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In this week’s edition of the Action Update, we travel from rural America to the sands of the Middle East and back. Let’s jump in.
A Night to Honor Israel
For those of our readers who’ve never attended a CUFI Night to Honor Israel, you’re missing out. Hundreds - often thousands - of people, standing together in solidarity with the nation and people of Israel. Washington jades; events like this inspire.
This past weekend, CUFI held one such evening at Harvest Church in Seneca, South Carolina. CUFI Action Fund Chairwoman Sandra Parker was joined on the stage at the event by Sen. Lindsey Graham and Congresswoman Sheri Biggs.
Both elected officials discussed the importance of standing up to antisemites – be they here at home or abroad.
Sen. Graham noted that Jerusalem’s warriors are fighting shared American and Israeli adversaries and expressed the importance of continued aid to the Jewish state noting, “To the American people, your tax dollars supporting the State of Israel are a good investment in your own existence.”
In addition, Sen. Graham devoted a fair amount of his remarks to the ever-looming threat of Iran’s nuclear program and support for terrorism. Referring to the Islamic Republic as “a gas station masquerading as a country,” Graham called for a swift and robust response to the Iranian regime’s malignant behavior.
Iran
About that malignant behavior…. The White House’s position on Iran has become increasingly stark. There is no ambiguity in the Trump administration’s relevant declarations, nor should there be any hope amongst America’s adversaries that the rhetoric in question is empty (Spoiler Alert: it is not, but if you don’t believe us, ask the Houthis).
Some Iranian leaders seem to be getting the message, as they are publicly discussing making a new deal with the U.S., ostensibly out of fear that President Trump is serious about bombing the country’s nuclear infrastructure or that UN snapback sanctions could come into force.
And it’s this latter point that deserves some further discussion. Bombing Iran will always be of secondary preference to stopping Iran’s nuclear program without violence – but that doesn’t mean that the threat of force isn’t real.
Moreover, by finally internalizing the seriousness of Washington’s posture, some leaders in Iran are beginning to see the writing on the wall. Lest anyone forget, the Islamic Republic was six months away from economic collapse when President Obama bailed them out with the JCPOA. But there won’t be any bailouts this time. The Trump administration will start by bleeding Iran’s economy dry, and if that doesn’t bring the regime to heel, there will be violence.
As such, those who seek stability and peace in the region should be supporting the most robust economic and diplomatic sanctions conceivable. In short, a vote against sanctions is a vote for war.
“CUFI Matters”
During his remarks, Sen. Graham noted that in his view, “CUFI matters,” that our organization was created for such a time as this. We of course agree and appreciate the comment. But we aren’t the totality of CUFI – far from it; we’re just one part of the organization. We are its limbs, but its heart, soul and backbone are all made up of normal, everyday Americans just trying to do right by God and His Chosen People.
And that’s where you come in. You are what matters. Your presence, your voice and your vote – they all matter.
CUFI holds dozens of events across the country each month and has held hundreds of Nights to Honor Israel. Whether you’ve been at a large event or a small one, whether you’ve attended an event at your own church or another, none compare to the impact and the emotion that you will have and feel during the annual National Night to Honor Israel set to take place June 30th on Monday evening at the Gaylord in National Harbor.
We hope every one of our readers and supporters, and all our allies on Capitol Hill, will be able to join us at this, our 20th annual CUFI Washington Summit. Let us not forget, the world is shaped by those who show up. |
