Compiled by Donald H. Harrison
SAN DIEGO – A U.S. Senate committee approved the imposition of sanctions on Iran if current negotiations fail, and, in another action, 75 U.S. senators signed a letter urging Secretary of State John Kerry to oppose efforts by the Palestinian Authority to utilize international organizations to isolate Israel in lieu of conducting face-to-face negotiations with Israel for a two-state solution.
On the issue of Iran sanctions:
The Senate Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs Committee on Thursday voted 18-4 to impose stricter sanctions on Iran if a satisfactory agreement is not reached in the current round of negotiations on curbing Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Lead co-authors Senators Mark Kirk (R-Illinois) and Robert Menendez (D-New Jersey), who are both members of that committee, said they planned not to bring the measure to the Senate floor earlier than the last week of March.
The White House has indicated that it expects to know by March whether negotiations with Iran are likely to be fruitful, and architects of the bill believe their promise not to bring the matter to a floor vote any earlier may satisfy the President. Nevertheless , four Democrats voted against the measure, with the committee’s Ranking Member Sherrod Brown of Ohio saying it could hamper the negotiations.
Brown’s view apparently was corroborated on Thursday by State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki who said that “there’s no question” Obama would veto the bill approved by the committee should it come to his desk. Said Psaki: “I think we’ve been clear about what our view is, that imposing new sanctions through our Congress would be detrimental to the negotiations, that the negotiators need the room and the space to negotiate. And our counterparts around the world have also spoken to what kind of an impact – a detrimental impact – this could have on the entire sanctions – international sanctions regime. So our position remains the same.”
Psaki’s comment seemed to indicate less flexibility in the administration than Deputy White House Press Secretary Eric Schultz’s comment the day before. He was asked on Wednesday whether by agreeing to delay a floor vote till late March, Senators had avoided the President’s veto threat. Schultz answered indirectly: “the President has made clear the importance of the end-of-March deadline in our own pursuit of a political framework there. So we’re going to certainly engage Congress at that point, just like we have been thus far. And if we determine that negotiations have failed, we have always said we’ll be the first ones to move for sanctions; I think the President has said that. We’ll take a day or two, but that’s a determination we’re going to make based on the progress of the negotiations at that point.”
Besides Sherrod Brown, those who voted no on the committee were Democratic Senators Jeff Merkley of Oregon, Jack Reed of Rhode Island, and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. Voting with Kirk and Committee Chairman Richard Shelby of Alabama and 10 other Republican members were six Democrats: Menendez, Charles Schumer of New York, John Tester of Montana, Mark Warner of Virginia, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Joe Donnelly of Indiana.
The America Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) applauded the committee action, saying “The legislation fully complies with the interim nuclear agreement by not imposing any new sanctions during the course of the current negotiations. If no agreement is reached by June 30, 2015, the legislation would put in place a series of escalating prospective sanctions on Iranian petroleum and key strategic economic sectors. It would increase congressional oversight of the Iran nuclear negotiations by requiring the president to formally submit to Congress the text of any final agreement with Iran, as well as a verification assessment report, within five days of reaching a final agreement. Congress would have the opportunity to review any agreement for 30 legislative days. Strong sanctions opened the door for diplomacy and compelled Iran to the negotiating table. The Kirk-Menendez legislation will increase the prospects for successful negotiations by making it clear to Iran that it will again face steep economic pressure if it stalls or fails to make the compromises needed to reach a deal.”
The Republican Jewish Coalition said its view is that “quick action on Kirk-Menendez, which would impose sanctions if the June 30 deadline for a comprehensive deal is not met, would help pressure the Iranians and could only make a successful diplomatic outcome more likely. But despite the tactical disagreement among Kirk-Menendez supporters, there’s no question that committee passage of the bill, combined with the Democratic Senators’ insistence that Iran reach an agreement by a date certain, increases pressure on the Obama administration over its failed Iran policy.”
American Jewish Committee: “Tehran must hear loud and clear from Washington that its traditional delaying tactics are no longer acceptable,” said AJC Executive Director David Harris. “It is important to tee-up this measure, with broad backing by both Democrats and Republicans, in case sanctions against Iran need to be reinforced and strengthened should the P5+1 not achieve an accord that blocks Iran from attaining nuclear weapons capability.”
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On the issue of Palestinian efforts in the international arena, here is a text of the letter sent to Kerry:
We are deeply concerned by the decision of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to seek members in the International Criminal Court (ICC) because the Palestinian Authority is not a state and its express intent is to use this process to threaten Israel. President Abbas’ effort contravenes the spirit of earlier agreements between Israel and the Palestinian Authority and erodes the prospects for peace. Therefore, the United States must make clear that joining the ICC is not a legitimate or viable path for the Palestinians.
We ask your assistance on three matters that threaten to further undermine the prospects for achieving the shared goal of two states living side-by-side in peace.
First, we were heartened that the Palestinians’ effort to unilaterally seek statehood via the UN Security Council failed and were encouraged by the efforts of the Administration to reject this one-sided resolution. The Palestinian Authority’s stated plans to reintroduce their resolution at the UN Security Council later this year will require continued U.S. leadership and engagement with the member of the UN Security Council and Palestinian leaders to oppose imbalanced, unilateral solutions outside the context of direct negotiations. We urge you to make clear, publicly and privately, that the United States will veto any unilateral resolutions brought before the UN Security Council related to Palestinian statehood.
Second, current law prohibits economic assistance to the Palestinian Authority if the Palestinians initiate an ICC investigation of Israeli nationals or “actively support such an investigation.” Although we believe it is in the interest of the United States for urgent humanitarian assistance to continue to be provided to the Palestinian people, we will not support assistance to the Palestinian Authority while you undertake a review of this matter.
Third, Israel is a major strategic partner of the United States and is facing increasing pressure from those who seek to delegitimize its very existence. President Abbas’ actions are intended to directly challenge Israel’s legitimate right to defend its citizens and territory, and President Abbas has been aided in his efforts by the statements and actions of other governments, including many close U.S. allies. We request that you and other senior administration officials continue to speak out, as you did during last year’s Operation Protective Edge, in unambiguous support for Israel’s right to protect its citizens. We also urge you to highlight Hamas’ ongoing support for terrorism and documented use of innocent Palestinian civilians as human shields.
The fact is that the only realistic and sustainable path to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is through direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. For those negotiations to be successful, Israel needs a Palestinian partner that has renounced violence, refuses to partner with terrorists, accepts Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state, and is willing to make compromises for peace. President Abbas’s recent actions undermine these efforts and make a comprehensive peace agreement more difficult to achieve.
The lead signatories were Republican Marco Rubio of Florida and Democrat Kirsten Gillebrand of New York. Jewish senators signing the letter included Democrats Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Ben Cardin of Maryland, Al Franken of Minnesota, Brian Schatz of Hawaii, Charles Schumer of New York, and Ron Wyden of Oregon. Missing from the signatories were Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colorado), Barbara Boxer of California, Dianne Feinstein of California, and Bernie Sanders (Ind-Vermont),
Other signatories of interest included Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio.) Brown led opposition to the Iran sanctions bill in the Senate Banking Committee. The three other Democratic senators who voted in committee against the Iran bill –Jack Reed, Jeff Merkley and Elizabeth Warren—also did not sign the Palestinian letter.
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In another Israel-related development, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-New York) called upon the U.S. State Department to investigate media reports that the Obama administration may be using taxpayer funds to finance a political campaign in Israel to unseat Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu.
“Has President Obama launched a political campaign against Prime Minister Netanyahu and his representatives?” Senator Cruz asked. “This administration’s relentless harassment of Israel is utterly incomprehensible. The Islamic Republic of Iran is pursuing the deadliest weapons on the planet and there can be no doubt that their first target will be Israel, followed by the United States. This administration should be focusing its animosity on the very real enemies we face, not on our staunch allies.”
“It is completely unacceptable to use U.S. tax dollars to influence the elections in Israel,” said Congressman Zeldin. “State Department grants should never be given to entities working to overthrow strong allies like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. We have great allies around the world, but Israel is our strongest, and a beacon of freedom in a region filled with radical Islamic extremists and state sponsored terrorism. Today, I join with Sen. Ted Cruz in calling for a U.S. Department of State investigation into this important matter.”
State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki said the reports of U.S. tax dollars being used were wrong. “The U.S. Government grant to OneVoice Israel was for $233,500. The duration of this grant, as I mentioned yesterday but just to reconfirm, was from September 23rd, 2013 through November 30th, 2014. No payment was made to OneVoice after November 2014. It’s an absolutely false report.” The grant to OneVoice, she added, “was to support efforts to support a two-state solution.”
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The Jewish Citizen
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U.S. Senate
FRESH FOOD — U.S. Senator Michael Bennet (D-Colorado) on Thursday, Jan 29, helped advance a bill to reauthorize the Older Americans Act with a provision that will encourage the use of locally grown foods by nutrition services providers. The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee unanimously approved the bill. “This bill is extremely important for Colorado’s seniors that depend on services like Meals on Wheels and the Congregate Meal Program,” Bennet said. “In addition to reauthorizing resources for crucial services, this bill will encourage nutrition service providers to use locally grown foods when possible. This will help put fresh, nutritious food in the hands of those who need it while also supporting Colorado’s farmers and ranchers and the local economy.”
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TRAIN DERAILMENT – U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) and Charles Schumer (D-New York) said Wednesday night’s derailment of a Harlem-bound train at Grand Central Station in midtown Manhattan with 800 passengers aboard raises questions of safety. Although there were no injuries, said Blumenthal, “much more than a minor inconvenience, this disturbing multiple car derailment delays and disrupts travel for countless riders. The derailment, fairly or not, recalls past incidents – renewing concerns about safety and reliability. I will be raising detailed questions about the derailment with Metro-North. I appreciate that the FRA has begun an investigation and has alerted me to the incident.”
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TRANSPORTATION — U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-California) has been focusing on transportation the last several days. She wrote a letter to Thomas Blalock, president of the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) board, thanking him for banning e-cigarettes on BART trains and stations. “Research has raised major concerns about secondhand exposure to e-cigarette vapor. This is particularly relevant in small, enclosed spaces such as trains and stations, leading the World Health Organization to recommend that steps be taken to end the use of e-cigarettes indoors in public and work places.” Along with Senator Rand Paul (R-Kentucky), Boxer also announced she will offer a proposal to reduce taxation rates on money that U.S. companies return to America from their foreign operations over and above normal repatriation amounts. These incremental revenues, under their plan, would be earmarked for transportation projects across the country, including increased hiring, wages and pensions; research and development, environmental improvements; public-private partnerships; capital improvements; and acquisitions.
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AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS– U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-California) and Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) on Thursday, Jan. 29, introduced the Afterschool for America’s Children Act, “to help children and families by investing in high-quality afterschool programs across the country.” The bipartisan legislation would reauthorize the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) program, which has allowed millions of children to attend afterschool programs over the last decade, including more than 1.6 million children last year. “Reauthorizing this program will ensure that children of working families continue to have a safe, well-rounded and educational environment until the end of their parents’ work day.”
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LGBT PROTECTION–Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CalifORNIA) signed on as an original cosponsor to bicameral legislation introduced by Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Massachusetts) and Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-California) to “affirm that human rights for lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transsexuals are a foreign policy priority for the U.S. government.” Originally introduced last year by Senator Markey, the International Human Rights Defense Act would direct the State Department to make preventing and responding to discrimination and violence against the LGBT community a foreign policy priority and devise a global strategy to achieve those goals. The legislation would establish a Special Envoy position in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor to coordinate that effort. Feinstein noted that “more than 80 nations around the world have laws that criminalize homosexuality, prohibit public support for the LGBT community, or promote homophobia. In seven countries, homosexuality is punishable by death.”
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KEYSTONE PIPELINE – The U.S. Senate on a 62-36 vote approved a measure to build the Keystone Pipeline from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. Sen. Bernie Sanders (Ind-Vermont), calling on his Senate colleagues to sustain an expected veto by President Obama, said: ““With the scientific community telling us loudly and clearly that we must transform our energy system away from fossil fuels if we are to combat climate change, it is totally crazy for the Congress to support the production and transportation of some of the dirtiest oil on the planet.” Also opposing the measure was Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-California), who said: “This bill will not help our economy, it will not create permanent jobs, and it certainly is not a boon to the environment. On item after item, the Keystone pipeline just doesn’t make sense for the United States.”
House of Representatives
CREDIT RATING AGENCIES — U.S. Rep. Brad Sherman (D-California) says legislation that he and Sen. Al Franken (D-Minnesota) steered to passage five years ago should come into play now that the Department of Justice is reportedly close to settling for $1.37 billion a suit against Standard and Poor for allegedly rating mortgage back securities deceptively. The legislation said if credit-rated agencies are found to have conflicts of interest that lead to deceptive ratings, then the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) should develop procedures for selecting credit-rating agencies based on their integrity.
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California Legislature
State Sen. Bob Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys) has introduced legislation to permit the California State Bar Association to create a voluntary fund through which attorneys could have a portion of their student loans paid back in return for donating their time to helping low-income Californians navigate the legal system. “People who love the law may be inspired by former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis, who was appointed to the Court in January 1916 – or 99 years ago today – because he devoted his life to promoting social justice and legal services for the poor, often without pay,” said Hertzberg. “He was known as the ‘people’s attorney’ and a ‘Robin Hood of the law’ and my hope is we will celebrate next year’s 100th anniversary of Brandeis’ appointment with a flood of donations to promote justice, equality and greater interest in legal services helping the less fortunate among us.”
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AUSCHWITZ LIBERATION– In a unanimous 35-0 vote in the State Senate Thursday morning, Jan. 29, Senate Resolution 10 authored by Senator Jeff Stone (R-Riverside County) officially commemorated January 27, 2015 as the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp while forever remembering the loss of six million Jewish people in the Holocaust. In making his appeal to commemorate the liberation of one of the most infamous concentration camps run by Nazi Germany, Senator Stone commented, “Six million Jewish people were murdered during the Holocaust, with one million killed at Auschwitz alone. When the Soviet army arrived 70 years ago, they liberated just over 7,000 survivors.” In passing SR 10, the State Senate joined with leaders from around the world to remember what happened at Auschwitz and called on people to never forget the savagery of what occurred. “As the years pass, it becomes more and more important to reflect and remember the hatred and evil of that time,” said Senator Stone.
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Interest Groups
BDS AND ACADEMIA—Tammy Rossman Benjamin, a cofounder of the AMCHA Initiative, raised the question on Thursday, Jan. 29, why California Attorney General Kamala Harris has not responded to her request for a ruling on whether California State University at Northridge faculty member David Klein has “illegally used CSUN’s name and resources to promote a personal anti-Israel and anti-Semitic agenda.” In a letter to Harris, Benjamin and AMCHA co-founder Leila Beckwith wrote: ““Freedom of speech and academic freedom are essential on a university campus,” stated AMCHA’s letter. “However it is very difficult for us, and for many citizens of this state, to understand how either “freedom of speech” or “academic freedom” applies in the case of a state-employed mathematics professor who has been using the state university’s taxpayer-funded server to promote his own personal hatred of the Jewish state and an illegal boycott against it.”
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Items about Jewish women 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 comment on any of these items may be posted in the space provided below or sent to donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com