— Featured —

















Alan Albright (left) takes the oath of office from US District Judge Robert Pitman as one of Albright's sons, Grayson, watches. Albright was sworn in last year as Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas. He is one of 133 district court judges nominated by President Trump and confirmed by the Senate.



2019: The Year of Judicial Confirmations






Paul Mirengoff touts 2019 as a “banner year” for confirming federal judges. He writes <[link removed]>: 

I’m happy to report that this year the Senate confirmed 80 district court judges <[link removed]> nominated by President [Donald] Trump. This brings the total of Trump-nominated district judges to 133. According to Ed Whelan <[link removed]>, the Senate confirmed 97 district court judges in President [Barack] Obama’s first three years.

…Now let’s turn to the even more crucial position of federal appeals court judge. This year, the Senate confirmed 20 such judges <[link removed]>. This brings the total of Trump-nominated appellate judges on the bench to 50, only five fewer than President Obama saw confirmed <[link removed]> in eight years.

No president <[link removed]> in our history has ever placed this many judges on courts of appeals in his first three years. One-fourth <[link removed]> of all circuit court of appeals judges were nominated by Trump.

As a result, three circuit courts of appeals have flipped <[link removed]> from majority Democrat appointees to majority Republican appointees. The three circuits are the Second, the Third, and the Eleventh. Moreover, the Ninth Circuit, until recently the playground of hard leftists, might flip soon, according to this report <[link removed]>.



















2019: Marking a Decade of US Growth






After the election of President Donald Trump in 2016, leftwing pundit Paul Krugmanpredicted dire things for the US economy. <[link removed]> As usual, he was wrong. In fact, President Trump has helped the US reach a historic milestone.

As Elizabeth Schultze at CNBC reports, for the first time in history the US economy has started and ended a decade without a recession <[link removed]>:

As of December, the US economy has expanded for a record 126 straight months, the longest time period in the country’s history according to the National Bureau of Economic Research. Put another way, the US has avoided a recession for an entire calendar decade for the first time ever.



















RJC in the News






During the most recent Democratic primary debate on December 20, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, and former Vice President Joe Biden were asked: “How would you respond to Israeli expansion of settlements? Would you link that to foreign aid to Israel? <[link removed]>” 

RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks pointed out that none of the answers addressed Israel’s security needs or the intractable problem of having no real partner for negotiations on the Palestinian side. The Jewish Insider quoted Brooks as saying: <[link removed]>

Once again we see, sadly, no leading Democrat defending Israel. Rather the leading Democrats chose to blame Israel for the failure of the Israel-Palestinian failure, labeled Israeli prime minister a racist and criticized all of the pro-Israel accomplishments of President [Donald] Trump. The contrast between the Republicans and the Democrats when it comes to Israel couldn’t be clearer. There is only one pro-Israel party and that’s the GOP”

















Israel Under Attack at The Hague






The fight to defend Israel at the International Criminal Court at the Hague has intensified. As Reuters reported last Friday <[link removed]>:

The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor said on Friday she would launch a full investigation into alleged war crimes [by Israel] in the Palestinian Territories as soon as the court’s jurisdiction had been established… The ICC’s chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, said a preliminary examination into alleged war crimes, opened in 2015, had provided enough information to meet all criteria for opening an investigation.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahurejected the prosecutor’s claim <[link removed]>: 

The court has no jurisdiction in this case. The ICC only has jurisdiction over petitions submitted by sovereign states. But there has never been a Palestinian state. The ICC prosecutor's decision has turned the International Criminal Court into a political tool to delegitimize the State of Israel.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeoissued a strong condemnation of the ICC’s announcement <[link removed]>: 

We firmly oppose this and any other action that seeks to target Israel unfairly. As we made clear when the Palestinians purported to join the Rome Statute, we do not believe the Palestinians qualify as a sovereign state, and they therefore are not qualified to obtain full membership, or participate as a state in international organizations, entities, or conferences, including the ICC.

The United States also reiterates its longstanding objection to any assertion of ICC jurisdiction over nationals of States that are not parties to the Rome Statute, including the United States and Israel, absent a referral from the UN Security Council or the consent of such a State.

Professor Avi Bellcharacterized the ICC’s "investigation" of Israel this way <[link removed]>: 

Fatou Bensouda, the ICC's chief prosecutor, has already adopted doubtful legal arguments made by the Palestinians that: The PLO comprises a state; all parts of Israel that were under illegal occupation by Jordan and Egypt from 1948-1967 – including the Old City of Jerusalem – belong to the state of Palestine; Jewish settlements are an international crime; and IDF soldiers are war criminals. Therefore, we already know what the results of the "investigation" will be and what "evidence" will be collected.

Bell offers this recommendation <[link removed]> to the Israeli government:

… As long as Israel continues to treat the ICC as a legal entity, and as long as it maintains relations with ICC staff under the assumption that their intentions are good, as long as Israel continues to make legal arguments as if anyone in the ICC is listening, it will continue to lose the battle. We must wake up and take more stringent political steps, like the US already has, before the nightmare of indictments against IDF soldiers becomes a reality.

That reference to the United States is explained in this article <[link removed]> by Caroline Glick. She encourages Israel to fight the ICC with actions similar to ones the US has already taken on the political, legislative, diplomatic, and public relations fronts. 









REGISTER NOW FOR THIS SPECIAL EVENT





<[link removed]>

March 13-15 in Las Vegas: RJC National Leaders are invited for a terrific weekend of politics, policy, and poker at the fabulous Venetian/Palazzo Resort and Hotel. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from – and be heard by – some of the country’s foremost politicians, policy makers, and leaders, including featured speaker Ambassador Nikki Haley. It’s time to reserve your spot! Visit RJCVegasMeeting.org <[link removed]> for details and reservations. (This event is open to RJC Leaders; Leadership dues begin at the $1,000 donor level.)























• The Republican Jewish Coalition is hiring field staff for our advocacy efforts in support of President Donald Trump’s reelection in various battleground states.CLICK HERE <[link removed]> for details and application information. 

• The RJC PAC has endorsed a terrific slate of House and Senate incumbents, and we need them to continue their work on Capitol Hill! CLICK HERE to donate through the RJC PAC portal and show your support for our great candidates! <[link removed]>

And don't forget your RJC/Trump kippah!
Our extremely popular red Trump kippah is now for sale for just $18. This includes shipping and handling. Supplies are limited. 


BUY YOUR KIPPAH HERE. <[link removed]>















— Short Takes —

















Israel unveils new laser system to shoot down Gaza’s incendiary balloons, drones <[link removed]>There is good news this week about Israel’s ability to defend its citizens from incendiary balloons and drones coming in from Gaza. A public-private partnership in Israel has developed a new laser system to fight this menace from the sky. It is a small, mobile system called Light Blade. The system could be deployed along the Gaza border and the northern border, if adopted.


With no formal ties, Israel is using digital diplomacy to reach out to the Arab world <[link removed]>

In Israel’s Foreign Ministry, [Linda] Menuhin is part of a team of 10 producing content for two Arabic-language Facebook pages, Twitter and Instagram accounts, and a YouTube channel. Collectively, the platforms draw about 10 million viewers and followers from across the region each week. Many of the uploaded videos have gone viral…

Uzi Rabi, director of the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies at Tel Aviv University notes that roughly 60 percent of the Middle East’s population is under 30, and they are much more curious than their parents about the outside world.

92,000 Jews to gather at MetLife Stadium on New Year’s Day <[link removed]>

On January 1, 2020, approximately 92,000 people are set to gather at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey to celebrate the 13th completion of the Daf Yomi program (Siyum HaShas), a seven-and-a-half-year cycle of studying the Talmud. 


















































— Tweets —





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— Events —

















With warm wishes to our members and friends for a happy Hanukkah and a happy and safe new year! 


EVENT WITH OHIO SUPREME COURT CANDIDATES
Beachwood, OH - January 26, 2020

RSVP <[link removed]>

REGISTRATION IS OPEN! RJC NATIONAL LEADERSHIP MEETING
Las Vegas, NV - March 13-15, 2020

REGISTER TODAY <[link removed]>









































































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