US CONGRESS stands with Israel vis-a-vis flotilla

members of Congress have signed letters to President Obama that reaffirm the strong bonds between the United States and Israel. The letters also call on the president to use his veto power in the U.N. Security Council to prevent one-sided, anti-Israel resolutions from passing.

The Senate letter—signed by 87 senators—was spearheaded by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). “Israel is our strongest ally in the Middle East and a vibrant democracy,” the letter reads. “Israel is also a partner to the United States on military and intelligence issues in this critical region. That is why it is our national interest to support Israel at a moment when Israel faces multiple threats from Hamas in Gaza, Hizballah in Lebanon and the current regime in Iran.”

The senators also called for the president to have the State Department and Treasury Department investigate the IHH—the Turkish group that sponsored the flotilla—for its ties to terrorism and determine whether the group should be designated as a foreign terrorist organization.

In the House, Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX), Rep. Gary Peters (D-MI) and 317 of their colleagues signed a letter to President Obama that further details the true intentions of the IHH and the Gaza flotilla. “The several dozen who attacked the Israeli soldiers were not peaceful aid workers, but extremists who sought to aid the Iran-backed terrorist Hamas regime in Gaza,” the letter says. The House version also notes the “sinister element of premeditated violence” demonstrated by the supposed humanitarian workers. And it recognizes that the Israeli soldiers “used necessary force as an act of self-defense and of last resort.” The House letter has not yet closed, and members are still able to add their signature to it. Ask your representative to sign this important letter if he/she hasn’t done so already.

These are trying times for Israel. We once again see the international community ignore the facts and rush to conclusions—seizing an opportunity to blame, isolate and delegitimize the Jewish state. However, thanks to your support and hard work, Congress is the only legislative body in the world to stand with Israel.

As you know, overwhelming bipartisan support isn’t commonplace in Washington, and it doesn’t happen overnight. It is only through the relationships that you have built with your members of Congress, educational work with candidates, our study seminars in Israel for members and their staffs, lobbying during Policy Conference and our day-to-day activities that it is possible for such a strong statement of support to emanate from Congress.