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Earlier this week, radical members of the House of Representatives, including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), told Democratic Party leaders in the House that they would not vote keep the government funded unless $1 billion in funding for Israel’s Iron Dome defensive system was removed from the spending package. So House Democrats removed it.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was one of the many Republicans who denounced the Democrats’ action. He tweeted: "While Dems capitulate to the antisemitic influence of their radical members, Republicans will always stand with Israel."

RJC National Chairman Norm Coleman said in a statement:

House Democrats should be ashamed of themselves. By cowardly caving to the Israel-hating wing of their party and blocking vital assistance to support our ally Israel, House Democrats have emboldened the likes of Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to continue dragging their party even further to the radical Left.

It is stunning that within one week of celebrating the one-year anniversary of the historic and trailblazing Abraham Accords peace agreements between Israel, Bahrain and the UAE, House Democrats have chosen to block essential funding for Israel’s security.

Today’s disgraceful decision by House Democrats starkly shows why it is critical that Republicans flip the House of Representatives in 2022. The choice is clear as we head into the 2022 midterms and beyond. There is only one pro-Israel party: the Republican Party.

This afternoon, the House voted overwhelmingly to provide the Iron Dome funding through a stand-alone bill. RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks said afterward:

We are grateful to the House members who voted for this important bill, and we urge the Senate to act quickly so that legislation to replenish the Iron Dome program can be signed into law as soon as possible…

Today’s vote should not have been necessary. Unfortunately, two days ago, we saw Speaker Pelosi cave to a group of anti-Israel House Democrats so opposed to Israel’s missile defense that they were willing to shut down the government in an attempt to kill it. Many have noted how appalling it is that these extremists in the Democratic conference were so determined to kill a defensive system – one that only exists to protect innocent civilians. It’s a clear sign that this faction is growing bolder and more extreme.

Further reading:

• Horovitz: The immorality of Democratic 'progressives' targeting Iron Dome
• GOP Slams Democrats for Defunding Israel’s Iron Dome: They 'Capitulate to the Antisemitic Influence'
• Dershowitz: The Squalid "Squad" Is Trying to Destroy Bipartisan Support for Israel

The House Foreign Relations Committee held a hearing yesterday on the nomination of Sarah Margon to be assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights, and labor. The RJC has opposed her nomination because of her history of working with virulently anti-Israel organizations and for supporting the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

The Jerusalem Post reports that Margon said she does not support BDS. However:

Senator James Risch (R-ID) was not swayed. He referenced a tweet Margon wrote on November 19, 2018, in support of the initial AirBnB boycott of West Bank settlements, a move the company has since retracted.

…"Senator, I am not and have never been a supporter of the BDS movement. I oppose it," Margon said.

"With all due respect, ma’am, I don’t believe it," Risch said, adding, "Saying it over and over again just doesn’t square with your actions"and "doesn’t make it true."

Sen. Risch continued to point out that Margon's answers in the hearing were incoherent and said that he will oppose her nomination.

The World Conference Against Racism, held in Durban, South Africa in 2001, was supposed to address racism and discrimination around the world. Instead, it turned into a vicious attack against Israel. The US and Israel walked out of the conference in protest. See Lahav Harkov’s report in the Jerusalem Post about what happened at the first Durban conference, here.

This year, a record 34 nations refused to attend the 20th anniversary conference, as the Jerusalem Post reports:

The countries boycotting Durban IV were: Albania, Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Estonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Honduras, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Moldova, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine, UK, US and Uruguay.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry thanked the countries for their support.

"The original Durban Conference, an UN-hosted event, became the worst international manifestation of antisemitism since WWII," the Foreign Ministry stated. "Inflammatory speeches, discriminatory texts, and a pro-Hitler march that took place outside the halls were only part of the ugliness displayed in 2001. The 'World Conference on Racism' actually ended up encouraging it, including through the parallel NGO forum, which displayed caricatures of Jews with hooked noses and fangs dripping with blood, clutching money."

The Foreign Ministry said that the organizations seeking to demonize and boycott Israel 20 years ago continue their campaign, but have failed.

"Israel is a thriving state that is increasing its cooperation with countries in the region and will continue to do so," it said.

The JNS reported this week about a program to counter Durban IV:

A group of pro-Israel academics, activists, government officials and members of the media held a virtual conference strongly criticizing the Durban conferences against racism, which from its first and most notable conference in Durban, South Africa, in 2001 singled out and demonized the Jewish state.

The conference as organized by Anne Bayefsky and included Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan, former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, actor Jon Voight, former Attorney General Michael Mukasey, and Rabbi Abraham Cooper.

GOP moves to block cash to Iran through defense authorization bill

The sprawling annual defense bill includes several provisions that would block the Biden administration from providing Iran with cash and would require the administration to come clean about any economic sanctions relief it provides to the Islamic Republic. The Republican Study Committee (RSC), the largest GOP caucus in Congress, is codifying its anti-Iran platform in the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act, which funds US defense efforts and is expected to pass through the House this week.

How the Jews who fled Arab countries in 1948 built new lives in Israel

As the new state [of Israel] was taking root, an estimated 850,000 Jews living in Arab countries were being expelled or fled their homes in those countries, says Ashley Perry, CEO of the Heritage Center for Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Jewry. He continued: "The story of the suffering of the Jews driven out of the Middle East and North Africa is one that still needs to be told because it has yet to fully reach the national or international agenda. It is both painful and remarkable and a testament to the tenacity, diversity and indigeneity of the Jewish People in this region."

Watch Now: Replay of Past Virtual Events

You can see recordings of many past RJC virtual events. Go to the RJC homepage and scroll down to the "RJC Live" section. There's a drop-down menu there to select the video you want to see.

RJC staff have returned to their offices for in-person work. Contact information for our offices can be found on our web site. Please visit us online for the latest RJC news, to see details of upcoming events, and to donate to the RJC.