Dear A.,

Israelis came to a standstill tonight at 8 p.m. local time, as sirens sounded to mark the beginning of Yom HaZikaron, Israel's Memorial Day in honor of fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism.

Speaking at the annual ceremony at the Western Wall, Israeli President Isaac Herzog reiterated the need to bring the hostages home, saying, "Here, at the place where our soldiers swear to defend the homeland and the freedom of Israel — we too swear, I swear, not to rest and not to be still. Not to rest and not to be still. Not even for a moment. To act with all our might, by every means, to take one more step, and another, until all of you come home." 

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir also spoke, saying, "We must remember, we are in a multi-front war for the very existence of the State of Israel. Iran and its proxies opened a war. They seek to eliminate the Zionist idea and deprive us of our right to live here as a free and sovereign people... As the commander of the Israel Defense Forces, as I stand here next to the Western Wall, I swear, along with all IDF soldiers, to continue to realize our responsibility: to protect the State of Israel and ensure our right to live here in a safe and prosperous state."

Amid a day of solemn remembrance, new data from Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics shows the immense resilience of the Israeli people. 

Israel’s population grew this year to more than 10 million for the first time in the nation's history, 174,000 babies were born over the course of the year and an additional 28,000 people immigrated to Israel.

Now and always, AIPAC stands with the people of Israel, and will continue to lead the fight to keep the United States and the Jewish state safe, strong and prosperous. 

Treasury sanctions network aiding Iran's missile program

Today, the Treasury Department sanctioned six entities and six individuals based in Iran and China involved in procuring ballistic missile propellant ingredients for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a U.S.-designated terrorist organization.

"Iran’s aggressive development of missiles and other weapons capabilities imperils the safety of the United States and our partners. It also destabilizes the Middle East, and violates the global agreements intended to prevent the proliferation of these technologies. To achieve peace through strength, Treasury will continue to take all available measures to deprive Iran’s access to resources necessary to advance its missile program," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said. 

The United States must continue to increase the pressure on Iran and its terrorist proxies.

Dermer and Huckabee speak at Jerusalem conference  

Speaking at a conference in Jerusalem yesterday, Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer said: "Within 12 months, the seven-front war will end, and Israel will win. You will see many peace agreements. Many countries want to make peace. But the key to this is victory."

Asked about ongoing negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, Dermer said: "I am confident that Trump will distance himself from a bad deal with Iran, just as he did then. When he is in office, he will not enter a bad deal. He made it clear that any new agreement would not allow Iran to maintain a nuclear infrastructure."

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee also spoke, saying: "Israel is a chosen land for a chosen people, and I say this because it has been true for 3,500 years. I hope we can do something great and bring peace to Israel."

"If the Islamic Republic of Iran refuses to give up its aspirations to build nuclear weapons, President Donald Trump 'will not be dragged into a war; he will lead it.' The president was very clear that nuclear weapons would never be an option; he was explicit about it," Huckabee added.

New poll shows Americans continue to stand with Israel

A newly released March poll found that the vast majority of Americans continue to support the strong partnership between the United States and Israel.

65% of Americans said they believe the U.S.-Israel relationship is either "very" or "somewhat important."

57% of Americans agreed with the statement that "Iran’s proxies in the Middle East, such as Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis, pose a direct threat on the United States and our Western allies."

ICC chief prosecutor ordered to keep new arrest warrants secret

A panel of judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) told ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan that he can no longer make public statements about his intent to seek arrest warrants, as reports indicate he is preparing to pursue another set of baseless and illegitimate arrest warrants against Israelis. 

Khan previously secured arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. 

The arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant — the first against the leaders of a democratic country — set a dangerous precedent that the Court may again arbitrarily expand its jurisdiction to prosecute Western nations with robust judicial systems like Israel.

The Trump administration has already imposed sanctions on ICC officials. Congress must take action to codify ICC sanctions into law and hold the court accountable for its illegitimate actions.

New article: "The Top 7 Lies About Israel and IDF Operations in Gaza"

In a new article, urban warfare expert John Spencer and legal expert Arsen Ostrovsky debunk seven common lies told about Israel's ongoing defensive war against Hamas in Gaza:

"Israel today is not only fighting a terrorist regime that has weaponized civilians — it is fighting a second war: a war against lies. From false claims of genocide, to manipulated casualty statistics, to the cynical misuse of humanitarian law, nearly every accusation leveled against Israel and the IDF distorts reality, ignores law, and inverts morality," they conclude. 

Read the full article here.

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Jake Braunstein
Director of Policy Communications