For years, experts in the field from across the political spectrum have been warning about the startling and brutal rise in bigotry across the country. And in recent years, these comments ceased being a warning about what’s to come and have now become expressions of horror concerning what has arrived. It is with the heaviest of hearts that this week, we start here at home, with the hatred-fueled, horrific massacre of ten innocent people in Buffalo, NY. The Nazis Are Here There’s no way around it; there is a segment of our American population for whom hatred is their primary identity, and they are armed and ready to kill. As we’re sure our readers know, this past weekend a white supremacist – whose manifesto includes repeated antisemitic references – traveled hours from his home and murdered 10 people in cold blood in a
predominately black neighborhood. We mourn the victims and pray God comforts and blesses their loved ones and heals those wounded in the attack. Directly prior to the horrific shooting, two DC area pastors who had recently traveled to Israel with CUFI authored an op-ed at the historic Afro News site, discussing the importance of confronting bigotry and antisemitism. “For our own, our children’s and our neighbors’ sake, we must proactively confront bigotry. We can start by confronting those in our personal orbit, be they coworkers or elected officials who traffic in antisemitic tropes. Culturally and politically, we must eschew the lie that only the other is guilty of this sin. This isn’t about cultural or political tribes; it’s about good and evil,” the pastors wrote. We are a policy-oriented organization,
and we have focused on policies – from education to security funding – that are intended to confront the hatred spreading across our nation. The terrorism committed against the black community of Buffalo is a stark and exceptionally painful reminder that we’ve much work to do if we are to stem the tide of bigotry sweeping across the United States. Lies, Riots and International Antisemitism You may have read recently that a journalist with Al-Jazeera was killed during a firefight in Jenin, a highly radicalized Palestinian town in the West Bank. Here are the facts: First, while Israeli soldiers are highly trained and engage in a disciplined approach to combat, the Palestinian terrorists they confront often use the “spray and pray” approach, firing off rounds without regard for civilians, and without anything remotely resembling aiming the weapon. Second, while the Palestinians originally, and predictably, blamed Israel for the journalists’ death, as more information began to come out, some backed off those claims – though still not taking responsibility for the killing. Third, while Palestinian terrorists claimed to have shot an Israeli soldier that day,
none were hit. The journalist, wearing a helmet and bullet proof vest – common amongst journalists covering conflicts – was likely confused by the terrorists for a soldier when she was hit. Finally, while the Israelis offered a joint investigation into the events that led to the journalist’s death the Palestinians refused, leaving the Israelis to conduct it themselves. Since the Palestinians refuse to join an investigation or show any proof of their claims, the circumstantial evidence is quite clear: Palestinian terrorists are likely responsible for this tragedy. None of these facts prevented the international community immediately from joining the Palestinian propaganda machine in blaming Israel – the Jew among the nations. Likewise, despite the violence and riotous behavior of Palestinians during the journalist’s funeral, it was the Israeli police who were blamed for clashes that day. We’ve seen this pattern
before. Regardless of Palestinian brutality, reckless disregard for human life, or malign behavior, the mainstream media consistently blames the Israelis and forgives the Palestinians for whatever takes place. This is far from ideal, but the consequences are not as bad as they could be given that trust in the media has plummeted in recent years. Perhaps that’s because they’re failing to report the truth? We’ll report, you decide…. Loss of a Strong Leader On Friday, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), passed away. Sheikh Khalifa left an immense legacy. He was responsible for the magnificent modernization of his nation and was the ruler of the UAE when that country signed the Abraham Accords. Several of your CUFI Action Fund staffers were privileged to travel
to the UAE last year. While we did not have the opportunity to meet Sheikh Khalifa, we were deeply honored to be welcomed by His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the UAE’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. Sheikh Abdullah was a warm and gracious host. He is intelligent, dignified and cares deeply not just for his own people, but for peace and prosperity to extend throughout the Middle East. We have every confidence that the incoming leader of the UAE, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan will continue his family’s highly honorable traditions and continue to
move the UAE ever-forward while remaining true to the legacy of those who came before him. We wish to express our deepest condolences to the people and the royal family of the UAE for their loss. We realize this week’s Update was a heavy one. Such is the nature of world affairs. But as always, we
thank you for taking the time to stay up to date on all the issues of import to those of who wish to see a strong and stable U.S.-Israel relationship.
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