Our hearts break over the continued violence in Israel. Jewish Dems strongly and unequivocally condemn the rocket fire from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and support Israel’s right to self-defense. We are grateful for the ongoing support of the Biden administration for the Iron Dome missile defense system, which is saving countless lives. Israelis and Palestinians deserve to live in security and peace, and we mourn the tragic loss of life.

We also support the efforts of the Biden administration to de-escalate tensions and engage with officials in Israel and throughout the region. As violence broke out in Jerusalem, Secretary of State Tony Blinken met with Jordan’s foreign minister to discuss steps to be taken to restore calm, fully condemning Hamas rocket attacks on civilian populations. In the coming days, as over 1,000 rockets were launched from Gaza into Israel, US officials made over 25 calls to Israeli and Palestinian leaders, as well as other regional partners, to urge a de-escalation.

Both Secretary Blinken and President Biden are speaking directly with Prime Minister Netanyahu, assuring the United States’ support for Israel’s right to self defense. Jewish Dems also strongly welcome Secretary Blinken’s decision to send Deputy Assistant Secretary for Israeli-Palestinian Affairs Hady Amr to help de-escalate the crisis. Hady has already met with regional leaders, who will be essential to bringing an end to Hamas terrorist attacks, de-escalation of violence, and restoration of calm.

JDCA IN THE NEWS

As we’ve seen throughout the past four years, leadership matters. This outbreak of violence can be traced back to years of Republicans politicizing Israel and rejecting the two-state solution. As JDCA CEO Halie Soifer said on BBC Newsnight, “What we’ve seen is a return of US leadership on the world stage after four years of a reckless foreign policy with Donald Trump and a complete neglect of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.” Halie also discussed JDCA’s strong support of full funding for U.S. military aid to Israel, including the importance of Iron Dome, a legacy of the Obama-Biden administration, and how every intercepted rocket “is supported by US aid. It is essential, and it is saving lives.” Click here to watch Halie on BBC and  here to read our analysis in the New York Times.

Upcoming Events

JDCA is thrilled to announce the launch of two new chapters in New York and Southern California, and we’re excited to host our Nevada chapter’s 2021 organizing kick off. Our chapters in New York, Southern California, and Nevada will play a vital role in our grassroots movement to mobilize Jewish voters to advocate for our values. We’ll be joined for these events by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (NY) andSenators Catherine Cortez Masto (NV) and Alex Padilla (CA).

If you live in one of these locations, we encourage you to join these upcoming chapter events and to invite other Jewish Dems to join you!