This week, Christians United for Israel (CUFI) held its annual Leadership Summit. At the event, our top supporters and activists gathered with CUFI’s leadership to hear from experts and discuss what we’re working on and what’s coming down the road. Action Fund team members presented our current policy engagement efforts as well as our plans for the future.
Mainstreet
At the state level, our primary focus is on Holocaust education
enhancement. We are currently working with leaders on the ground in 7 states to address the woeful ignorance about the Holocaust that exists among Millennial and younger generations in America. Only through education can we stem the rising tide of antisemitism across the country, and we will continue to work with state education officials until every student in America understands the genocide by which all others are measured.
In addition, we continue to work on advancing anti-BDS legislation in select states and normalizing the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism. In both cases, our efforts in recent years have enabled us to reach a critical mass of policy advancement success. Thirty-four states have advanced anti-BDS measures, and a majority of states have
acknowledged the IHRA definition. In 2023, our plan is to largely complete these tasks and advance relevant measures in those few states where such policies should exist but do not (yet).
Capitol Hill
Now that Congress has more or less gotten its house in order, we are focusing a great deal of our efforts on advancing key policies in Washington. At the top of our list is Iran. Iran’s drones are being used to murder civilians in Ukraine. Through
Russia’s deployment of these death machines, Iran is effectively battle-testing its suicide drones for a future conflict with the West – in particular, Israel. The Stop Iranian Drones Act didn’t pass in the last Congress, and we intend to rectify that in the coming year.
As Palestinian terrorists murder Israelis in the streets (with many in the world turning a blind eye), Palestinian leaders are working to destroy
the state of Israel through diplomatic measures (with many in the world aiding and abetting this abomination).
One key element of their disgusting effort is the UN’s Commission of Inquiry (COI) into Israeli efforts to defend innocents against Palestinian terror. Regular readers of the Update are no doubt familiar with this latest UN effort to question Israel’s right to exist and defend herself. In 2023, we will work to advance the COI Elimination
Act, which will ensure that your taxpayer dollars are not used to enable the UN’s institutionalized antisemitism.
Finally, while states have taken anti-BDS action, the Federal government has not. As the 118th Congress gets to work, we have already begun discussions with Congressional leaders about advancing policy that ensures federal money is not used to subsidize the antisemitic movement to boycott Israel.
Wall Street
Speaking of BDS, having lost at the state level because the American people see Israel boycotters for what they are, the BDS movement has turned its sights on the smoke-filled backrooms of corporate America. Thus far, they’ve lost at every turn, including some high-profile defeats such as the reversal of the Airbnb and Ben and Jerry’s boycotts. There was a great deal of discussion at CUFI’s Leadership Summit about the latest battleground: ESG investing.
ESG stands for "Environmental, Social, and Governance," and in theory, proponents of ESG screened investments are attempting to ensure money is
invested in what they consider to be ethical companies.
While this may sound good (in theory) to some, elements of the ESG movement have allowed themselves to be infected with BDS. Most notably, Chicago-based financial services company Morningstar Inc. is being investigated by numerous states and embroiled in a significant controversy due to its pro-BDS activity.
CUFI has played a central role in confronting Morningstar’s BDS, and we intend to ensure that company does the right thing – whether they choose to or are compelled to. But battling BDS on Wall Street doesn’t end with Morningstar. Israel’s adversaries have chosen to use
American’s hard-earned savings as their political plaything. They feel that they are entitled to infect your 401k with their personal political agenda. We’re not going to let that happen, and in the coming months, this battle will take center stage.
For those who were able to join us in San Antonio earlier this week, we thank you. For those who could not, we hope to see you in our nation’s capital in July for CUFI’s 18th annual Washington Summit. Either way, we are honored to have you on our side as we stand with God’s Chosen People.
Sincerely,
