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The CJV was honored with an invitation to this year’s annual summit of the House Values Action Team (VAT). The meeting was chaired by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and VAT Chair Vicky Hartzler, and three hours were devoted to discussions of pro-life legislation, religious liberty issues, and initiatives from the White House favoring both.
It was our letter to 106 Congressmen, however, that made headlines this month. When Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced a reversal of Obama-era policy and recognized the legality of Jewish life in Judea, we sent him an immediate letter of commendation. Several days later, though, Rep. Andy Levin and 105 other congressmen sent a letter opposing the move. (Yet another congressman joined later, bringing the total to 107, all Democrats.)
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On the following Monday, we responded withour own letter to Rep. Levin and his cosignatories, outlining multiple false and misleading statements in the congressmen’s letter. As the Daily Wire, a prominent conservative journal, put it, “CJV responded with a powerful letter of its own that systemically picks apart Rep. Levin’s own missive.” Besides the Daily Wire, the letter was covered as a leading news item by the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Press and Israel National News — an unprecedented level of coverage for our young organization. Our website saw ten times its ordinary level of traffic for three days following that release.
Press Releases
Rabbis Commend SecState Mike Pompeo for Israel Settlements Policy Change
Nov 18 – Contrary to a false narrative implying that Jews somehow voluntarily abandoned the Land of Israel in favor of others, the letter points out that “Jews lived in the holy cities of Hebron and Shechem (Nablus), as well as elsewhere in the area, at all times when not forced to leave at the tip of a sword.” And this being the case, the CJV concludes that the return of Jewish settlement in that area is simply “the resumption of Jewish life in that part of the Jewish homeland.”
“Turns Reality on Its Head:” Rabbis Ask House Democrats to Withdraw “False and Misleading” Letter
Nov 26 – Jews were ethnically cleansed from towns in Judea and Samaria in 1929 and 1936, and then driven out entirely by Jordan in 1948 – yet the signatories claim that the Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits them from moving back. It is hard not to read that claim as unsympathetic to Jews and history.
Letters and Statements
Letter to Rep. Andy Levin Et Al Regarding Israeli Settlements
Nov 26 – It is regrettable that you signed a letter that undermines America’s most steadfast ally, a country which has always sought peace, yet which overwhelmingly endorsed the move of the US Embassy to Jerusalem, recognition of its sovereignty over the Golan Heights, and Mr. Pompeo’s recent declaration that Jewish settlements in Judea are legal.
Featured Op-Eds
All of our board members’ op-eds since our last update can be accessed on our website.
What the Mike Bloomberg candidacy really means
by Rabbi Avrohom Gordimer, American Thinker, Nov 9
Bloomberg’s unexpectedly bleak prospects for nomination signal further radicalization of the Democratic Party. The party is now suddenly gifted with a silver platter, but it throws this godsend out in favor of a disposable, used cardboard tray, that would otherwise be put out for tomorrow’s garbage collection.
Countering Obama and the UN on Judea and Samaria communities
by Rabbi Dov Fischer, Arutz Sheva, Nov 19
The US State Department has concluded a year-long legal study and analysis, researching international law and consulting legal experts. It has concluded that the Reagan Administration’s policy towards Judea and Samaria is fundamentally legally sound.
What China’s Persecution of Minorities and America’s Newly Passed Hong Kong Human Rights Act Tell Us About LeBron
by Rabbi Dov Fischer, The American Spectator, Nov 22
By cowering and backing down, LeBron James publicly conveyed to the Chinese dictatorship that voices in the West will remain silent and that China is free to persecute and murder millions while James and his corporate sponsor, Nike, rake in their respective millions, devoid of conscience.
The First Modern Orthodox Jew: Two Models
by Rabbi Steven Pruzansky, Cross-Currents, Nov 24