A strong U.S.-Israel relationship makes both countries safer, stronger and more secure.
This week, the U.S. and Israel launched a joint naval drill to increase cooperation and operational readiness. The exercise, called "Intrinsic Defender," is the third joint exercise between the two allies in just the past month.
Last week, Israel's elite Shayetet 13 Naval commando unit and the U.S. military concluded the "Juniper Spartan" drill to "strengthen cooperation and professional dialogue."
And last month, the U.S. and Israel held joint air exercises simulating attacks deep into enemy territory, achieving air superiority in space, cyber defense against a variety of threats, and aerial refueling.
These joint trainings help ensure American and Israeli troops are better prepared and more capable of confronting emerging threats.
Through AIPAC, you help strengthen the bond between the two allies, and ensure the Jewish state has the resources it needs to defend itself by itself.
Below my signature are pictures from the joint exercises as well as some other top stories from the week, including an important op-ed by Rabbi Spike Anderson about the "bright red line" J Street has crossed when it comes to undermining Israel's security.
Sincerely,
Jake Braunstein AIPAC Director of Policy Communications
New Op-ed: “J Street Is Crossing a Bright Red Line”
On a Union for Reform Judaism conference call last week, Israeli Labor Party Knesset Member and Reform Rabbi Gilad Kariv said unequivocally that cutting or conditioning security aid to Israel is a dangerous gambit that must not happen.
In a new op-ed, Rabbi Spike Anderson highlights how J Street crosses this "bright red line" by backing legislation to add conditions on aid and supporting candidates who frequently call for these dangerous restrictions.
"The policies being pushed by J Street and its allies are not productive – they are harmful political stunts meant to demonize our ally and jeopardize its security."
This week alone, Palestinian terrorists carried out four serious terror attacks, including two shooting attacks that wounded six Israelis, a stabbing attack, and a rocket attack from the West Bank city of Jenin.
Palestinian leaders are responsible for the increasing terror, as they have effectively lost control of major West Bank cities like Jenin.
This week, Amazon announced a plan to invest $7.2 billion in Israel over the next 15 years and to open a series of data centers in the Tel Aviv area.
Israeli Accountant General Yali Rothenberg said Amazon's massive expansion into Israel, "reflects the long-term commitment of AWS to Israel and to the continuation of their large investments in the Israeli market."
Growing Threats to Israel's North
The threat to Israel's north is growing from Iranian-backed terrorist groups in Lebanon and Syria.
Over the last month, there have been at least four separate incidents on the Israel-Lebanon border, including terrorists crossing the internationally recognized Blue Line, forcing Israel to reinforce the border with additional troops to prevent further infiltration.
Meanwhile, Iran is reportedly attempting to take over Syria's chemical weapons industry, which would allow it to provide more dangerous and greater numbers of weapons to its terrorist proxies on Israel's borders.
Israel-Saudi Deal "Closer Than Ever"
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said Monday that Israel is closer than it has ever been to a peace agreement with Saudi Arabia, adding that convincing Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords is in the interest of both America and Israel.
The mission of AIPAC is to encourage and persuade the U.S. government to enact specific policies that create a strong, enduring and mutually beneficial relationship with our ally Israel.
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