1. Bills, Resolutions & Letters
2. Hearings & Markups
3. On the Record

Produced by the Foundation for Middle East Peace in cooperation with Americans for Peace Now, where the Legislative Round-Up was conceived. Views and positions expressed here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent APN's views and policy positions.

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Shameless plugs:

• On 1/29, FMEP hosted a webinar: Jerusalem – Where Things Stand at the Start of the Biden Presidency, ft. Zena Agha (Middle East Institute) & Daniel Seidemann (Terrestrial Jerusalem) in conversation with FMEP’s Kristin McCarthy (who authors FMEP’s weekly Round-Up of settlement/annexation-related activity). Watch it here.
• The Unsettled Podcast this week posted a podcast featuring FMEP’s Lara Friedman, examining “what is considered normal U.S. foreign policy on Israel-Palestine, the relationships with Israeli and Palestinian leaders that Biden inherits from former President Donald Trump, and what we can expect from Biden given his record as Vice President in the Obama administration.” Listen/download it here.

*Brought to you in cooperation with Americans for Peace Now, where the Round-Up was born!

 

1. Bills, Resolutions & Letters

(NO HUMANITARIAN AID TO IRAN) HR XXX (pdf): On 1/29, Rep. Arrington (R-TX) issued a press release announcing the introduction of new legislation (not yet in the Congressional Record) entitled, the “WHO is Accountable Act.” According to the press release, the bill “is a Republican Study Committee (RSC) initiative, to prohibit the Biden Administration’s plan to rejoin the World Health Organization without any conditions of improvement.” Among other things, the bill bars US funding for the WHO unless the WHO agrees to deny all humanitarian aid to Iran (among others).

Letters

(TARGETING BIDEN VIA ALLEGED IRAN/QATAR et a SUPPORT FOR UNIV OF PA) GOP letter to Univ of PA President: On 1/27, Rep Comer (R-KY, Ranking Member of the House Oversight & Reform Committee, Rep, Jordan (R-OH, ranking member of the Judiciary Committee) and Rep. Foxx (R-NC, ranking member of the Committee on Education and Labor) sent a letter to University of Pennsylvania president Amy Gutmann (a follow-up on a previous letter sent in August 2020) demanding information “regarding unreported and anonymous foreign donations to the University of Pennsylvania from foreign adversaries such as Russia, China, Qatar, and Iran.” The letter notes: “In light of your university’s close relationship with the Biden family and recent revelations regarding their potentially illicit ties to foreign adversaries including China, we request an immediate response to this inquiry.” Press release here.

 

2. Confirmation Hearings

Hearing to consider the nomination of Linda Thomas-Greenfield to be the US ambassador to the UN. On 1/27, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a hearing to consider the nomination of Linda Thomas-Greenfield to be the US Ambassador to the United Nations. Video of the hearing is here; Thomas-Greenfield written testimony is here. The hearing covered a lot of foreign policy ground and is worth watching in full.

Specifically with respect to the Middle East, in his opening statement Sen. Menendez (D-NJ) noted: “one area I hope that you and the Biden administration will remain closely engaged on is preventing the United Nations and other affiliated organizations from being used as fora for biased attacks on Israel. Such actions make a negotiated two-state solution more difficult to achieve”.

Likewise, in his opening statement Sen. Risch (R-ID) noted: “Everybody in this room knows that President Biden has indicated that he wants to get back into the JCPOA. We all have strong feelings on that. I sincerely hope that as we proceed forward, we can on a bipartisan basis do better than we did with the initial JCPOA. We’re right up against many of the sunsets imposed under UNSCR 2231. The conventional arms embargo has already passed, and we face the expiration of the ballistic missile embargo in 2023. Most concerning, we face the termination of UN involvement in Iran’s nuclear program in 4 years – in 2025. The arms embargo needs to be re-imposed and these other near-sighted sunsets must be extended for the security of the United States and for the rest of the world. Again, I hope we can work together. I know there is a diverse feeling on this committee, but I think this committee has some very important things that can help the Biden Administration as it moves forward to re-engage in Iran, assuming that’s the goal that it has.”

In addition, the Q&A included a lot of back-and-forth related to Israel/Middle East.  Most notably the following exchanges:

Cardin (D-DE): “…we know the historic discrimination at the united nations in regards to the state of israel. When you look at the human rights, United Nations Human Rights Council, the only nation on the permanent agenda is Israel. and we know countries like [inaudible] that have horrendous human rights records are only covered under general debate. so, just share with me your views as to how you will represent the United States in helping one of our closest allies Israel and its relationship at the United Nations and including the human rights council.”

Thompson-Greenfield: “On the issue of Israel, President Biden has been one of Israel’s strongest supporters over the last 50 years of his career, you all know that quite well. And the President believes that the ties between our two countries are rooted in our strategic interest and our shared values. So if I am confirmed…I look forward to standing with Israel, standing against the unfair targeting of Israel, the relentless resolutions that are proposed against Israel unfairly, and I hope to work closely and look forward in fact, to working closely with the israeli embassy and with the Israeli ambassador to work to bolster israel’s security and to expand economic opportunities for israelis and americans alike,  and widen the circle of peace. I think it goes without saying that Israel has no closer friend than the United States and I will reflect that in my actions at the United Nations.”

Cardin: “Thank you. And the United Nations is clearly the most important of the international organizations…the international community has done many things at different organizations that discriminate against israel. so our activity at the united nations becomes even more important, including supporting Israel having a more visible role at the United Nations in a positive way. so i thank you for that commitment.”

—

Coons (D-DE): “Today is World Holocaust Remembrance Day. One of my pressing concerns at the United Nations has been the isolation of Israel and the ways in which Israel has been singled out and often I think mistreated… that has led some to advocate our withdrawal from UN entities and fora. You’ve said when we’re not at the table others rush in. I think that’s correct and we should re-engage. Do you think there is a way we can deepen relations between Israel and the developing world  that will take advantage of the opportunity we have for Israel’s unique public health and development skills to bridge some of those divides at the United Nations?”

Thompson-Greenfield: “I will look forward to working with the Israelis and trying to develop a strategy with them for engaging with countries that would appreciate having Israel’s expertise to support their own development efforts. I am hopeful that those countries who have recognized Israel under the Abraham Accord will also see some opportunities to be more cooperative at the United Nations and more supportive of Israel’s presence there.” 

—

Portman (R-OH): “… there will also be a lot of pressure on you with regard to Israel, and Israel as the strong ally of the United states in the Middle East and the sole democracy in that region, is something that here in the Senate that we have strong views on. The Abraham Accords I believe were an historic achievement and can help transform the Middle East into a new era of prosperity and peace. Yet the UN General Assembly found time in 2020 to condemn Israel 17 times, compared by the way with six condemnations for the rest of the world in its entirety. So I wonder if you could talk a little about your commitment to defending Israel from some of these condemnations. And also talk about the BDS issues you and I have discussed – the boycott, divestment, and sanctions issues where there is a double standard being applied often. How would you use your position to advance the progress that was made in the Abraham Accords and to support and strengthen Israel’s position?”

Thompson-Greenfield: “I see the Abraham Accords as offering us an opportunity to work in a different way with the countries who have recognized Israel. And again as I mentioned earlier we need to push those countries to change their approach at the United Nations. If they’re going to recognize Israel in the Abraham Accords they need to recognize Israel’s rights at the United Nations. And I will use my perch if I’m confirmed as the UN ambassador to push them on this effort. I intend to work closely with the Israeli ambassador, with my colleagues across the globe. Because this is not just an issue in New York, but also pushing our colleagues to address these issues with their country’s bilaterally so we that can get a better recognition of Israel in New York.”

Portman: “How about BDS in particular?”

Thompson-Greenfield: “…I find the actions and the approach that BDS has taken toward Israel unacceptable. It verges on antisemitism and it is important that they not be allowed to have a voice at the United Nations. I intend to work very strongly against that.”

Portman: “Senator Booker and I have a bill regarding normalization of relations with Israel. Basically it would require the State Department to include in their annual report, not just human rights abuses but also examples of Arab government efforts to undermine people-to-people engagement with Israel. And our notion is to try to spread this Abraham Accord dialogue beyond the countries that have signed up into a broader normalization of relations. That is something you can be very helpful with at the United Nations — would you be supportive of that?”

Thompson-Greenfield: “I will.”

—

Kaine (D-VA): [listing orgs Trump Admin withdrew from, including defunding UNRWA and leaving UN Human Rights Council] “…I tend to believe that these institutions, though painfully annoying often, they work better for the US and for the world if the US is there rather than if we’re not. And I had a conversation with the UN High Commissioner on human rights in Geneva in March 2019 and she pointed out to me: the Commission itself is often completely vexing, especially on this anti-Israel bias that they have, but she says the effect of the US pulling away is it [the commission] gets worse. And other issues that the US puts on the radar screen, like LGBT equality….they then become sort of  non-issues when we’re not around. So how do we address the reality of these institutions are often annoying and we don’t like what they do but getting worse if the US isn’t there? And how do you balance that, should you be confirmed as ambassador?”

Thompson-Greenfield: “First and foremost, we need to be there. President Biden indicated that we will run to rejoin the Human Rights Council in Geneva because we know, again, that when we’re at the table that there are fewer resolutions against Israel…”

 

3. On the Record

Note: On 1/19, a number of notifications of proposed arms sales to Egypt and Saudi Arabia \t were entered into the Congressional Record (see: here, here, and here).

Members on the Record

…In General

Scott (R-FL) 1/28: Press release – Sen. Rick Scott: Biden Needs to End Democrat Hostility Toward Israel and Stand up for our Great Ally [“Scott released the below statement following the announcement that the Biden Administration will restore diplomatic relations with the Palestinian Authority, including a resumption of American aid to the Palestinians…’The Trump Administration made tremendous efforts to facilitate peace and prosperity between our great ally Israel and Arab nations. Two weeks in, and the Biden Administration wants to undo this progress and appease illegitimate Palestinian leaders – demonstrating once again the Democrats’ reckless disregard for the security and prosperity of Israel. The Palestinian leadership, which has been operating as a dictatorship for 15 years, had their last election for president in 2005. They still do not accept Israel’s existence and support terrorism. Israel is a vibrant democracy that supports capitalism, champions human rights and holds free and open elections. The Biden Administration can’t go down this path. The United States must always align with those fighting for freedom and democracy, and stand up against those that do not respect human rights.’”]

Murphy (D-CT) 1/28: Floor statement on Yemen [press release title – On The Senate Floor, Murphy: The Biden Administration Is Off To A Good Start By Ending U.S. Military Support For Yemen War, Suspending Arms Sales To Saudi Arabia And The United Arab Emirates]

Scott (R-FL) 1/28: Tweet – “The Democrats’ reckless disregard for the security & prosperity of our ally Israel won’t be tolerated. We can’t let @POTUS undo all progress made on peace agreements between Israel & Arab nations. The U.S. MUST fight for freedom & democracy. More here: https://bit.ly/3r0R7Hu”

Lowenthal (D-CA) 1/28: Tweet – “I fought to keep the dream of a true two-state solution alive through the Trump Administration. The Biden Administration is finally willing to uphold the bipartisan principles of peace and equality. These moves will protect Israelis and Palestinians alike.”

Cramer (R-ND) 1/27: Sen. Cramer Statement on President Biden’s Anti-American Energy Executive Orders [“While he destroys jobs at home, the President is delivering wins to foreign competitors like Saudi Arabia, whose exports to the United States will only increase under these actions, further hurting our economy and weakening national security.”]

Murphy (D-CT) 1/27: Press release – Murphy Statement On Biden Administration Freezing U.S. Arms Sales To Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates

McConnell (R-KY) 1/27: Floor statement Re Biden/foreign policy [excerpt: “The Biden administration will find willing partners on Capitol Hill if it builds on this process, keeps imposing real costs on Moscow, pushes back on expansionism in the eastern Mediterranean, and, importantly, encourages our allies to join in this effort. Great power competition is key, but, of course, it does not exhaust the threats that we face. In the Middle East, I know President Biden will face political pressure from the left to rejoin Obama’s Iran deal, just as President Trump faced pressure from the right to abandon it.  Had President Obama not tried to circumvent Congress and pursue a partisan policy, this critical national security challenge might not have become so polarizing, but that is where we are. There is no question that Iran is the biggest threat the United States and our partners face in the region. It poses threats beyond just its pursuit of nuclear weapons: sponsoring terrorism, its sectarian agenda, its work to undermine its neighbors’ sovereignty, its development of ballistic missiles and lethal drones, and its appalling–appalling–record on human rights. Confronting this multifaceted challenge will take bipartisanship at home and solidarity with Israel and our Arab partners abroad. Those things need to exist before making major changes or racing to rejoin a deal.  And our new President must be ready to respond to violence with force, as the Trump administration did when they removed Soleimani from the battlefield.  Speaking of the Middle East, I have consistently and vocally stood up during administrations of both parties against withdrawing our limited forces in Afghanistan, Iraq, or Syria too rapidly or without a smart plan. A supermajority of the Senate joined me last Congress in warning against abruptly abandoning battlefields recklessly on bad terms.”]

McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) 1/27: Twitter thread – “On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, I pause to celebrate our closest ally in the Middle East, Israel, for its recent successes in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. Since late December Israel has vaccinated more than 30 percent of its population, leading the world!” & “Unfortunately, many of my colleagues have used this as an opportunity to cast blame and point fingers. Israel is under no obligation to vaccinate Palestinians in the West Bank or Gaza strip. This responsibility lies with the Palestinian Authority” & “purchasing Russia’s Sputnik V Vaccine. Citizens of Israel, both Arabs and Jews, have received the vaccine based on risk factors like age. Instead of scoring political points, how about focusing on results and what we can learn from Israel’s wide-spread inoculation.”

Grothman (R-WI) 1/27: Tweet – “This week, #Israel officially opened its embassy in the United Arab Emirates. This is BIG news and a great step forward for the Middle East. Sadly, it won’t get enough coverage by the media because this peace agreement was brokered by President Trump.”

Deutch (D-FL) 1/27: Twitter thread – “US leadership at the UN is critical. Glad to see yesterday’s reaffirmation of America’s steadfast support for Israel & two-state solution with Palestinians.” & “And thrilled to hear @LindaT_G standing up for our ally Israel at today’s confirmation hearing: ‘I look forward to standing with Israel, standing against the unfair targeting of Israel, and the relentless resolutions proposed against Israel unfairly.’” [Linked to Twitter thread for the US Mission to the UN

Hagerty (R-TN) 1/26: Tweet – “As your Senator, I’ll continue to stand with our ally, Israel.”

Bowman (D-NY) 1/24: Tweet – “Netanyahu must ensure that both Israelis and Palestinians have access to the Covid vaccine. This cruelty is another reminder of why the occupation must end.” [linked to Tweet by IfNotNow to Haaretz article – “Democratic Lawmakers Slam Israel for Not Vaccinating Palestinians in Occupied West Bank” [****NOTE: Bowman subsequently deletedthis tweet****]

Steube (R-FL) 1/24: Tweet – “Our adversaries in Iran are praising Biden’s radical anti-Israel pick @Rob_Malley for Iran envoy while they sanction @MikePompeo in the same week. Terrorists celebrating US foreign policy decisions is not exactly a strong start for the Biden Admin.”

Wilson (R-SC) 1/22: Twitter thread – “I am gravely concerned by reports that President @JoeBiden is considering appointing @Rob_Malley to be Iran envoy. An Iranian official newspaper has already praised the appointment, that tells you everything you need to know….” & @Rob_Malley has close ties to all the wrong people the Iranian regime, criminal Assad, and terrorist Hamas. Appointing Malley will put American families at risk and endanger our closest ally Israel.”

…on Committee Assignments

Deutch (D-FL) 1/28: Rep. Ted Deutch Re-Elected Chair of Middle East, North Africa, and Global Counterterrorism Subcommittee [excerpt: “We will build on the Abraham Accords to further regional cooperation, enhance our relationship with Israel, restore life-saving assistance to the Palestinian people, and work to preserve the two-state solution that will bring peace and prosperity to both peoples. We will support diplomacy as the best path to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and we will counter Iran’s malign activities from Iraq to Lebanon.”]

Diaz-Balart (R-FL) 1/28: Diaz-Balart Appointed to Defense, State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittees [“We must also redouble our efforts to demand human rights around the world, continue to fight against the vicious cancer that is the dictatorships in Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua, and support our key friend and ally, Israel.”]

Schneider (D-IL) 1/26: Schneider Announces Committee Assignments, Returning to Foreign Affairs Committee [“I expect to continue my work promoting peace and stability in the Middle East and on preventing Iran from ever acquiring a nuclear weapon.”]

Burchett (R-TN) 1/26: Burchett returning to House Foreign Affairs Committee [“he is ready to get to work on creating a more peaceful world, holding adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party and the Iranian regime accountable, standing up for Israel and keeping American military members out of harm’s way]”

Malliotakis (R-FL) 1/26: Malliotakis will also serve on House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure [“As a member of the World Hellenic Inter-parliamentary Association, Malliotakis has been vocal on issues pertaining to Greece, Cyprus and the Eastern Mediterranean region and supportive of the trilateral agreement among Greece, Cyprus and Israel. A supporter of Israel, she visited the new embassy in Jerusalem with former Governor Mike Huckabee and the National Council of Young Israels in 2019.”]

…on Confirmation of Tony Blinken as SecState

Collins (R-ME) 1/26: (Voting YES) “I look forward to working with Mr. Blinken on a number of important issues, such as confronting the challenges posed by the Chinese Communist Party, protecting the United States’ security commitments to Israel, and ending the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Yemen. I also share his commitment to ensuring Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon, and I welcome his future engagement with Congress on addressing Iran’s ballistic missile threats and malign influence in the Middle East.”

Rosen (D-NV) 1/26: (Voting YES) “I look forward to working with Secretary Blinken to rebuild our alliances, strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship, address the threat of climate change, restore America’s global leadership, combat the alarming rise of extremism, and strengthen our national security.”

WIcker (R-MS) 1/26: (Voting YES) “I hope he will build upon the previous administration’s historic achievements, including the opening of diplomatic relations between Israel and five Arab countries.”

Risch (R-ID) 1/26): (Voting YES) “In speaking with Mr. Blinken on these matters, I find that there is a tremendous amount of agreement that he and I have. Obviously, whenever these things happen, there are areas of disagreement, and obviously the media and a lot of people focus on these.  I should mention that at least one of those–Iran–is a very wide disagreement that we have. In my judgment, the JCPOA was a colossal failure and a real blunder for American policy overseas. In talking with Mr. Blinken, he does not share that view, and obviously he is going to work with the President, carrying the President’s water to get us back into the JCPOA. I think that is a mistake. We have talked about this at length, and certainly whatever the consequences of that are, those who do it are going to have to live with it.  I can state that this is not a partisan issue. There are people on both sides of the aisle who have real reservations about going back into the JCPOA, particularly if there aren’t very significant sideboards put on that. The effort is going to be made, and we will advise as we can and go down that pike.”

Paul (R-TX) 1/26: (Voting NO) “What does everybody talk about? Iran, Iran, Iran. Why do we worry about Iran? Well, because we toppled their biggest adversary. We used to have a balance of power between Iraq and Iran–despot on one side, despot on the other but at least a balance of power.  But who is Iran’s best ally now? Iraq. Think about it. Iraq is allied with Iran. Iraq is also allied, in many ways, with Russia, as well as us, but they have also asked us to leave. They are like: Oh, thanks for our freedom, but you all can take off now.  But who supported the war? President Biden, Antony Blinken. We are back where we were 20 years ago.” [also talks about Syria, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Libya, Middle East arms sales and more!]

Cramer (R-ND) 1/26: (Voting NO) “Antony Blinken was instrumental in the creation of the Iran Nuclear Deal, which jeopardized the security of our ally Israel and the American people as part of the Obama Administration’s fruitless attempt to appease a state sponsor of terrorism.” 

Hoeven (R-ND) 1/26: (Voting NO) “I opposed Antony Blinken’s nomination due to his previous record under the Obama administration, including his role in helping craft the Iran nuclear deal, which emboldened Iranian efforts to sponsor terrorism and lacked the accountability needed to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.”

Braun (R-IN) 1/26: (Voting NO) “Today, I could not support Tony Blinken’s confirmation as Secretary of State due to his role in crafting President Obama’s Iran nuclear deal and continued support for the United States to rejoin an effort that absolutely failed to curb Iran’s nuclear program and emboldened their authoritative regime.”

Cruz (R-TX) 1/26: (Voting NO) “The policies that Mr. Blinken has committed to implementing as Secretary of State, especially regarding Iran, will dangerously erode America’s national security and will put the Biden administration on a collision course with Congress, and I could not support his confirmation. He committed to reentering the catastrophic Obama-Biden nuclear deal with Iran, including by relieving terrorism sanctions on the Iranian regime and ending the international arms embargo, despite opposition to lifting that pressure by hundreds of members of Congress in both chambers. In his testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee he was even critical of the strike on Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, an important accomplishment that was applauded by an overwhelming bipartisan majority of Senators in a recorded vote. His approach to the Iranian regime is already generating tensions with Congress, and I will engage vigorously with the Biden administration and State Department to prevent and mitigate the dangers they pose to the safety and security of Americans.”

Marshall (R-KS) 1/26: (Voting NO) “As the champion for rejoining the disastrous Iran Nuclear Deal, Blinken’s repeat Obama-era efforts will give Iran a free pass at developing their ballistic missile program, spreading state-sponsored terrorism across the Middle East, and threatening our number one ally, Israel.”

Lankford (R-CO) 1/26: (VOTING NO) “ I strongly oppose Tony Blinken’s nomination for Secretary of State because he brings the same failed foreign policy strategy from a decade ago that put us in a weak position with nations like Iran, China, Russia, North Korea, and other bad actors.”

McCaul (R-TX) 1/26: (doesn’t get a vote) “I hope the Biden Administration will stick to Secretary Blinken’s commitments to focusing on a two-state solution in Israel and holding authoritarian regimes, like Russia and China, accountable for their malign actions.”

Articles and Reports Related to the Hill

New York Daily News 1/29: When lawmakers get international law wrong: Critics of Israel embarrass themselves in attacking its COVID vaccination plans

Jewish News Syndicate 1/28: Michelle Steel of California looks to Israel’s technology and innovation, seeks partnerships

Times of Israel (Blog by an ex-AIPAC official) 1/27: The 117th Congress and the US-Israel Alliance [“While the challenges are great, we enter 2021 confident that the strong bipartisan coalition of pro-Israel supporters in Congress will continue to adopt policies that recognize the importance of a robust US-Israel relationship in fostering a more peaceful, prosperous, and secure future for all.”]

Jewish Insider 1/19: Moderate Democrats stay mum on Malley pick as Iran envoy

Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP) 1/26: Building Bridges for Peace U.S. Policy Toward Arab States, Palestinians, and Israel [“David Makovsky explores how the Biden administration can use progress in Arab-Israel normalization to reenergize dormant ties between the United States and the Palestinian Authority, and between Jerusalem and Ramallah. After urging the administration to invest in strengthening and expanding normalization with Arab states, he argues for gradualism on the Palestinian issue, rooted in mutual efforts on several fronts, including preventing the slide to a one-state reality, taking a differentiated approach to Jewish settlements, and encouraging a range of trust-building exercises.”]

Foundation for Defense of Democracies 1/25: Biden, Congress Should Defend Terrorism Sanctions Imposed on Iran [“This memorandum provides an overview of Iran’s past and ongoing involvement in terrorism-related activities, a review of longstanding bipartisan congressional support for terrorism sanctions on Iran, and a list of terrorism sanctions currently imposed on Iran that should not be lifted.”]

Haaretz 1/24: Democratic Lawmakers Slam Israel for Not Vaccinating Palestinians in Occupied West Bank [citing Castro (D-CA), Bowman (D-NY), Newman (D-IL), Tlaib (D-MI), and Kaine (D-VA). Re: Castro: “Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro told Haaretz that he’s ‘disappointed and concerned’ by developments. ‘I commend Israel for leading the world on vaccinating its people, but I’m disappointed and concerned by their government’s exclusion of Palestinians living under Israeli occupation from these vaccination efforts, despite making COVID vaccines available to Israeli settlers in the West Bank,’ said the Texas congressman, who recently unsuccessfully ran for the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s chairmanship. ‘Israel’s government has a responsibility under international law not just to Israeli citizens but also Palestinians in the occupied territories. This is a stark reminder of the importance of achieving a two-state solution that respects the rights of the Palestinian people and the security of Israel,’ he said.’]

Israel Hayom 1/22: ‘I fear we’re headed into a dangerous chapter with Biden-Harris administration’ – Exclusive: Senator Ted Cruz says that while US President Trump’s rhetoric “was reckless and irresponsible,” the backlash was disproportionate. “The Democrats and the media are overreaching. This vindictive, impeachment action, combined with a social media purge is reminiscent of the final scene of every one of the Godfather movies.”