Jewish Dems Reject Republicans Attempt to Politicize Assistance to Israel

WASHINGTON – Following House Republicans’ announcement that they are placing conditions on emergency military assistance for Israel, Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA) CEO Halie Soifer released the following statement:

“It’s only been three-plus weeks since the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, and House Republicans are playing partisan games with Israel’s security. In the aftermath of the horrific terror perpetrated by Hamas, Jewish Dems fully support President Biden’s request for an unprecedented $14.3 billion in emergency security assistance for Israel as part of a funding package that also included essential military assistance for Ukraine.

“We strongly reject the decision by Speaker Johnson to condition aid to Israel on cuts to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). These are not budget negotiations where funding is tied to offsets or mandatory spending cuts, and President Biden would not have requested this funding if there was not a pressing need. Now is not the time – nor will it ever be the time – for Republicans to exploit Israel’s safety and security to enable tax evasion. 

“There is strong bipartisan support for President Biden’s emergency funding request, and in its current form, the GOP’s proposal will never get through the Democratic-controlled Senate, causing further delay in delivering support to Israel and Ukraine in their time of need. It is the epitome of political opportunism and cynicism for House Republicans to tie this request to cuts to the IRS, which would increase the deficit, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

“What we need now is a clean aid package to Israel and Ukraine, as President Biden requested. This is not only in U.S. national security interests, but those of our allies, and we call on Republicans to stop the political gaming  and prioritize national security.”

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