What do you think? Here is a link to a survey: https://susandavis.house.gov/forms/form/?ID=3337 — From U.S. Rep. Susan Davis (D-San Diego)
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Nancy Kaufman, CEO of National Council of Jewish Women, honored by JCPA
Nancy Kaufman, CEO of the National Council of Jewish Women (NJCW) and lifelong civic leader, has been chosen as the 2019 recipient of the JCPA Albert D. Chernin Award. The award will be presented at the JCPA2019 Annual National Conference (February 9 – 12 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C.)
The award, named after JCPA’s Executive Vice Chair Emeritus Albert D. Chernin, is given to Jewish leaders whose life work best exemplifies a commitment to freedom and the protection of the U.S. Bill of Rights.
“Nancy has been an unwavering advocate for a free and fair society throughout her distinguished career,” said David Bernstein, JCPA President and CEO. “She’s in a class of her own.”
Past recipients include Senator Ronald Wyden, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Rabbi David Saperstein, Professor Lawrence Tribe, Floyd Abrams, and Alan Dershowitz.
Kaufman has had a distinguished career as a public servant, advocate, and non-profit leader. Prior to joining NCJW, Kaufman served as the executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of Boston for twenty years, where she led the social justice, Israel advocacy, and governmental affairs agendas for Boston’s Jewish Federation and its agencies. — From the Jewish Council for Public Affairs
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Moldova adopts international working definition for anti-Semitism
The American Jewish Committee (AJC) has applauded Moldova for adopting the international working definition of anti-Semitism.
The Decision on Condemning anti-Semitism and Promotion of Tolerance issued Friday by Prime Minister Pavel Filip endorses the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism, and commits Moldavan authorities to prevent and combat anti-Semitism, extremism, racism and any other form of discrimination or intolerance.
“Moldova has taken a laudable step in recognizing clearly the resurgent cancer of anti-Semitism and mobilizing to effectively combat it,” said American Jewish Committee (AJC) CEO David Harris, who has visited the country several times. “We commend the Jewish Community of Moldova, an AJC international partner, for working with their government to achieve this important policy decision.”
The IHRA definition, adopted by the alliance’s 31 member states in 2016, is based on the 2005 European Monitoring Centre (EUMC) Working Definition. It offers a clear and comprehensive description of anti-Semitism in its various forms, including hatred and discrimination against Jews, Holocaust denial, and, of particular note, anti-Semitism as it relates to Israel.
AJC worked closely over a decade ago with the EUMC in developing this working definition as a tool for monitors and law enforcement officials. — — From the American Jewish Committee
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Jerusalem Prize to U.S. author Joyce Carol Oates
(Photo: Wikipedia)
American author Joyce Carol Oates is the recipient of the prestigious 2019 Jerusalem Prize, within the framework of the Jerusalem International Book Forum. Oates will receive the prize on May 12, 2019 from the Mayor of Jerusalem Moshe Lion during the opening ceremony of the Jerusalem International Book Forum (May 12-15) and the International Writers Festival of Mishkenot Sha’ananim (May 12-16). Oates will also take part in the festival program.
Joyce Carol Oates, born 1938, is a brilliant American author, one of the leading and most important living writers in the USA today. During her illustrious literary career, Oates has written many works of fiction, poetry, non-fiction, essays, and plays, and won many prizes. Among her bestselling titles are We Were the Mulvaneys, a selection of the Oprah Winfrey Book Club, Blonde, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, and The Accursed, a “gothic” exploration of racism in early 20th century America.
2019 Jerusalem Prize jury members Dr. Omri Herzog, Professor Shimon Adaf and Dr. Tamar Hess (Chairman): “Over the course of more than five decades, Joyce Carol Oates has created a rich body of literary work. Her creative work dictates new creative horizons and denotes a continuous breach of boundaries. Although her work is characterized by an unmistakable voice, she continues to surprise her many readers with the elaborate narratives she creates, as well as the thematic variations of her works. Her writing, which corresponds with great American literature, as well as with Gothic literature, with myths and the movement of time, stems from an inexhaustible reservoir of rich imagination: in each book she investigates another unknown territory. More than anything else, Oates describes and throws light on the tension between the hidden anxieties and desires that permeate the human psyche, and the forces of family, society and culture that give them form – imprisoning them and sometimes releasing them. With a deep and profound psychological understanding, she confronts her heroes – as well as her readers – with the ways in which people deal with internal or external demons, and their struggle defines the boundaries of the human condition. But throughout this confrontation, even in its wildest manifestations, a constant line of grace and compassion is discernible.” — From Jerusalem International Book Festival
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ZOA criticizes Pelosi for appointing Ihlan Omar to Foreign Affairs Committee
Morton Klein, president of the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA), has protested the appointment of Ihlan Omar to the House Foreign Affairs Committee. A portion of his letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi follows:
“We are writing to you to express our profound, even frightened concern and, indeed, our pained astonishment that you have decided to appoint newly-elected legislator, Representative Ihlan Omar, to the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
“We cannot believe that Representative Omar has been appointed to the Committee on the strength on any particular expertise or competence she holds in foreign affairs. We do know, however, that Representative Omar has a horrific and frightening record of viciously anti-Israel actions that amount to anti-Semitism as defined by the State Department definition of antiSemitism as determined in its May 2016 document, ‘Defining anti-Semitism.’ Rep. Omar’s hatred of the Jewish State of Israel renders her hopelessly biased against Israel, making it impossible to make a reasonable, rational decision on any issue concerning Israel and the Arab/Islamic world.
“Far from marginalizing her, disowning her views and disassociating yourself from her, as you would have undoubtedly done were Representative Omar guilty of comparably vicious statements and activity and hatred against African Americans, Muslims or gay people, you have seen fit to actually reward her by appointing her to the House Foreign Relations Committee.
“Your appointment of Representative Omar sends a frightening message that vicious anti-Israel actions and anti-Semitism is acceptable and, thus, serves to mainstream and legitimize antiSemitism and Israel bashing, something we would have thought would be anathema to the Democratic Party or any respected American political party. The Democratic Party once included the proudest Congressional supporters of Israel, like Senators Henry Jackson and Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Hubert Humphrey. We frankly find it difficult to fathom how you and other Democratic legislators whom we have believed were friends of our important Middle East ally, the Jewish state of Israel, could have appointed her to a Committee which deals with America’s relations with Israel.
“Representative Omar, once elected in last year’s midterm elections, confirmed to the website Muslim Girl that she supports the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement which, as openly admitted by its originators, seeks to delegitimize, economically harm and ultimately eliminate the Jewish State of Israel by criminalizing business relations with Israeli Jews…” — From the Zionist Organization of America
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Preceding items culled from news releases. Please send yours to editor@sdjewishworld.com