Issue Position: Support Israel

Issue Position

Israel is the most stable, prosperous and free nation in the Middle East. I believe in Israel and its important relationship with the United States. Not only does Israel align with the United States' Judeo-Christian values, it promotes democracy in a region ruled by totalitarianism. Like the United States, Israel has found a way to make itself into a thriving and innovative economy. Israel is a crucial trading partner to the United States and works in true partnership with us to share information, ideas and important terrorist intel.

If I am fortunate enough to be elected to Congress, I vow to always stand up for Israel whether that be fiscally, militarily or personally. In Congress I will work to ensure Israel has the full protection from the United States against terrorist threats who seek to undermine democracy and hurt innocent Israelis of all backgrounds and religions.

Iran
Iran has been a bad actor both in the region and worldwide since 1979. It currently presents itself as a serious national security threat to the United States and an existential threat to Israel. With the death of Qassem Soleimani, a known terrorist and architect of terror, tensions with the United States and Iran are at a new high. Israel is a prime and proximal target for Iranian retaliation and the United States must once again show that any attack on Israel will not be tolerated.

I support President Trump's decision to pull out of the Iran Nuclear Deal; however, we must now find a way to move forward diplomatically with Iran while protecting our long-term security interests and those of our allies in the region. This is challenging as the Islamic regime in Iran is the world's leading state sponsor of terror, responsible for the deaths of US servicemen and women and the reason many more came home with debilitating injuries from their service in Iraq and other conflicts. For decades, Iran has supported terrorists and their proxies unabated. Obama's disastrous Iran deal handed the regime $150B while doing little to nothing to stop them from obtaining a nuclear weapon. If anything, the deal only served to embolden Iran and put our allies at greater risk, as we've seen with Iran's brazen attacks on U.S, British, and Saudi interests. President Trump was right to withdraw from the agreement, and right to continue to impose crippling economic sanctions on this terror-supporting regime. This is an imperative and time-sensitive issue as the U.S. does not need or want another war. While we cannot and will not allow Iran to conduct terror attacks against U.S. interests, we can and should continue to utilize our diplomatic, economic and yes military deterrence to help deescalate tensions.

Jerusalem
Jerusalem is the rightful capital of Israel and I am thrilled that the United States Embassy is finally in its rightful home. Jerusalem is the holiest of cities and Israel allows all people of faith to visit this remarkable, ancient and special place.

The opening of the American Embassy in Jerusalem on May 14, 2018 was a significant day and feat for America's relationship with Israel. The "Jerusalem Embassy Act", passed by Congress in 1995 has continued to provide bipartisan support to the recognition of the simple fact that Jerusalem is the self-determined capital of the Jewish State. The Administration's fulfillment of the law after 23 years is an opportunity to celebrate the relationship and partnership between the United States and Israel.

Foreign Assistance and Military Cooperation
The United States alliance with Israel is manifested in a significantly tangible way in the area of foreign assistance and military cooperation. Congress is responsible for providing financial aid to Israel whenever and wherever it is needed. If elected, I will wholeheartedly support the continued fulfillment of the Memorandum of Understanding that lays out America's financial commitment to the people of Israel. I will be proud to be an advocate for Israel's self-defense, and I will oppose any proposal that seeks to undermine or condition funding to Israel, as her survival is a critical national security interest of the United States. I will condemn any efforts that strives to weaken the cooperative efforts between our nations including but not limited to the military, intelligence sharing, or cybersecurity.

One State vs. Two States
I fully support a two-state solution. Israel is constantly undermined by the Palestinian Authority and their continual disregard for basic principles to an agreement. Israel has consistently demonstrated a willingness to negotiate but is too often met with complete rejection. The Palestinian Authority's all-or-nothing approach is both unproductive and unnecessary. While I understand the conflict in trying to outline and identify borders between two states, I also realize that Israel has both consistently fought for its land and then returned or withdrawn from those areas in an effort to broker a long-lasting peace.

With Israel constantly targeted for terror, there are overwhelming strategic military considerations that understandably come first and foremost in Israel's eyes. If elected to Congress, I will support Israel's right to determine what it needs to secure its future and the safety of her people while encouraging the Palestinians to finally sit down at the table and take responsibility for the governance and welfare of its people.

Economy
Israel is a small country only now exploring and discovering her natural resources. I applaud Israelis and their innovative and entrepreneurial spirit that creates a thriving 21st Century economy. Whether through business, agricultural or technological advancements, Israel is booming with the second largest number of startup companies... only trailing the United States. It is with this in mind, that if elected I will always strive to keep Israel a top trading partner who promotes free and fair trade like the United States but more importantly, let's good business practice and principles guide its economy.

Fighting BDS
It is gravelly important that Americans realize there is economic war going on to Boycott/Divest/Sanction Israel. Recognizing its true intention is not to achieve a stable two-state solution, I am completely against this movement, and if elected will be on the front lines to thwart any further attempts to delegitimize Israel.

The United States must make clear that economic warfare against a free, democratic and open society is intolerable and will be met with resistance by us. America must always be on the front lines of free-trade and must make clear to our trading partners that any country who engages in any sort of BDS activity is in violation of free trade.

Unfortunately, BDS is not just an economic issue but a philosophical issue encountered on College and University campuses. Students need to understand how critical Israel is to our own nations prosperity and I applaud the Trump Administration for its executive order on Anti Semitism on December 11, 2019.

Conclusion
With the Middle East growing more erratic daily, now more than ever is the time to step up and support our ally Israel and I will always make that intention known when in Congress.

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