Dear John,
As many of us have been peacefully enjoying the Jewish New Year celebrations together with our families and friends, Israel is experiencing an extremely heightened sense of danger.
Yet many Jews seem to be totally asleep at the wheel of history.
Hossein Salami, the Commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, said on Monday “Iran now has the capability to annihilate Israel,” and that Israel, “must be wiped of the world geographic map.” He added, “The second step of the revolution is the step that rearranges the constellation of power in favor of the revolution… Iran's Islamic revolution will be on top of this constellation... In the second step we will be thinking of the global mobilization of Islam."
On Saturday, the Deputy Commander for operations of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, Brigadier General Abbas Nilforoushan, has said, "Iran has encircled Israel from all four sides," adding that after a conflict with Iran, "Nothing will be left of Israel."
Also on Saturday, Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, said, “The enemy is on the defensive, we have always been on the defensive, now we are in attack mode.” He also added: “We are threatening the enemy, not the other way around.”
This is not simply a bunch of bluster out of the mouths of Israel’s enemies.
On Friday, the Commander of the Israeli Defense Forces Military Intelligence Research Division, Brigadier General Dror Shalom, said, “I'm a lot less easy today. We've gotten into a gray area in which they're moving ahead without, which requires us to be a lot more sensitive. Will we know [about an attack]? The Iranians are a very sophisticated enemy, and it bothers me." According to Shalom, the chance of a major escalation between Israel and Iran is more likely now than it was in the past. "We're living in a much more complicated reality, which is only getting worse. We are starting to approach the level of war," he added. "We're in a dangerous round with Iran, and we need to keep a strong grip on the wheel,"
Since the end of the 2006 War with Lebanon, Hezbollah, the premier terror proxy of Iran, has grown into a massive military force, with over 30,000 men and approximately 130,000 to 150,000 missiles staring down at Israel from Lebanon. Yet, at the conclusion of the 2006 Lebanese-Israeli War, UN Security Council Resolution 1701 was passed, saying all foreign forces had to immediately leave Lebanon and all transfer of foreign equipment should be banned.
At that point, the United States started to give the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) upwards of $100 million a year, now reaching the sum of $2.3 billion. The thinking at the time was that this aid would be used as leverage, and as a counterforce, to Hezbollah.
But according to the Former Director of Israel’s National Security Council, General Yaakov Amidror, “The reality has been completely different. Lebanon today is completely dominated politically and militarily by Hezbollah, not by the Lebanese government or army – so much so that Iran is moving to a new stage focused less on increasing the quantity of arms than on improving their quality.”
But EMET—and only EMET—has been on Capitol Hill, almost every day, arguing that American taxpayers’ dollars should no longer be going to the Lebanese Armed Forces, because they have become a wholly armed subsidiary of Hezbollah.
And most disturbingly, another thing that Hezbollah has been given, aside from the funding, is American weapons and supplies. The American assistance has included such military vehicles as the A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft, the MD530G light attack helicopters, and the M2A2 Bradley’s.
This means that in the next war between Hezbollah and Israel, U.S. weapons and supplies may actually be used against the Jewish state.
For this reason, EMET has been all over Capitol Hill, almost daily, educating staffers about the increasing dangers of giving American taxpayers’ dollars and weaponry to the Lebanese Armed Forces, which has become a wholly armed subsidiary of Hezbollah.
EMET staffers have already had over 75 meetings on this topic alone, just this year.
In some of these meetings, EMET has discussed bipartisan legislation in the Congress that would help to solve the problem. Congressman Lee Zeldin (R-NY) and Congresswoman Elaine Luria (D-VA) have introduced the Countering Hezbollah in Lebanon’s Military Act of 2019, which would withhold 20 percent of U.S. military assistance to the LAF unless the President can certify they're taking necessary steps to end Hezbollah and Iran’s influence over the LAF. In the Senate, Ted Cruz (R-TX) has introduced companion legislation.
This legislation is much too moderate in scope for our liking, but it is a solid first step. And even though we are only talking about a 20% reduction of US assistance to the Lebanese Armed Forces, it is being met with a great deal of resistance in some offices.
In these meetings, we constantly remind staffers that Hezbollah and Iran are not just enemies of Israel; they hate the U.S. as well. The Iranian government consistently calls for “Death to America,” is working to develop ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons, and has killed or maimed hundreds of Americans over the years. Additionally, Hezbollah has always been the main terror proxy of Iran. Prior to the attacks of 9/11/01, Hezbollah had killed or maimed more Americans than any other terror group.
And so many staffers have told us that we are the only group that they have heard from who are opposed to the continuous, reflexive contribution of American taxpayers’ dollars to the LAF.
There is a reason why Congressional staff have told us, again and again, that no other group our size enjoys greater access and respectability on Capitol Hill.
As General Amidror said, "No terror organization in history has had as powerful an armament as the one Hezbollah currently stockpiles. It is no wonder, then, that the Iranians are very happy with their success and are attempting to replicate this model in Yemen, Iraq, and Syria. What remains a wonder is why these attempts by Iran are not being fought more aggressively.”
That is what EMET is all about. Sometimes, there are unpopular battles that have to be fought.
But just because they are unpopular, that doesn’t make them any less right or any less important.
But EMET cannot continue to fight this fight alone. We desperately need to hire more people who can help us to educate members of Congress, the administration and the public-at large as to what Israel is up against.
In the Lebanese War of 2006, Hezbollah had 15,000 missiles, and they were not precision guided. Today, they have at least 130,000, and they are working on converting them to smart, precision guided missiles. So that these missiles can reach important strategic parts of the Israeli military and economic infrastructure.
That is why we are asking you to please give as much as you possibly can, so that in the year 5680 and beyond, Jews in Israel can peacefully sit down at the holiday tables without worrying that there will be a “next war with Lebanon.”
And so that the threat that Iran poses from all of us, here in the United States of America and the West, will ultimately, be successfully nullified.
An investment in EMET is an investment in the Truth.
Thank you very much.
Sincerely,
Sarah N. Stern
Founder and President
Endowment for Middle East Truth (EMET)
|
|
For those wishing to donate by check, please make checks payable to EMET and send to:
EMET
P.O. Box 66366
Washington, D.C. 20035
|
|
|
|
|
