Category: FEATURED

We are pleased to report that the incomparable Caroline Glick, the conservative American-Israeli columnist invaluable for her powerful criticisms of the Middle East peace process, has joined Breitbart News.

Glick, the long-serving senior contributing editor and chief columnist for the Jerusalem Post, is one of the world’s most widely-read commentators on Israel and international affairs. She also writes about American politics from a staunchly pro-Israel perspective.

She is the author of several books — including, most recently, The Israeli Solution: A One State Plan for Peace in the Middle East (2014), which calls for Israel to annex the West Bank.

Glick, a graduate of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and a veteran of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), was Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s Assistant Foreign Policy Advisor in 1997 and 1998. In 2003, she covered the Iraq War from the front lines as a journalist embedded with the U.S. Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, and was the first Israeli journalist to report from liberated Baghdad.

READ THE ENTIRE PRESS RELEASE HERE

In advance of and following today’s historic policy announcement by President Donald J. Trump, Democrats have been endlessly parroting the same tired talking points about the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital (it’s not Haifa) and the planned Embassy relocation to its rightful situs in Israel’s capital. The charade of weak objections range from the announcement’s impact on the regional stability (that’s right, the entire “otherwise stable” Gulf and Middle East areas) to concerns about an unprecedented wave of violence by Arab fighters who call themselves Palestinians, as if they have not been engaging in real or attempted acts of terror for decades, to the death of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process (because of all the progress that has occurred to date…not).

Time will prove that while there may be a short-term uptick in some violence, for which the IDF, Israeli police and Mossad are prepared, not only will today’s moves not have any negative impact with regard to the areas previously mentioned, but rather may actually accelerate the pace of negotiations now that this “monkey is off Israel’s back”.  As for impact on the region, there is zero evidence to suggest that proper recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and an ensuing embassy relocation has anything to do with anything.

This is somewhat hard to believe, given that many prominent Democrat legislators including (now) Senators Dianne Feinstein and Joe Biden, as well as Rep. Nancy Pelosi, voted for the 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Act that is the legal basis for the Embassy’s relocation. In addition, check out the numerous affirmations of Jerusalem’s status made y so many of them who are now speaking a different language.

In 2008, Senator Barack Obama: “Jerusalem Will Remain The Capital Of Israel, And It Must Remain Undivided.” “The morning after claiming the Democratic nomination, Senator Barack Obama to skeptical members of a pro-Israel lobby and made a pledge that some of them found pleasantly surprising: ‘Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel, and it must remain undivided.’” (Larry Rohter, “Obama’s Comments On Israel Stir Criticism in U.S.,” The New York Times, 06/07/08)

In 2012, President Obama Directed The Democratic Party To Restore Language From The 2008 DNC Platform Declaring Jerusalem The Capital Of Israel. (The New York Times, 09/05/12)

President Bill Clinton: An Undivided Jerusalem Was “Israel’s Eternal Capital.” “Clinton, who, as a presidential candidate declared that an undivided Jerusalem was ‘Israel’s eternal capital,’ officially invoked that clause last week. To justify the legally required national-security threat, he claimed that moving the embassy now might subject U.S. diplomatic personnel to terrorist attacks.” (“Clinton’s Jerusalem Cop-Out,” The New York Post, 06/22/99)

Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) In 2008 Policy Paper Called For “An Undivided Jerusalem” As The Capital Of Israel. “Clinton was elected to the Senate in 2000 and struck a tone that was in sync with the Bush administration, which had aligned itself with the Israeli right. In 2007, she went further than the administration when she released a position paper calling for ‘an undivided Jerusalem’ as the capital of Israel. In 2008, as a presidential candidate, she warned Tehran that America would ‘totally obliterate’ Iran if it attacked Israel.” (Jason Horowitz, “Can Liberal Zionists Count On Hillary Clinton?” The New York Times, 12/17/14)

Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) Was An Original Cosponsor Of H.Con.Res.60 Calling Upon The President And The Secretary Of State To “Affirm Publicly As A Matter Of U.S. Policy That Jerusalem Must Remain The Undivided Capital Of Israel. Urges U.S. Officials To Refrain From Any Actions That Contradict This Policy.” (H.Con.Res.60, Roll Call Vote 176, Passed 406-17-11, 6/10/1997)

Minority Leader Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY): “As Someone Who Strongly Believes That Jerusalem Is The Undivided Capital Of Israel, I Am Calling For The U.S. Embassy In Israel To Be Relocated To Jerusalem.” (Press Release, “Schumer Calls For U.S. Embassy In Israel To Be Moved To Jerusalem; Senator Says We Have Waited Too Long; Urges Action To Make Clear The U.S. Commitment To Move Embassy,” Sen. Chuck Schumer, 10/10/17)

In 1995, Rep. Schumer Stated “It Was Embarassing” To Have To Go To Tel Aviv To Reach The U.S. Embassy And That It Is A Sovereign Nation’s Right To Choose Their Own Capital And That “It Is About Time The United States Went Along” And Recognized That. (Rep. Chuck Schumer, Congressional Record, 10/24/95, p. H10683)

Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) In 1995: “We Will Send Word That Israel, Like Every Country In The World, Has The Sovereign Right To Designate Its Capital And To Have That Capital Recognized By The Nations Of The World.”  (Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Congressional Record, 10/24/95, p. S15520-15521)

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH): “The Democratic National Convention Made The Important Move To Reaffirm Our Belief That Jerusalem Is The Capital Of Israel.” (Press Release, Senator Sherrod Brown Statement Applauding Announcement That Democrats Will Update Party Platform To Include A Reference To Jerusalem Being The Capital Of Israel, Sen. Sherrod Brown, 2012)

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Ben Cardin (D-MD): “Jerusalem Is The Undivided Capital Of The State Of Israel.” (Press Release, “Cardin Calls Uproar Over Construction An Excuse To Delay Negotiations, Urges Abbas To Return To Direct Talks With Israel,” Sen. Ben Cardin, 11/10/10)

Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV): “This Resolution Reaffirms The Unwavering Support For One Of Our Greatest Allies By Recognizing Jerusalem, A United City In Which All Religions Are Respected And Valued, As The Capital Of The State Of Israel.” (Press Release, “Manchin Cosponsors Resolution Recognizing The 50^th Anniversary Of The Unification Of Jerusalem,” Sen. Joe Manchin, 06/05/17)

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y) Noted That In 2012 Democrats Were Wrong To Omit Mention Of Jerusalem As Israel’s Capital In The First Draft Of The Party Platform. (Joseph Spector, “Sen.Kirsten Gillibrand: Democrats Wrong To Omit Line About Jerusalem As Israel’s Capital,” The Journal News, 9/06/12)

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT): “Jerusalem Is The Capital Of Israel. Ultimately, I think We Should Have Our Diplomatic Presence There.” (“The 2012 Election: The Race For The Senate,” The Connecticut Jewish Ledger, 8/07/12)

New York Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo: “Jerusalem Is The Capital Of Israel.” (Jacob Kornbluh, “Cuomo’s Encore In Israel,” Mishpacha, 3/08/17)

Former Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL): “Jerusalem Is And Will Remain The Capital Of Israel.” (Julian Pecquet and Pete Kasperowicz, “After Three Votes, Dems Put Jerusalem, God Back Into Party Platform,” The Hill, 09/05/12)

Then Newark Mayor Cory Booker (D-NJ) In 2012: Jerusalem As Israel’s Capital Is “Not A Controversial Issue.” (David Giambusso, “Booker Downplays Platform Omissions Jerusalem As Isareli Capital Is Reinstated,” The Star-Ledger, 9/07/12)

Senator Joe Biden (D-DE) On Recognizing Jerusalem As Israel’s Capital: “To Do Less Would BeTo Play Into The Hands Of Those Who Would Deny Israel The Full Attributes Of Statehood.” (Helen Dewar, “Congress Approves Move Of U.S. Embassy To Jerusalem By Mid-1999,” The Washington Post, 10/25/99)

Misguided United Nations Resolution includes Language attempts to dispossess Israel from Biblical and Historic Sites that are Clearly Jewish

The Leadership and Members of American Principles extend our deepest gratitude to so many of our endorsed and supported Congressional candidates for their condemnation of the awful United Nations Resolution 2334 and the UN’s continued history of Israel bashing.

In response, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed as one of its earliest acts in the 115th Congress, H. Res. 11 condemning U.N. 2334. While we are generally opposed to the continued mention of a two-state solution (which, while unfortunately incorporated into H. Res. 11, has been rejected by the most recent Republican policy platform) on the grounds that it would lead to the creation of another Islamic terrorist state on Israel’s borders, we commend our friends in Congress for standing with Israel during a time when she needs her allies the most.

Below are some of the statements issued by Senators and House members and condemning the Obama Administration’s shameful actions. To add insult to injury, the White House oversaw this process during its last few days, in a clear break with historic precedent and giving new meaning to the term “lame duck”.

Sen. Ted Cruz (TX): “Every Obama foreign policy official should be ashamed of today’s UN resolution, and any official who disagrees with or hopes to avoid the anti-Israel legacy of this Administration should resign on principle today.” Watch the Senator’s speech on the Senate Floor, as well as his Press Release.

Sen. Marco Rubio (FL): “Efforts to delegitimize Israel have been underway a long time at the United Nations and have now sadly been aided by the outgoing administration, but the time has come to turn back the tide and renew America’s commitment to the Jewish state.” Read the Senator’s Full Press Release here.

Rep. Ed Royce (CA-39), Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs: “The Obama Administration broke with longstanding U.S. policy by failing to veto UN Security Council Resolution 2334. This dangerous resolution effectively states that the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem and the Western Wall – Judaism’s holiest site – are “occupied territory.” Read the Chairman’s Press Release here.

Rep. Ron DeSantis (FL-06): “The UN has become a hotbed of anti-Israel activity where all these tin pot countries get together and rail against the world’s only Jewish State. They did 20 resolutions against Israel at the UN in 2016 and 4 against the rest of the world. We need to take our power of the purse and defund the UN until resolution 2334 is revoked”. The Congressman made some floor statements on this issue, sternly criticizing the Obama Administration for its betrayal of Israel and harm done to U.S. National Security. The remarks can be seen here and here.

Rep. Louie Gohmert (TX-01): “I have filed today a bill, H.R. 373, that would force the suspension of any payments whatsoever by the United States to the United Nations or any of its associated agencies or entities, until U.N. Security Council Resolution 2334 is rescinded or withdrawn by the U.N. Security Council”. Read the Congressman’s Press Release here.

Rep. Dennis Ross (FL-15): “Over the recent weeks, I have been appalled at what has taken place under the direction of President Obama, Secretary Kerry, and others within the administration. In response, I also introduced a resolution condemning these intolerable actions. By failing to direct the United States to veto the one-sided, anti-Israel UN Security Council Resolution, the president turned his back on Israel and, as a result, turned his back on America.” Refer to the Congressman’s Press Release here.

Rep. Doug Lamborn (CO-05), Co-Chair of the bipartisan Israel Allies Caucus: “I supported House Resolution 11 objecting to UN Security Council Resolution 2334 although …this measure did not go far enough. …. We must do more to defend our greatest ally in the region. I have gone a step further by introducing H.R. 263, a bill to render United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 null and void as a matter of United States law. This legislation would ensure that the United States is not bound by any provision of UNSCR 2334 and denies the UN Security Council Resolution from being used U.S. Courts. Finally, I introduced H.R. 264, which would restrict all UN funding until we have more transparency on how much US taxpayer money is being contributed to the UN and how it is being used.” Read the Congressman’s Press Release here.

Rep. Matt Gaetz (FL-01): “Calling Israel an “occupier” is ridiculous. Jews have a right to live in their ancestral homeland and the territory that Israel captured in 1967 was lawfully captured in a war of justified self-defense… The American taxpayer funds 22 percent of the UN budget. It is time to send a message by defunding this bastion of anti-Semitism and anti-Americanism that continues to work against our interests and castigate our allies.” See the full Op-Ed here.

 

 

 

 

 

S.C.’s Alan Clemmons: Ambassador pick will help heal wounds inflicted by the Obama administration; Will AIPAC come to David Friedman’s corner?

Attorney David Friedman, President Donald J. Trump’s nominee for U.S. Ambassador to Israel, has drawn far-reaching and heavily-lobbied opposition from an assemblage of members of a reliably anti-Israel, anti-American consortium. They include Muslim groups, so-called progressive organizations such as Code Pink, and perhaps the leading protagonist of them all: the notorious Jewish pro-Palestinian operatives at JStreet. Indeed, stopping Mr. Friedman’s confirmation is now prominently featured on that group’s homepage.

Many staunch Israel supporters have expressed disappointment with The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (or AIPAC) for not taking an active role in this debate. While this is in keeping with the highly-respected organization’s practice of not lobbying for or against cabinet or other Presidential appointments, the pro-Israel advocates had hoped that the magnitude and import of Mr. Friedman’s nomination and its impact on the U.S.-Israel relationship – which is central to AIPAC’s mission – coupled with the fact that JStreet is out there in direct opposition to his appointment, would perhaps lead AIPAC to address this confirmation process differently.

Speculation among some insiders is that AIPAC may not be thrilled about Mr. Friedman’s outspoken rejection of the failed “Two-State Solution” concept, which is lobbied for and promoted among AIPAC circles, but largely and widely opposed by politically savvy conservatives. President Trump has at times, and particularly in today’s joint Press Conference with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu (see Video Clip here), seemingly veered away from this concept as the solution to Israeli-Palestinian relations. Indeed, Trump’s and Friedman’s positions are more in line with the recently upgraded GOP Platform on Israel, which eliminated references to the “Two-State Solution”, a phrase believed by most Republicans and staunch pro-Israel adherents to unnecessarily pressure Israel into dangerous concessions from its already diminutive geographic boundaries without any resulting peace or security.

In the wake of this flurry of anti-Friedman, anti-Israel activity, one of the Jewish nation-state’s best friends, and arguably its greatest supporter among ALL State legislators in the U.S., South Carolina State Representative Alan Clemmons (R-Myrtle Beach), has penned a powerful Op-Ed in support of Mr. Friedman’s confirmation.

READ MR. CLEMMONS’ PIECE HERE