This week, given the mob attack on the Capitol building, we cannot offer a traditional Action Update. What happened last week was an attack on our nation, our Constitution, and for us at the Action Fund, our friends and colleagues. Next week, as Vice President Pence said upon the liberation of the Capitol building from the violent mob, the Action Update writers will “get back to work,” and offer our perspective on the important policy matters of the days, weeks and months to come. One of the great honors of working in Washington, with offices just a block away from the Capitol building, is being afforded the opportunity to interact with a den of heroes and servants.
Updates & Analysis
The Action Update: Georgia on Everyone’s Mind, CUFI’s 10 Million Members and What’s Next?
Welcome back to Washington. We hope you enjoyed your time with your families, and we’re grateful to those of you who returned a little earlier than expected to ensure the FY 2021 National Defense Authorization Act became law. With the 117th Congress now sworn in, feel free to forward The Update to your new colleagues so they too can hear from the Washington arm of the nation’s largest pro-Israel organization.
Op-ed: America Needs to Take a Firm Approach to Turkey | Opinion
merican-Turkish relations have been in a steady decline for the better part of the last decade in large part because Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his government have found new and creative ways to undercut the relationship. Without a major change in Turkish behavior, the relationship will only get rockier.
The Action Update: Legislative Agenda, But Our Work Isn’t Done, and 2021
As the year winds down, we have taken stock of what we’ve accomplished and what we are focusing on in the year to come. It’s beyond cliché to say that 2020 has been a year replete with challenges, but for Israel and for the Action Fund, the news wasn’t all bad. With the help of America’s leadership, the Israelis have normalized relations with no less than five countries in recent months, with Morocco and Bhutan joining the UAE, Bahrain and Sudan, just last week. And for the Action Fund, we’ve seen a host of our top priorities move forward.
The Action Update: Key Provisions, In Addition and In Conclusion
Yesterday, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the fiscal year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). We expect the Senate to take up the bill shortly. This legislation contains several provisions of significance to the US-Israel relationship and we strongly support it being signed into law once Congress sends it to the President’s desk.
The Action Update: Declassify the Report on Palestinian “Refugees” and Speaking of Reports
Over the past week, for better or worse, a lot people’s true colors concerning Israel and the Middle East have been exposed. To her credit, we saw a former US Ambassador to the UN seek to highlight a vital issue President Trump can resolve with the stroke of a pen; to their shame we are seeing members of the Department of Defense continue to ignore a key Congressional mandate; and to our dismay we saw conspiracy theories inundate the discussion about the assassination of a top Iranian general.
The Action Update: Case in Point, and Pro-Israel, Pro-Peace
With Thanksgiving around the corner, you’ll no doubt be receiving a host of emails letting you know what the groups and organizations in your world are thankful for. And frankly, we’re no different. We talked about it around the office, and cliché as it might be, we’re thankful for you. We are a small group of dedicated professionals who have been blessed with the opportunity to spend every day working on the issue most dear to our hearts. At our core, we are activists, and because of your support, we don’t have to shout from the street hoping leaders will hear us – we are in the room, where the leaders listen. And that is because of you.
The Action Update: Meet the Fringe, Meet the Future
It’s hard to believe that Election Day was just two weeks ago. But we’ve learned a lot since then, and with two Senate runoffs in Georgia, the 2020 election is not over yet. We are not a political organization – we choose to be focused on policy, and a single-issue at that. But who runs our country matters, and we believe that the American people have made clear for decades that we want sensible leaders, not fringe activists, to represent us.
The Action Update: Iran on our policy agenda, Turkey’s economy, and anti-Semitism in the US.
At the CUFI Action Fund, our policy positions do not change regardless of who is in power. If an elected official stands with Israel, we will work with them regardless of party. Likewise, if they if they oppose our policy positions, we will stand up to them. And when the last vote is counted, we will remain committed to ensuring the voice of Christian Zionism is heard in our nation’s capital.
The Action Update: Standing Up to Evil, “Normalization is the New Normal” and The End of the “Arab-Israeli Conflict”
This past Sunday, Cornerstone Church in San Antonio held their 40th annual Night to Honor Israel.Cornerstone is the home church of CUFI founder and Chairman Pastor John Hagee. Four decades ago, when Jews and Christians came together in solidarity for the first Night to Honor Israel, history was made. Over the years, Cornerstone has distributed more than $100 million to Israeli and Jewish charities. And as a direct result of this event, CUFI was founded in 2006. This year, history was made yet again.
