As both the new Congress and Israel’s new government convene this week, the U.S.-Israel relationship has never been more important.
Congress holds the key to strengthening this partnership.
We look forward to engaging with Congress with the support of pro-Israel Americans like you to strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship and keep Israel safe in the years and decades ahead.
See below for more stories we are following from the week.
U.N. General Assembly Passes New Anti-Israel Resolutions
Last Friday, the U.N. General Assembly passed a series of anti-Israel resolutions, including a Palestinian resolution asking the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to join the U.N.'s discriminatory campaign against the Jewish state.
Why it matters: Instead of promoting peace, this resolution will exacerbate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and further incentivize Palestinian leaders to internationalize the conflict rather than negotiate with Israel.
Israeli and American officials have strongly condemned the biased resolution:
The Biden administration, which voted against the resolution, condemned the double standard Israel is consistently held to at the U.N.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called out the resolution for “distorting historical facts."
Former Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid urged opposition to the resolution, saying it would "only play into the hands of extremists."
The bottom line: The United States must stand with our ally Israel and continue to push back against biased and discriminatory attacks against the Jewish state.
Countering an Emboldened Iranian Regime in 2023
Over the past year, Iran has significantly increased its aggressive activities at home and abroad by:
Escalating its nuclear advancement. A former top Israeli intelligence official recently said that Iran is "days or weeks" away from enriching uranium to the level necessary for a nuclear bomb.
Brutally cracking down on peaceful protesters. Reports indicate the regime has killed over 500 protesters demanding basic freedoms, including 63 children, arrested over 20,000, and has begun executing protesters.
Forming a "full-fledged defense partnership" with Russia, CIA Director William Burns recently said, including supplying Putin with thousands of attack drones to bomb Ukrainian population centers and kill Ukrainians.
The bottom line: An emboldened Iranian regime poses a direct threat to America, Israel and our other allies.
With your support, AIPAC lobbies policymakers in Washington to ensure the United States continues to lead international efforts to isolate and push back against the Iranian regime.
America must fully enforce sanctions on Iran, encourage allies to increase their sanctions, work to snap back preexisting sanctions, and increase economic pressure on the Iranian government.
The U.S. must also take steps to increase the credibility of the military threat to Iran’s nuclear program. This requires demonstrating to Iran both America’s capability and will to respond.
$500 Million for U.S.-Israel Missile Defense Cooperation
Just weeks ago, Congress passed major provisions for Israel's security in the end-of-year government funding bill.
Critically, the bill included $500 million for U.S.-Israel missile defense cooperation.
This funding is a concrete example of our work to help defend the Jewish state from terrorist threats. It ensures continued U.S.-Israel cooperation on missile defense programs like Iron Dome, David’s Sling and Arrow.
And this cooperation saves lives.
In August 2022, Palestinian terrorists in Gaza launched over 1,100 rockets toward Israel. Over 90% of the rockets headed towards Israeli population centers were intercepted by Iron Dome, saving countless lives.
Over the past weekend, Palestinian terrorists launched another rocket at Israel, which fell in northern Gaza.
Each Iron Dome interceptor missile and launch system is thousands of times more expensive than the cheap but deadly rockets used by terrorist groups. Stopping these deadly rockets is a huge cost for a small country like Israel.
That’s why our work is so important. U.S. funding for Israeli missile defense programs allows Israel to develop new Iron Dome batteries and replenish thousands of lifesaving interceptor missiles. America benefits from this investment by gaining access to some of the most advanced and battle-tested systems in the world.
The bottom line: This vital funding, made possible through strong bipartisan support for the U.S.-Israel relationship in Congress, helps our ally defend itself, by itself. Collaboration with Israel advances missile defense technology that ultimately helps keep American troops and allies safe around the world.
By working with pro-Israel Democrats and Republicans, AIPAC helps ensure Congress approves vital funding for Israel's security.
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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