Issues Supporting the U.S.-Israel Relationship

We support a robust leadership role for the United States in the Middle East. The U.S. and Israel maintain a strong and unbreakable bond in view of the two countries’ shared security interests and common values. JDCA supports Israel as a Jewish and democratic state now and forever. JDCA believes that supporting Israel’s security and right to self-defense and supporting Palestinian human rights, aid, and safety are not mutually exclusive. We support a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. However distant a two-state horizon currently appears, it remains the best and only path to ensure Israel’s well-being as a secure, Jewish, and democratic state. Israelis and Palestinians should refrain from actions that undermine future prospects for two states. Israelis deserve to live in safety and security, free from terror and incitement, in a state that is recognized by Palestinians and its Arab neighbors, and we support efforts to normalize Israel’s diplomatic relations with all nations, including Arab and Gulf states. Palestinians should be permitted to realize their national aspirations in an independent, demilitarized state that recognizes Israel’s right to exist and lives peacefully alongside a Jewish state of Israel. We recognize that Israel’s capital is Jerusalem, and with the U.S. Embassy now located in Jerusalem, it is essential that Jerusalem remain open to people of all faiths and backgrounds. Even as it acts as a mediator in the Middle East, the United States must vigorously oppose the global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, other international efforts to delegitimize the state of Israel, and anti-Israel bias at the United Nations. The October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, during which Hamas murdered 1,200 people and kidnapped 240 marked the largest slaughter of Jews on any single day since the Holocaust. We will never forget the atrocities committed by Hamas, including torture and horrific sexual violence against women, nor will we forget those who remain in captivity or unaccounted for. JDCA is grateful for President Biden’s unwavering condemnation of Hamas’s horrific acts of terror, as well as his unwavering support of Israel’s security and right to self-defense. We also support the Biden Administration’s efforts to stand with Israel and the Jewish people. Neither Israel nor the region will be safe until Hamas is defeated. JDCA believes the United States should continue security aid to Israel with no cuts or conditions and provide Israel with emergency supplemental assistance as needed to ensure the Jewish state maintains its qualitative military edge and ability to defend itself.