On Sunday evening, Jews around the world began celebrating

**Rosh Hashanah,**the Jewish New Year. As they begin the year 5783, we
are going to discuss the threats faced by the children of Israel, both
here at home and around the world.

The Home Front is the Front Line

Earlier this week, if you drove by a Jewish community center or house of
worship, you may have noticed a police presence. In fact, you may have
noticed this presence during any recent Friday evening or Saturday
morning Jewish worship service. In the wake of a credible threat that
shut down all Jewish gatherings recently in San Antonio and the massive
increase in violent antisemitic incidents in the U.S., law
enforcement's presence at Jewish communal institutions is necessary
and vital.

We are the land of the free because we are the home of the brave. At the
CUFI Action Fund, we are deeply grateful to those in uniform who ensure
we can worship God as we see fit. It is a sad commentary on our society
today, that for American Jews to worship God as they see fit, a visible
law enforcement presence is required - but that is the reality.

That is why we have long backed increased funding for the federal
government's Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP), which enables
houses of worship and other entities to receive the financial support
necessary for hardening these targets, hiring local security, and the
like. During the most recent appropriations process, this funding was
increased to $250 million.

This would not have happened without the support of a wide swath of
Americans expressing their approval of this funding. In other words,
this wouldn't have happened without you and people like you. So, if
you happen to drive by a Jewish community facility in the coming weeks
and you notice an increased level of security, know that you played a
pivotal role in keeping the people inside that house of God safe and
free.

The Green Line

In 1949 when Israel's War of Independence concluded, the armistice
line drawn on the map between then Jordanian-controlled territory and
the fledgling State of Israel was written in green pencil. That is why,
today, we refer to the line along the West Bank/Judea and Samaria as the
Green Line. But let's be clear, its existence is a modern invention.
Moreover, Arabs and Israelis live on both sides of this line. The
difference is that the Arabs that live on the side that in 1949 was
controlled by Israel, enjoy full human and civil rights. Sadly, the
Arabs who live inside now Palestinian Authority (PA) controlled
territory suffer at the hands of their corrupt and autocratic PA rulers.

Hamas, the terrorist organization that controls the Gaza Strip, would
like nothing more than to take over PA-controlled territory in the West
Bank. Now, to be clear, this is not because they want to help the
Palestinians living there. If one wants to know what Hamas would do with
such territory, one needs to look only to Gaza, where the population
lives in poverty while the terrorist rulers live in splendor and launch
attacks against Israel.

It is, therefore, alarming that, as of late, Hamas has been more than
toying with the idea of launching terror attacks against Israel from the
West Bank. In fact, Israel's security services recently arrested
several Hamas-affiliated terrorists in Judea and Samaria who had engaged
in a shooting attack against Israelis.

Israel will do everything in its power to stop Hamas from taking over
PA-controlled territory, not because the PA is that much better, but
because the PA is marginally less violent than Hamas. For example, while
the PA encourages acts of terrorism, we do not see many rockets fired
from PA-controlled territory. Israel has established a certain level of
deterrence with the PA - Hamas, less so. Sometimes one must choose
between the lesser of two evils, and make no mistake, both the PA and
Hamas are evil, but if Hamas gains a militarily significant foothold in
the West Bank, the Middle East will see a war with significant
casualties.

Way Over the Line

Some of you may have seen Iranian President (and mass murderer) Ebrahim
Raisi's speech last week at the United Nations. Don't worry, if you
didn't catch it, you didn't miss much. In a nutshell, Raisi still
hates the U.S., Israel, freedom, liberty, and puppies (ok, we may have
made the last one up).

****

Perhaps the most nauseating element of the speech was Raisi's
unbridled hypocrisy. There he stood, a man whose country is currently in
the throes of (God-willing successful
) protests against Iran's
autocratic, theocratic, and kleptocratic regime, admonishing the world
for all the wrongs he feels we've committed.

Raisi stood on the world's stage lecturing the planet on human rights
while at home, his regime was offering a master class on how to abuse
them. Moreover, Raisi delivered his repugnant remarks while his regime,
not content just to murder women who don't dress the "right" way, is
actively seeking to murder American citizens, including former American
officials, right here in the U.S.

It is for this reason that the CUFI Action Fund is supporting the PUNISH
Act
,
led by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Rep. Michael Waltz (R-FL), which would
prevent "the Biden administration from re-entering the Iran Nuclear
Agreement until the U.S. can certify that Iran has not planned any
assassination attempts on Americans for five years."

In the press release announcing the bill, CUFI Action Fund Chairwoman
Sandra Parker had this to say, "The PUNISH Act will help ensure that no
administration can sweep Iran's malign activities under the rug for the
sake of political expediency. The nuclear deal currently being
negotiated will do nothing to stop Iran's global reign of terror. The
full force of American sanctions should and must be enforced against
Iran as they continue their efforts to kill American officials and
Iranian dissidents both here at home and abroad."

Reports are already out that some in Congress want to block this law,
and that leaves us scratching our heads.... Is certifying that Americans
aren't being targeted for murder before making a deal with Tehran too
high a bar?

We're living in a country where our Jewish neighbors need police
protection from neo-Nazis, and those who choose to serve in government
need police protection from would-be Iranian assassins. Let's do
something about it. Let's continue to support funding for the NSGP,
and let's pass the PUNISH Act, sending a message throughout the world
that we don't make deals with those who seek to murder our countrymen.

Sincerely,

The CUFI Action Fund Team

SUPPORT CUFI ACTION FUND
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