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.
Updates & Analysis
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.
The Action Update: Testing their Missiles, Low-Rent Ahmadinejad, and Speaking of NATO
Breaking up is hard to do. Especially when you’ve been Facebook NATO official for a while. But when your partner’s been consistently disloyal, bullies your friends and is now publicly stepping out with your longtime nemesis, it’s time to move on. He’s just not that into you. Likewise, Turkey’s bully-in-chief, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is a smooth talker, and multiple US policy makers have been seduced by his silver tongue. But it’s time to say buh-bye.
The Action Update: The EU and Hezbollah, The EU and Iran, and Turkey’s Tentacles
This week, Irving Roth, a Holocaust survivor and educator featured in CUFI’s new documentary film Never Again?, penned an op-ed for Newsweek where he discusses his experiences in 1940’s Europe to make the point that hatred, which begins with words, ends in horrific action.
The Action Update: Never Missing an Opportunity, And While They’re at It…., and Talking Turkey (Again)
This past week served as a stark reminder that no matter what the world is focused on at any given moment, our adversaries do not relent and there is no lie they will not tell to advance their agenda. Since the most ludicrous item of the week came from Ramallah, let’s start there.
The Action Update: Peace Through Strength, Weakness Invites Aggression, and There are No Coincidences
In recent weeks, we’ve seen the results of two diametrically opposite approaches to foreign policy play out. On the one hand, we’ve watched as history was made when the Abraham Accords were signed in Washington. On the other, we’ve seen Lebanon descend even further into chaos with Hezbollah and Iran on the ascendancy.
The Action Update: Tehran’s Terrorists, America’s Answer & The World’s Weakness
Regular readers of the Action Update know that Iran’s support for terror is so prevalent that it’s hardly even newsworthy anymore. The same goes for the Islamic Republic’s efforts to develop a nuclear weapon. And sadly, the international community’s weakness in the face of Iranian belligerence hardly warrants a headline these days. But sometimes, the sum of events is greater than the whole of its parts. And over the past week, all of these appalling realities have come into stark relief.
