Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) President Morton A. Klein and ZOA Director of Special Projects Liz Berney, Esq. released the following analysis:
At his September 22, 202 Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing, Thomas Nides, nominee for U.S. Ambassador to Israel, stated both some positive positions and some troubling, harmful positions regarding a range of issues affecting U.S.-Israel relations and security.
In addition, the hearing revealed that we will need to watch how Nides handles the new Palestinian law that allows the Palestinian Authority (PA) to seize the assets of non-governmental organizations. The new PA law gives the PA another route for obtaining U.S. taxpayer funds, enabling the PA to continue to pay Arab terrorists for murdering Jews and Americans.
Nides’ Praiseworthy, Positive Positions Include:
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Acknowledging that “upholding Israel’s security serves America’s national security interests”;
- Supporting the $3.8 billion per year of security assistance to Israel under the U.S.-Israeli Memorandum of Understanding (MOU);
- Placing no conditions on security assistance to Israel;
- Committing to expanding U.S.-Israeli economic relationships;
- Hoping to work for Israel to join the U.S. Visa Waiver Program;
- Supporting the Abraham Accords and their expansion;
- Supporting resupplying Israel’s defensive Iron Dome;
- Acknowledging that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital; and
- Retaining the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem
Nides’ Deeply Troubling, Harmful Positions Include the Following:
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Creating a pathway to a Palestinian Arab state: This would be an Iranian-backed-Hamas-Fatah terror state that endangers Israel’s existence and places every Israeli in close rocket range;
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Sending U.S. taxpayer funds ($400 million this year) to the Palestinians: This frees up funds for the PAto continue its $375 million per year of “pay to slay” payments rewarding and incentivizing Arab terrorists for murdering Jews and Americans;
