Senators Approve Resolution to Assist Israel in Iran Strike

By Elad Benari, INN

The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee adopted on Tuesday a resolution which stipulates that the U.S. will assist Israel if it is forced to take action against Iran.

The resolution, Senate Resolution 65, was introduced last month by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) and was co-sponsored by 15 Senators, including Robert Menendez (D-New Jersey), Marco Rubio (R-Florida), Kelly Ayotte (R-New Hampshire), John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Chuck Schumer (D-New York).

It states that the United States has a vital national interest in and unbreakable commitment to, ensuring the existence, survival, and security of the State of Israel; reaffirms the United States support for Israel’s right to self-defense; and urges that if Israel is compelled to take military action in self-defense, the United States will stand with Israel and provide diplomatic, military, and economic support in its defense of its territory, people, and existence.

It also states that U.S. policy is to halt Iranian nuclear ambitions. Senate Resolution 65 gained the support of 70 of the 100 senators.

A statement issued by AIPAC following the vote said, “The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has sent a very clear and enormously important message of solidarity with Israel against the Iranian nuclear threat—which endangers American, Israeli, and international security. AIPAC urges the full Senate to act expeditiously to adopt the resolution.”

On Tuesday, Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said that “the regime in Tehran does not see the western world as determined to stop the nuclear project, so it allows itself to continue with its plans.

“Only putting the Iranian regime before the dilemma of ‘bomb, or survival’ will lead to the end of the project,” he said.

“The world must take the lead in the standoff with Iran, but Israel must prepare for the possibility that it will need to protect itself alone,” he added.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu also referred to the Iranian nuclear threat on Tuesday, comparing it to the recent behavior of North Korea. He made the comments during a reception for foreign diplomats.

“We have recently seen the results of a wild regime that possesses nuclear weapons,” he said. “We have also seen that heavy sanctions are not always effective against a sufficiently determined regime.

“Therefore, we have an obligation to ensure that this will not happen again. If Iran achieves nuclear weapons, this will change the world. When I said this in the past, many listened and agreed, but now it is possible to agree from an additional perspective, and I think that all governments must do everything possible in order to ensure that this danger is not realized,” said Netanyahu.

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April 17, 2013 | 3 Comments »

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3 Comments / 3 Comments

  1. @ dweller:
    You missed all the fun at the Daily Telegraph comment section the other time. We, israpundits, went en masse and won the arguments – if you reply to this comment, don’t make any reference to the names of two of the people in here who you can guess have joined this truth-telling PR expedition (they have said they don’t want their names mentioned).

  2. @ Canuck Frank:

    “Who were the 30 senators who opposed Senate Resolution 65?”

    Don’t have that.

    — Below, however, is a list of CO-SIGNERS and the date that they signed.

    Any American citizen reading this list and NOT finding his/her own US Senator on the list should (courteously but firmly) put that individual on notice that the Senator’s actions will be remembered on election day.

    If you decide to proceed thus, please note that mailed letters (viz., hardcopy) have the GREATEST impact, telephone calls come in second, and emails & tweets — of which they receive literally thousands every day — come in last.

    Sen Ayotte, Kelly [NH] – 2/28/2013
    Sen Barrasso, John [WY] – 3/6/2013
    Sen Baucus, Max [MT] – 3/5/2013
    Sen Begich, Mark [AK] – 2/28/2013
    Sen Bennet, Michael F. [CO] – 3/5/2013
    Sen Blumenthal, Richard [CT] – 2/28/2013
    Sen Blunt, Roy [MO] – 2/28/2013
    Sen Boozman, John [AR] – 3/5/2013
    Sen Boxer, Barbara [CA] – 2/28/2013
    Sen Brown, Sherrod [OH] – 2/28/2013
    Sen Burr, Richard [NC] – 3/5/2013
    Sen Cantwell, Maria [WA] – 3/18/2013
    Sen Cardin, Benjamin L. [MD] – 2/28/2013
    Sen Casey, Robert P., Jr. [PA] – 2/28/2013
    Sen Chambliss, Saxby [GA] – 3/5/2013
    Sen Coats, Daniel [IN] – 3/18/2013
    Sen Coburn, Tom [OK] – 3/12/2013
    Sen Cochran, Thad [MS] – 3/18/2013
    Sen Collins, Susan M. [ME] – 2/28/2013
    Sen Coons, Christopher A. [DE] – 3/6/2013
    Sen Cornyn, John [TX] – 2/28/2013
    Sen Crapo, Mike [ID] – 2/28/2013
    Sen Cruz, Ted [TX] – 3/5/2013
    Sen Donnelly, Joe [IN] – 3/5/2013
    Sen Durbin, Richard [IL] – 3/13/2013
    Sen Feinstein, Dianne [CA] – 3/12/2013
    Sen Fischer, Deb [NE] – 3/5/2013
    Sen Flake, Jeff [AZ] – 3/11/2013
    Sen Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [NY] – 2/28/2013
    Sen Grassley, Chuck [IA] – 3/5/2013
    Sen Hagan, Kay [NC] – 3/5/2013
    Sen Hatch, Orrin G. [UT] – 3/14/2013
    Sen Heitkamp, Heidi [ND] – 3/11/2013
    Sen Heller, Dean [NV] – 3/5/2013
    Sen Hirono, Mazie K. [HI] – 3/5/2013
    Sen Hoeven, John [ND] – 2/28/2013
    Sen Inhofe, James M. [OK] – 3/6/2013
    Sen Isakson, Johnny [GA] – 3/5/2013
    Sen Johanns, Mike [NE] – 3/5/2013
    Sen Johnson, Ron [WI] – 3/20/2013
    Sen Johnson, Tim [SD] – 3/11/2013
    Sen Kaine, Tim [VA] – 3/11/2013
    Sen Kirk, Mark Steven [IL] – 2/28/2013
    Sen Klobuchar, Amy [MN] – 3/11/2013
    Sen Landrieu, Mary L. [LA] – 3/19/2013
    Sen Lautenberg, Frank R. [NJ] – 2/28/2013
    Sen Lee, Mike [UT] – 3/12/2013
    Sen Manchin, Joe, III [WV] – 2/28/2013
    Sen McCain, John [AZ] – 3/13/2013
    Sen McCaskill, Claire [MO] – 3/5/2013
    Sen McConnell, Mitch [KY] – 3/18/2013
    Sen Menendez, Robert [NJ] – 2/28/2013
    Sen Mikulski, Barbara A. [MD] – 3/5/2013
    Sen Moran, Jerry [KS] – 3/5/2013
    Sen Murkowski, Lisa [AK] – 3/12/2013
    Sen Murray, Patty [WA] – 3/11/2013
    Sen Nelson, Bill [FL] – 3/14/2013
    Sen Portman, Rob [OH] – 2/28/2013
    Sen Pryor, Mark L. [AR] – 3/13/2013
    Sen Risch, James E. [ID] – 3/18/2013
    Sen Roberts, Pat [KS] – 3/5/2013
    Sen Rubio, Marco [FL] – 2/28/2013
    Sen Schumer, Charles E. [NY] – 2/28/2013
    Sen Scott, Tim [SC] – 3/11/2013
    Sen Shaheen, Jeanne [NH] – 3/19/2013
    Sen Shelby, Richard C. [AL] – 3/18/2013
    Sen Stabenow, Debbie [MI] – 3/5/2013
    Sen Tester, Jon [MT] – 3/5/2013
    Sen Thune, John [SD] – 3/19/2013
    Sen Toomey, Pat [PA] – 3/5/2013
    Sen Vitter, David [LA] – 3/13/2013
    Sen Warner, Mark R. [VA] – 3/11/2013
    Sen Whitehouse, Sheldon [RI] – 3/11/2013
    Sen Wicker, Roger F. [MS] – 3/5/2013
    Sen Wyden, Ron [OR] – 2/28/2013