COPS urges swift passage of anti-BDS bill
NEW YORK (Press Release) . The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations on Thursday urged Congress to swiftly pass the Combating BDS Act of 2017 introduced by Republican Senator Marco Rubio and Democratic Senator Joe Manchin and supported by more than thirty co-sponsors from both sides of the aisle in the Senate.
Stephen M. Greenberg, Chairman and Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the Conference of Presidents, said, “The Combating BDS Act of 2017 reinforces the commitment in Congress to ensure that the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement’s attacks against Israel will not succeed. It provides important protection for state and local government initiatives to counteract the tactics of the pernicious anti-Israel BDS movement by making it clear that federal law does not preempt their measures.
“This legislation adds a significant tool in the ongoing fight against the pernicious anti-Israel BDS movement which seeks to weaken and, eventually, eliminate Israel.
“We welcome the bipartisan support reflected in the announcement by Sen. Schumer that he is a co-sponsor of the bill.
“We urge both houses of Congress to swiftly pass this bipartisan bill and send it to President Trump for signature.”
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Bend the Ark seeks Gorka’s explanation about alleged Nazi ties
NEW YORK (Press Release) Following a report by The Forward that Sebastian Gorka, a deputy assistant to President Trump, is a formal member of a radical far-right Hungarian group founded by a Nazi collaborator, Stosh Cotler, CEO of Bend the Arc Jewish Action, released the following statement:
“Given Sebastian Gorka’s penchant for bigoted, white nationalist rhetoric, this report is hardly unsurprising, but it remains extremely disturbing. He must immediately come clean and disclose any ties to this radical, Nazi-allied organization.
“If Gorka is a member of an organization that allied with Nazi Germany during World War II, either he must resign immediately from his position in the government or the Trump administration must remove him. It is unthinkable that President Trump would continue to employ someone with a worldview so radically at odds with fundamental American values, all while belatedly claiming to condemn the uptick in antisemitic incidents of the past year. Actions speak louder than words however, and the world is watching. We call on all political leaders – on both sides of the aisle — to demand a swift response from Gorka on these allegations.”
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American Jewish World Service decries proposed cuts in foreign aid
NEW YORK (Press Release) – “As the leading American Jewish organization providing financial support to end poverty and advance human rights in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, we are firmly opposed to President Trump’s proposed federal budget, which would slash the combined budget for the U.S. State Department and foreign aid by 28%,” said Robert Bank, President and CEO of American Jewish World Service (AJWS).
“Foreign aid makes up only 1% of U.S. government spending, but plays a crucial role in improving the lives of millions of poor and oppressed people around the globe. We will not allow the current administration to undermine our nation’s commitment to the betterment of the world community, which has been advanced by every administration regardless of political party since the end of the Second World War,” added Bank.
“As an organization committed to the Jewish values of repairing the world, aiding the poor and embracing the stranger, our vision for America’s role in the world is starkly different from that of President Trump. His proposed budget slashes efforts to combat poverty and disease and undermines both U.S. diplomacy and global institutions that work to guarantee the human rights of people worldwide, “said Bank. “We call on members of the U.S. Congress to oppose this budget, and we call on American Jews and all Americans who are guided by the value of upholding the dignity of every person to oppose President Trump’s proposed radical cuts to the budget.”
“As an American Jewish organization that provides financial support to 450 civil society organizations in 19 countries worldwide, we understand from our own work that the delivery of U.S. foreign aid must be improved to reach the most vulnerable communities more directly and address the root causes of poverty and oppression. We know from over three decades of work in developing countries that President Trump’s proposed radical cuts in foreign aid will throw more people into poverty, undermine efforts to halt epidemic disease and strengthen the conditions under which authoritarian regimes disregard the rights of their citizens,” added Bank.
“We are gravely concerned about proposed funding cuts to the very agencies and departments that implement U.S. foreign policy and development assistance, as well as to U.N. agencies that provide much needed development and humanitarian assistance. Drastic cuts to both U.S. and U.N. agencies will do irreparable harm to U.S. national interests worldwide, which rest, in part, on ensuring that nations around the globe are healthy, just and democratic.”
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AIPAC tells speaker lineup for its 2017 Policy Conference
WASHINGTON, D.C — The America Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) has announced the following speakers will participate in its March 26-28 policy conference in Washington, D.C.
From USA — Vice President Mike Pence, UN Ambassador Nikki R. Haley, House Speaker Paul Ryan, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer.
From Elsewhere — President Paul Kagane of Rwanda, Former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
More information about the policy conference may be obtained by visiting the www.policyconference.org website.
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Preceding culled from news releases sent to San Diego Jewish World