This edition of the Update could be titled the good, the bad, and the
ugly, just not that in order. But no matter what the news, we offer it,
straightforward, unvarnished and without hesitation.

Colin Kahl Nomination Survives

Over the past few weeks, we've been working to connect West Virginia
voters with Sen. Joe Manchin in an effort to convince Sen. Manchin to
vote against the nomination of Colin Kahl to serve as Undersecretary of
Defense for Policy in the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Kahl's hyperbolic predictions about events in the Middle East have
been consistently off base. He is a partisan who supports policies that
have been proven wrong time and again. He remains a serial Iran appeaser
and antagonistic towards Israel. That is why thousands of West
Virginians contacted Sen. Manchin and asked him to oppose Kahl's
nomination.

Unfortunately, in the end, Sen. Manchin elected to support Kahl's
nomination in committee - resulting in a 13-13 vote. This is indeed
disappointing. When elites (who were Kahl's backers) and the people
disagree, the people should win out. But that is not what took place.
Nonetheless, we are extremely proud of our effort. It was worthwhile.
And rest assured, the next time Sen. Manchin, or any other elected
official needs to hear from their pro-Israel constituents, we'll be
there to facilitate their interactions. We do not limit our efforts to
those where victory is guaranteed. We fight when our mandate to support
Israel demands it. 

Still the Same Old Iran

One of the reasons we are so opposed to Kahl's nomination is that he
has never truly understood the Middle East. He overestimates the
flexibility of our adversaries and underestimates the importance of our
allies.

Case in point, this week we learned that intelligence reports indicate
that Iran continues to engage in subterfuge to conceal elements of its
nuclear program. The latest reports show that Iran is hiding key
elements of its program in 75 shipping containers that are constantly
moved around the country. Those who support reengagement with the
Islamic Republic would do well to consider the lengths to which Tehran
is going in order to hide its nuclear program.

Reports out this week also tell us that Iran is seeking to expand its
submarine fleet. This is of particular import given Iran's seizure of
ships in the Strait of Hormuz and its constant threat to cutoff oil
traversing this narrow waterway. The news of the submarine fleet
expansion comes almost exactly at the same time as reports that Iran's
economy continues to falter.

The Islamic Republic continues to be more focused on fighting with the
West and her Sunni neighbors than feeding her people. That's the
regime which some in Washington believe just needs an outstretched hand
to rejoin the community of nations. Pro Tip: If you hold this view,
please see the oft cited definition of insanity...

Some Good News!

Keeping with our weeks old tradition of ending on a positive note, we
wanted to share with you that the Governor of Utah recently signed
CUFI-backed anti-BDS legislation in that state, making Utah the 31st
state in the union to advance such a measure. We are currently working
to advance similar measures in several other states and will keep you
updated as our efforts progress.

Until next week, we thank each and every one of you for taking the time
to review this week's alert and for your steadfast commitment to
standing up for the US-Israel relationship.

Sincerely,

CUFI Action Fund Team

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