The CUFI Action Fund is a nonpartisan organization. We focus on policies, not partisan politics. But this also means that we give no quarter to any officials who harm the U.S.-Israel relationship, kowtow to the enemies of freedom, or traffic in antisemitism. Last week, we were critical of former President Trump’s meeting with two antisemites at Mar-a-Lago. This week, we must address the astoundingly poor decisions made by the Biden administration, in particular Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.
Blinken vs Hillary
During a recent interview on CNN, Secretary Blinken was asked if nuclear negotiations with Iran were still going on. The Secretary danced around the yes/no question but, effectively, he confirmed that the Biden administration is still engaged with the Islamic Republic.
We’ve long claimed that most Americans find it appalling that our government would engage in negotiations with a duplicitous, terror-sponsoring regime bent on subjugating its people. The response to this reality by the Iran deal at any cost crowd boils down to childish accusations of warmongering made against those of us who don’t want Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon or be given billions in sanctions relief to prop up an evil regime as it openly oppresses its own people.
But just days before the Blinken CNN interview, none
other than former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, “I would not be negotiating with Iran on anything right now, including the nuclear agreement.”
The bottom line is that both the center-right and the center-left, who, let’s he honest don’t agree on much these days, agree that Biden administration is committing the foreign policy equivalent of moral turpitude by continuing to talk with Iran. Sadly, the Biden administration doesn’t seem to care.
Blinken’s Bad Diplomacy
On Sunday, Secretary Blinken addressed the annual conference of J Street, an organization that calls itself pro-Israel while focusing its ire on the Jewish state.
Upon seeing that Blinken had accepted the invitation to speak at the conference, CUFI Action Fund Chairwoman Sandra Parker had this to say, “It's repugnant that while Israelis are being repeatedly targeted by terrorists, and the DOJ launches an unwarranted and politicized investigation of our ally, the Secretary of State thinks it's a good idea to elevate an organization that spends its time demanding aid to Israel be conditioned and criticizing the Jewish state for defending herself.”
Parker’s comments turned out to be pretty prescient as J Street did indeed go up to Capitol Hill and lobby in support of conditioning (read restricting) aid to Israel. In addition, according to reports, when Mr. Blinken noted that the Biden administration opposes BDS, the crowd (literally) laughed in his face. And when he spoke of expanding the Abraham Accords, members of the “pro-peace” lobby could only muster tepid applause.
Both a current senior State Department official and a former Israeli government official called out Blinken’s planned speech for being a clumsy and obvious effort to stick it to
incoming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with the former Israeli official noting, “Speaking to J Street may displease the incoming Israeli government, but they're hardly afraid of the lobby. This doesn't send a message of strength but rather one of petulance. Secretary Blinken should know better.” (Spoiler alert: he doesn’t.)
U.S. and Israel Defense Cooperation
Despite the Biden administration’s consistent missteps in recent days, there has been a bit of good news coming out of Washington and Jerusalem. Lockheed Martin, one of the largest and most technologically advanced U.S. defense companies is teaming up with top Israeli defense contractor Rafael to further develop Israel’s Iron Beam missile defense system.
The Iron Beam is a
laser that is intended to knock down smaller projectiles (certain drones, rockets and missiles) that are not large enough to be taken out by Israel’s highly successful Iron Dome system. Once this system becomes fully operational, Israel will have strengthened its multi-layer missile defense architecture aimed at stopping everything Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran can throw at it. No doubt this collaboration between the U.S. and Israel will enhance the effectiveness of the Iron Beam.
Strong missile defense, especially in a world where Russia is sending Iranian-made suicide drones into Ukraine and Hezbollah has 150,000 rockets pointed at
Israel is in the vital national security interests of every free nation on earth.
All of this is an important reminder that when we stand with Israel, we’re not just doing the right thing morally, we’re doing the right thing for our country. There is no greater return on U.S. foreign military assistance than the funds the U.S. provides to Israel (the aid, one might add, that J Street wants to “condition”). And that is one of the many reasons why taking the time to read these Action Updates each week and ensuring your voice in support of Israel is heard in Washington is so vital.
Iranians Continue to Stand up
Farideh Moradkhani is the niece of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and she has shown herself to be a brave and righteous woman. In the midst of the most robust anti-government protests Iran has seen in years, Moradkhani spoke out against her
uncle’s despicable regime without equivocation.
In a video recently posted to YouTube she said, “How long do we have to witness oppression by political autocrats in any part of this world? Isn't the experience of Hitler, Mussolini, Ceaușescu, Gaddafi, Saddam Hussein, Khomeini and his last one, Khamenei, enough?”
She went onto to refer to the Islamic Republic as a “murderous and child-killing regime.”
Her statements resulted in her arrest, which she must’ve known that was going to happen. But she, like thousands of Iranians across the country, is taking a righteous and courageous stand against the brutal and autocratic rule of Tehran’s Tyrants.
Every person of conscience must support the protestors in Iran. And we’re proud to say that the U.S. Soccer Federation offered their support recently as the eyes of the world are on the World Cup. According to CNN, “The federation had temporarily displayed Iran’s national flag on its official Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts without the emblem of the Islamic Republic.”
Iran has (predictably) called for the U.S. to be kicked out of the World Cup over this act of free speech. That’s unlikely to happen, but it’s certainly a risk worth taking. If Women
like Moradkhani are willing to go to prison for their beliefs, and others have died for theirs’, the consequences of taking a shot on social media against the Islamic Republic in order to bring more awareness to the horrors the people living under that regime must endure are hardly worth worrying about.
As Members of Congress begin to return to Washington, we’ll no doubt have some policy-oriented topics to discuss during next week’s Update. In the meantime, we hope you had a blessed and peaceful Thanksgiving, and as always, we are thankful for you who serve as the tip of the spear in the effort to strengthen the U.S.-Israel
relationship and combat antisemitism.
Sincerely,
