“Turns Reality on Its Head:” Rabbis Ask House Democrats to Withdraw “False and Misleading” Letter

JewsChooseTrump

Baltimore, MD, Nov. 26, 2019 — The Coalition for Jewish Values (CJV), representing over 1000 traditional rabbis in matters of public policy, today sent a letter to Representative Andy Levin, expressing “grave concern” and asking him and 105 cosignatories, all of whom are Democratic members of the House of Representatives, to withdraw a letter sent last week to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

The CJV said that the letter took a consistently hostile position towards Israel, misstated historical facts, and called upon the Administration to violate US law.

Early last week, Mr. Pompeo [announced (https://thehill.com/policy/international/470961-pompeo-announces-israeli-settlements-do-not-violate-international-law) that the Trump Administration would reverse the Obama-era position on Israeli settlements in the West Bank, concluding that “the establishment of Israeli civilian settlements in the West Bank is not, per se, inconsistent with international law.”

The CJV [commended] (https://coalitionforjewishvalues.org/2019/11/rabbis-commend-secstate-mike-pompeo-for-israel-settlements-policy-change/)Mr. Pompeo for his decision, writing that “recognition of the legality of Jewish settlement in Judea accords with the Bible itself and the historical reality.”

Mr. Levin and others, however, sent a letter to Mr. Pompeo on Thursday expressing “strong disagreement” and making a number of claims which the CJV termed “false and misleading.”

“The signatories demonstrated an alarmingly callous attitude towards Israelis, their self-determination, and their human rights,” said Rabbi Steven Pruzansky, Eastern Regional Vice President of the CJV. “Jews were ethnically cleansed from towns in Judea and Samaria in 1929 and 1936, and then driven out entirely by Jordan in 1948 – yet the signatories claim that the Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits them from moving back. It is hard not to read that claim as unsympathetic to Jews and history.”

The CJV highlighted numerous false historical and legal assertions found in the members’ letter. For example, the letter says it was wrong to move the US Embassy “outside of a negotiated agreement,” though the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995called for the embassy to be moved simply because Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and home to Jews for 3000 years.

The signatories also referred to settlements and the “associated demolitions of Palestinian homes;” in reality, no home has been demolished to make way for settlements, while the entirely new town of Rawabihosts over 4000 Arab residents and construction continues with Israeli support.

“The worst part of the letter,” said Rabbi Avrohom Gordimer, Chairman of the CJV Rabbinic Circle, “is its condemnation of the ‘halting of aid’ to the West Bank and Gaza. The Trump Administration is withholding that aid in accordance with the Taylor Force Act and the Anti-Terrorism Clarification Act of 2018, because the Palestinian Authority, UNRWA (the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) and Hamas were using US funds to encourage and reward terrorism.

For members of Congress to declare that ‘this administration has undermined America’s moral standing’ by denying funding for terror turns reality on its head.”

The Coalition for Jewish Values (CJV), the largest rabbinic public policy organization in America, articulates and advocates for public policy positions based upon traditional Jewish thought.

There are very few U.S. Jewish organizations whose moral compass is based on actual Judaism, not what the faddish left pretend Judaism is about. CJV, Coalition for Jewish Values, is one of those very few. JCT is proud to share CJV’s information.

November 27, 2019 | 4 Comments »

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  1. I keep hearing of leftist reform rabbis doing damage to Jews, Israel and America. It was heartwarming to finally hear of this group doing the opposite. Kudos, Yesher Koach to all of them who are trying to correct the insidious behaviour of Democrats who have lost their way.

  2. It might be a good idea if readers were to email, call and otherwise contact these representatives – inform them of the realities on the ground and suggest they educate themselves.

    It might also be helpful if readers were to post this on social media. Representatives do take notice of public feedback.

  3. It would appear that 11 out of the 100 signatories are Jewish. The appropriate question, however, is how many of them are ignorant – of history, the geography of the area and the background of Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. The answer would be 100 out of 100.

    Unfortunately, we are complicit in this ignorance. While we claim to have rights based on history and recognised in International law, we never bother to cite the relevant laws and documents. We have so much to say, but we say nothing.