ZOA Criticizes Reform Judaism’s Jacobs, AIPAC, AJC, ADL, J St., and Other Jewish Groups For Not Supporting Israeli PM Speaking to Congress on Iran
NEW YORK, February 9, 2015 — ZOA President Morton A. Klein released the following statement: “The ZOA has criticized Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, for pressuring Israeli PM Netanyahu to cancel his critically important speech on Iran to a joint session of Congress. Jacobs said it was ‘ill advised’ for Netanyahu to speak. ADL’s Foxman and J St. have also demanded Netanyahu cancel. The ZOA also criticized the American Jewish Committee, and AIPAC and others for their deafening silence on the issue. Moreover the Jewish Daily Forward reported that ‘in private conversations, AIPAC has been trying to distance itself from the debate.’
The Iran issue is a serious and frightening existential issue for the Jewish State of Israel, and Iran is also a major threat to the US. And there is no time to waste.
Iran is getting closer to a nuclear weapon which they’ve repeatedly said they would use against Israel and America. Iran’s supreme leader Khomeini has said ‘Israel is on the verge of extinction,’ while the Iran Defense Ministry has said the US is the ‘great Satan and the number one enemy of Iran is the US.’ Iran President Rouhani has also repeatedly called for Israel’s destruction. (We must also remember that Rouhani was indicted by Argentina for the murder of 85 people at the Jewish Community Center there.) And all these proclamations continue to be made in the midst of these Iran P5+1 negotiations!
Iran is getting closer to a nuclear weapon which they’ve repeatedly said they would use against Israel and America. Iran’s supreme leader Khomeini has said ‘Israel is on the verge of extinction,’ while the Iran Defense Ministry has said the US is the ‘great Satan and the number one enemy of Iran is the US.’ Iran President Rouhani has also repeatedly called for Israel’s destruction. (We must also remember that Rouhani was indicted by Argentina for the murder of 85 people at the Jewish Community Center there.) And all these proclamations continue to be made in the midst of these Iran P5+1 negotiations!
This is an existential issue for Israel that must be dealt with now – not in a year from now. Former Israeli PM Menachem Begin proclaimed the lessons of the Holocaust are, ‘First, if an enemy of our people says he seeks to destroy us, believe him. Don’t doubt him for a moment. Don’t make light of it. Do all in your power to deny him the means of carrying out his satanic intent. Second when a Jew anywhere in the world is threatened or under attack, do all in your power to come to his aid. Never pause to wonder what the world will think or say. The world will never pity slaughtered Jews. The world may not necessarily like the fighting Jew, but the world will have to take account of him. Third, a Jew must learn to defend himself. He must forever be prepared for whenever threat looms.’
We must never again be the Jews of appeasement and paralyzing fear. As Winston Churchill said, ‘Those who appease the crocodile will simply be eaten last.’ We must speak out with strength and pride. We must publicly state that President Obama is endangering America and Israel by his delaying and delaying on stopping Iran’s nuclear program. Iran continues to enrich uranium and to work on developing improved centrifuges while refusing to get rid of its uranium and its 19,000 centrifuge stockpile. Iran keeps working on its Arak plutonium facility and its Parchin military facility that where it likely keeps secretly working on its nuclear program. And it keeps working on its ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile) program whose only purpose is to carry a nuclear warhead which will be able to reach not only Israel and the West but our beloved country of America as well. Yet President Obama dawdles and fiddles, and defends Iran while Iran’s nuclear program progresses to the finish line, G-d forbid.
And President Obama repeatedly threatens to veto new sanctions against Iran even though they would be invoked only if there is no decent deal.
Why is President Obama more sympathetic to our enemy Iran than to our major ally, Israel and to the patriots in Congress? Why?
As Democratic Senator Menendez said, ‘The more I hear from the administration and its quotes, the more it sounds like talking points that come straight out of Tehran.’
Distinguished journalist Caroline Glick of the Jerusalem Post wrote, ‘Boehner didn’t invite Netanyahu because he cares about Israel’s election. He invited Netanyahu because he cares about US national security. He believes that by having Netanyahu speak on the issues of Iran’s nuclear program and radical Islam, he will advance America’s national security. Boehner’s chief concern, and that of the majority of his colleagues from the Democratic and Republican parties alike, is that President Barack Obama’s policy in regard to Iran’s nuclear weapons program imperils the US. Just as the invitation to Netanyahu was a bipartisan invitation, so concerns about Obama’s policy toward Iran’s nuclear program are bipartisan concerns.’
Moreover, new information has come to the fore making it clear that majority leader Boehner did, in fact, notify President Obama of the invitation to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to address Congress about Iran and radical Islam. President Obama simply did not respond. In fact, when PM Netanyahu was invited to speak to a joint session of Congress in 2011, Obama was also informed. At that time, Obama also did not respond. But, this time, President Obama decided to make a phony issue about ‘protocol’ in apparent attempt to harm Netanyahu’s upcoming election. ZOA makes this assumption, in part, due to the fact that President Obama’s campaign team has gone to Israel to help those politicians challenging Netanyahu’s re-election, and promoting the theme ‘Anybody but Netanyahu.’
The United States Congress is discussing the Iran situation now. Prime Minister Netanyahu must speak now.
The ZOA is pleading with its colleagues to support Israeli PM Netanyahu, Democratic Senator Menendez, Majority Leader John Boehner, Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer, Democratic Ranking member of the House Foreign Relations Committee Elliot Engel, and so many others to provide PM Netanyahu with this major forum to move us, to edify us, to inspire us to do more to stop this Nazi-like radical Islamic Republic of Iran from achieving weapons that could murder millions of Jews, Christians, Americans, Europeans and others.
By not supporting Israel’s Prime Minister and Congress, we are sending a terrible message to Iran that we are not unified and strong in our resolve against this deadly enemy.
We dare not act like the Jewish leaders of the 1930’s. The time to act to support the Prime Minister of Israel is now. It is a pro-America, pro-Israel patriotic act.”
This article was originally published by ZOA and may be found here.
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Since the birth of IL, the diaspora has less and less “raison d’etre”. They are more and more the enemy of the Jewish people and state. Tks G-D they are not needed.
The whole world should be nervous if Iran gets the bomb. It would also have devastating effects on the whole world. I hate it when the U.S. insists on being in charge. Their track record with war is dismal.
Dems are kissing the ring of the Ayatollah Obama and his Iranian nuke enabling actions. Some of these Jewish Democrats are more liberal democrats than they are Jewish supporters of Israel.
@ yamit82:
Extraordinary. Terrific. A must see and a n example on how it is done. PLEASE “democrats” DO NOT COME to hear our PM. Please! Please also the local associates to that element… follow their example and that of Burg and Ben Ami… GIT!
Everyone should watch this
http://www.israelvideonetwork.com/i-beg-you-democrats-boycott-netanyahus-speech-republicans/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvJaamTqdlM
bernard ross:
The SOB must be the Pied Piper, what the hell don’t they understand?
I know G-d has a sense of humor but, I am willing to bet He isn’t pleased with this 84%, no way.
Did they miss the last interview with Ovmoit and he said ISIS kill of some folks in a deli in France was a random situation.
Now that pissed off a lot of Americans. The killer even called a news outlet to let them know he wanted to kill some Jews.
Random??? A kosher deli was selected and he calls it a random shooting.
Wake up world.
@ bernard ross:
Excellent contribution to the comments and in general. Thank you!
It must be sent to the PM’s Office without delay.
Yamit will testify how often I complained about liberal American Jews who not only support Obama but continue to defend his actions.
There is no doubt in my mind this person is an anti-Semite having no love for either the Jewish people or Israel. It is plain as the ears on his head. What don’t they understand.
I always comment “forget what he says, watch what he does”, his actions speaks louder than words.
He doesn’t want the PM to speak to Congress and the American people because the PM will tell it like it is, Iran cannot be trusted and is the axis of evil in the ME.
I believe they may have drank too much of the kool-aid.
All they (Jews) have to understand is :regardless where they reside if they are Jewish they are connected to Israel by heritage, faith and by G-d”.
Jewish? They have got to be kidding.
The renegade, (I did not say unJewish):) entente is cloned from the one led by “rav” Wise during the Holocaust. The present flotsam is following exactly the same libretto.
The Jewish majority in Eretz Israel must address our internal renegades led by Peresites who fabricated the Livni-Obama-Mozes-Hertzog ticket.