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President Joe Biden’s plan to reopen the US consulate in Jerusalem to serve Palestinians must be stopped. It goes against the 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Act that recognized Jerusalem as Israel's undivided capital and mandated moving the US embassy to Jerusalem (which President Donald Trump did in 2018). It also could be interpreted as a signal that the US expects parts of Jerusalem to become the capital of a future Palestinian state.

Republicans in the Senate and House are working to stop this terrible plan from being implemented.

Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) and Congressman David Kustoff (R-TN) have introduced matching bills in the Senate and House that would block the administration from reopening the consulate and preserve Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel.

The RJC strongly supports these measures and now we need YOUR HELP.

With our one-click tool, you can email your Congressman and Senators, telling them that you support this important legislation. Your message will also go to the relevant committee chairmen, asking them to move the bills forward.

If you've already responded to this important call to action, thank you!

Please share this link with your family and friends and encourage them to take action right away too.

We call your attention to some concerning developments regarding Iran.

• The Biden administration, which promised to return the US to Obama's dangerous nuclear deal with Iran is now moving toward an "interim agreement" to buy more time for nuclear negotiations, according to Barak Ravid at Axios. Such an agreement would freeze Iran's nuclear enrichment at current levels, estimated to be at the 60-percent level, in exchange for “some frozen Iranian assets” and “waivers on sanctions.”
• Jonathan Tobin pointed out last week that the US proposal effectively hands concessions to Iran from the start - concessions that Iran will never surrender at the negotiating table later. (Tobin's take-down of the administration's proposal is worth your time. Read it here.)
• Fred Fleitz at the Center for Security Policy provides details on the huge surge in Iran's nuclear weapons program that has now shortened the timeframe for Iran to produce a nuclear weapon to as little as one month
• Early this week, Yossi Cohen, the former head of Israel's Mossad, said in an interview that talks aimed at saving the unraveling 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran must aim for the physical dismantling of Iran’s uranium enrichment sites, and that Israel should reserve the ability to take action alone if negotiations fail
• Tobin's most recent piece is another must-read, in which he deciphers the diplomatic signals that the Biden administration is sending to Israel and the Arab states about Iran. They come down to two points: the US can't stop Iran from going nuclear, and the administration wants Israel to back down from threatening military action to defend itself from Iran if necessary.

All of this leads to the inescapable conclusion that the Biden administration is ready to go even beyond the bad Iran policy of the Obama administration. This is an issue we will continue to watch closely.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day. What are you thankful for this year? Life, health, family – of course.

On Thanksgiving, we can also renew our appreciation for this amazing country we live in – a land of freedom and opportunity, where American Jewish families can thrive. We are grateful that America’s founding fathers created a unique and inspired system of government to protect, defend, and enhance our liberty.

In these difficult days, it’s important to hold on to that gratitude and stay determined to fight for our country.

The RJC fights every day for policies and candidates that support our national defense, our economic growth and opportunity, our individual freedoms, and the US-Israel alliance.

Please help us keep fighting by making a generous donation to the RJC today. Thank you for your support!

With best wishes for a happy and safe Thanksgiving from the Officers and Staff of the RJC.

RJC offices will be closed on Thursday, November 25 and Friday, November 26 for the holiday.

The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) is seeking an Outreach Associate to assist with the accelerated growth of membership and to support programming and events in California. Candidates must be organized, motivated, and detail-oriented. This position is based in Los Angeles, CA.

For details about the position and how to apply, click here.

Israel, Jordan to partner in water-for-energy deal

Israel and Jordan have signed a declaration of intent for a water-for-energy deal, Israel’s Energy Ministry said on Monday, in the first such deal between the two countries. The project would see Jordan build 600 megawatts of solar generating capacity which would be exported to Israel, contingent upon Israel providing water-scarce Jordan with 200 million cubic meters of desalinated water.

US reportedly pressuring Israel to resume UNESCO membership

The US and Israel withdrew from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in 2019 because of its anti-Israel bias. Now the Biden administration wants the US to rejoin UNESCO and start funding it again, but that funding faces opposition from Republicans. The administration is pressuring Israel to return to the UN body as well. Jeff Dunetz adds, "The administration naively believes that if Israel agrees to return to UNESCO, opposition among congressional Republicans — the philo-Semitic party — will be weakened, and the law that will allow payments to UNESCO will find a majority."

Biden administration indirectly sparked Gaza war

Jonathan Schanzer, senior vice president of research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, joined Jewish Insider’s “Limited Liability Podcast” to discuss his new book, Gaza Conflict 2021: Hamas, Israel and Eleven Days of War. In it, he argues that "the war was probably put in motion a month before the conflict erupted. And that stemmed from a decision — an ill-fated decision — by the Biden administration when they first came in..."

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. Read past editions of this newsletter here.