Happening today:Hezbollah terrorists fired 19 rockets from Lebanon into Israel this morning. Ten rockets were shot down by Israel’s Iron Dome. This is a major escalation carried out by Iran’s terrorist proxy in Lebanon. I encourage you to follow AIPAC on Twitter and Instagram to stay up to date on the latest developments.
Earlier this week: Shontel Brown’s impressive come-from-behind victory in the Ohio-11 Democratic primary on Tuesday was a major victory for the pro-Israel community.
Brown, an AIEF-trip alum and outspoken supporter of Israel’s right to defend itself, faced off against Nina Turner, who called for conditioning aid to Israel, promoted accusations of apartheid, and was endorsed by Reps. Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib and Senator Bernie Sanders.
Recognizing the ramifications of this race for the U.S.-Israel relationship, the pro-Israel community mounted an aggressive fundraising, phone banking, and volunteering campaign to help get out the vote for Brown in the district.
These efforts, along with the endorsements of the Congressional Black Caucus, Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, Hillary Clinton and others, helped Brown overcome an early deficit in the polls and propelled her to victory over a candidate with hostile views toward Israel.
Shontel Brown visited Israel with AIPAC's charitable foundation AIEF in 2018, has consistently engaged with AIPAC in the years since, and reaffirmed her passionate support for the U.S.-Israel relationship in her acceptance speech.
Brown’s win is a powerful testament to the importance of pro-Israel political activism, and highlights what is possible when our community is engaged in the political process.
Now this work must continue.
Many friends in Congress will soon face their own political challenges, and your involvement will be vital to ensuring they have the support of the pro-Israel community.
Thank you, and please see below for more important news items this week.
Hezbollah fired 19 rockets toward Israel today from Lebanon, causing warning sirens to sound in northern Israel.
Ten of the rockets were intercepted by Israel's lifesaving Iron Dome, six landed in open areas in Israel, and three fell short of the border in Lebanon.
This follows Wednesday's attack by Hezbollah, in which three rockets were fired toward northern Israel. Two rockets hit open areas, the third fell short of the border.
In response, the IDF struck terror targets in Lebanon.
The IDF:"We will not tolerate any aggression against Israeli civilians and remain prepared for any operational situation."
What is Hezbollah? Hezbollah is an Iranian-backed terrorist organization committed to Israel’s destruction.
It deliberately uses the people of Lebanon as human shields to hide its arsenal of weapons.
Preschoolers in Israel take shelter as rockets from Lebanon hit northern Israel on Wednesday. This is the reality Israelis are forced to confront.
This week, Iran continued to escalate hostilities on all fronts in order to increase its negotiating leverage and secure significant sanctions relief.
The latest: The U.S. suspects that Iran is responsible for the attempted hijacking of a British ship in the Gulf of Oman on Wednesday.
This comes less than a week after Iran attacked a civilian oil tanker, managed by an Israeli-owned shipping firm, off the coast of Oman, killing two crew members.
In the aftermath of these attacks, world leaders are speaking out.
Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said on Wednesday that Iran could acquire enough enriched uranium to build a nuclear bomb in as little as 10 weeks.
The way forward: As the United States is patiently exhausting all diplomatic efforts, the regime's aggressive behavior in both the nuclear and non-nuclear arenas will require a strong allied response.
America and our allies must make clear to Iran that its aggression has consequences.
Raisi is responsible for killing 5,000 political dissidents in Iran.
Raisi is the handpicked choice of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.
Raisi is under U.S. sanctions for human rights violations.
In attendance at the swearing-in ceremony? Leaders from Hezbollah, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad—Iranian-backed terrorist organizations committed to destroying Israel, attacking Americans, and preventing peace.
The bottom line: Raisi's "election" offers no prospects for moderation or reform in Iran.
American and Israeli officials met this week in Washington, reaffirming the strength of the U.S.-Israel relationship.
White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan:"Today I met with incoming Israeli National Security Advisor Dr. Eyal Hulata. We discussed working together to strengthen all aspects of the U.S.-Israel partnership and the upcoming visit to Washington by Israeli Prime Minister Bennett, who we look forward to welcoming soon."
Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman:"I had a productive meeting today with Israeli National Security Advisor designate Dr. Eyal Hulata and Senior Foreign Policy Advisor Shimrit Meir. We discussed the United States’ ironclad commitment to Israel’s security and our continued partnership."
Gymnast Artem Dolgopyat won Israel's first gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics and second gold medal ever.
We have also seen inspiring messages of peace come out of the games.
Iranian-born judoka Saeid Mollaei dedicated his silver medal to Israel.
Israeli and Iranian athletes stood side-by-side in a powerful video, sending a message of hope.
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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