Representative Ilhan Omar, a prominent member of the progressive "Squad" in Congress, has successfully defended her seat in Minnesota's 5th District Democratic primary, according to projections reported by BBC. The closely watched race concluded with Omar securing over 56% of the vote, solidifying her position as the party's nominee for the November election.

With 99% of votes counted, Omar received more than 67,000 votes, comfortably outpacing her closest rival, Don Samuels, a former Minneapolis City Council member. Samuels, who had narrowly lost to Omar in 2022, garnered just under 43% of the votes in Tuesday's primary.

Rep. Ilhan Omar wins her primary election in the 5th Congressional district of Minnesota!

Omar has defeated The 75-year-old Black man named Don Samuels, winning 56% of the votes or 67,524 with 95% of the votes in.

pic.twitter.com/GVfq0JBadC

— EXECUTIVE MEDIA (@EXECUTIVEXMEDIA) August 14, 2024

The victory comes at a time when other members of the "Squad" have faced significant challenges. Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri and Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York both lost their primary races earlier this year, with pro-Israel groups investing heavily in their opponents' campaigns.

Unlike the races involving Bush and Bowman, the Super PAC operated by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) appeared to stay out of Omar's contest. However, The Intercept reported a last-minute effort by wealthy pro-Israel donors to raise six-figure sums in support of Samuels.

Omar, one of the first Muslims elected to the US Congress, has been a vocal critic of Israel's policies, particularly regarding the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Her stance on Israel has been a source of controversy throughout her tenure in office.

In February 2023, Omar was removed from the House Foreign Affairs Committee by the Republican-controlled House, citing previous comments she had made about Israel. Democrats decried the move as political retaliation for similar actions taken against Republicans when Democrats held the House majority in 2020.

The congresswoman's campaign received support from high-profile figures, including Senator Bernie Sanders and Vice President Kamala Harris. An internal poll conducted last month had suggested Omar held a 30-point lead over her challengers.

In the same primary elections, Minnesota Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar, who has served in the US Senate since 2007, also secured victory in her primary challenge.

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The Democratic primary elections in New York's 16th Congressional District concluded Tuesday with moderate candidate George Latimer defeating incumbent Representative Jamal Bowman, who is affiliated with the progressive faction of the party. Latimer secured over 55% of the vote. Bowman became the first member of the progressive "Squad" to lose a re-election bid after campaigning heavily on his stance regarding the Israel-Gaza conflict, and at one point accused Israel of carrying out a genocide in its operations to eliminate Hamas following the Oct. 7 atrocities.

In recent months, Bowman had made statements against Israel amid the ongoing war in Gaza. He was accused of denying the acts of rape committed by Hamas on October 7.  He also opposed the Congressional resolution supporting Israel after the Hamas massacre on October 7. At a campaign event this week, Jamal Bowman lashed out, saying, "We're going to show those f***ing AIPAC people the power of the South Bronx. What am I supposed to do? You're coming after me, my family, my children, am I not supposed to fight back? We're going to show who we are. We're going to show them what it's about."

During a pro-Palestinian rally last November, reports circulated that Bowman claimed, "Israel is using propaganda that began with the siege in Gaza. There is still no evidence of babies with severed heads or women being raped. But they keep using this false propaganda."

He later apologized for his remarks, telling Politico, "What Hamas did on October 7 was a war crime, and they must release all the hostages." He emphasized that he supported the resolution condemning Hamas's use of rape and sexual violence.

As a working-class kid in Mt Vernon, I watched my parents strive to give me the best life possible. When I graduated high school on Memorial Field, my mom cried.

She never dreamed I would be here. But tonight the voters spoke & I'm proud to be your Democratic Nominee for #NY16 pic.twitter.com/fAb3A1NiyU

— George Latimer (@LatimerforNY) June 26, 2024

 Latimer, considered a moderate Democrat, enjoyed the support of the AIPAC lobby group in his current race. Federal Election Commission records show AIPAC spent around $15 million in favor of Latimer, as reported by ABC. The funding was intended for purchasing ads against Bowman, who in turn attacked AIPAC for its efforts to boost his rival.

During the campaign, Bowman received backing from members of "The Squad," associated with the far-left wing of the Democratic Party. His progressive colleague, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, handily defeated her opponent in District 14 with over 80% of the vote. Earlier, he also secured the endorsement of Senator Bernie Sanders, known for his progressive stances. Latimer, on the other hand, received the backing of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

A mid-June poll by Emerson College indicated Latimer leading Bowman by 17 percentage points. Regardless of the winner, the district's seat is expected to remain in Democratic hands in an election year that will shape the House of Representatives.

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The American Israel Education Foundation, the charitable organization affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, is rescheduling two congressional trips to Israel next month over concerns tied to the coronavirus.

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The House Republican freshman trip and a bipartisan delegation of members of the House Armed Services and Homeland Security Committees, originally scheduled for August, are now planned for February. These two delegations will now coincide with the Democratic freshman trip, which had already been planned for February 2022.

"AIEF has decided to reschedule to a later date two congressional trips to Israel that were slated for August. Given Israel's increased concern over the Delta variant and the likelihood of further travel restrictions, we decided it was not possible to offer Members of Congress a comprehensive and informative program in the midst of the current challenges," Marshall Wittmann, spokesman for AIPAC, told JNS.

"Enthusiasm for traveling to Israel remains high among these members, and we look forward to them visiting Israel with AIEF," he said.

AIPAC recently also announced that it is going to cancel its 2022 policy conference, also due to concerns about the spread of COVID.

Israel, like many other countries, has seen rising caseloads in recent weeks as the result of the new variants spreading in the country.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org

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Because of continued uncertainties caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, AIPAC announced on Monday that it has decided to once again cancel its in-person annual policy conference for the second year in a row.

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The decision was announced in a letter from AIPAC President Betsy Berns Korn, who wrote that the organization's top priority is the health and safety of attendees. She added that while it seems that the country is reopening as a result of vaccinations, the logistics remain too difficult to move forward with the next phase of planning for the 2022 AIPAC Policy Conference, especially with the rise of the new Delta variant.

She compared prepping for the conference to building a city for the estimated 18,000 attendees for three days, which requires more than a year of advance planning, "including irrevocable contracts with the convention center, hotels, catering and many other vendors who help bring the conference to life."

"We are now at the stage of planning that requires us to make those financial commitments," she wrote. "After considerable review, we feel strongly that signing contracts at a time of such continued uncertainty about the safety of the conference and our delegates would be an irresponsible use of the resources you entrust us to use wisely."

Korn guaranteed that AIPAC will continue the work to advance its mission as it has over the past year, as well as find creative ways to engage with members of Congress, their staff and AIPAC supporters.

"We will be introducing new opportunities to build our movement and engage personally with each other. And we plan to host in-person programs when we determine that it is safe to do so," she wrote. "Together, with your continued support, we will devote ourselves to achieving the same outcomes that the conference typically generates."

The policy conference, scheduled to take place at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in March, was also canceled in 2021 and supplanted by a virtual conference.

The organization's last in-person policy conference occurred in 2020, after which multiple attendees tested positive for COVID-19.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org

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AIPAC applauded the overwhelming majority of members of the US House of Representatives on Thursday who signed a letter urging US aid to Israel to be fully funded in the federal budget without condition, contradicting a handful of prominent Democratic Party lawmakers who spoke at a virtual national conference of the left-wing, pro-Israel group J Street over the weekend.

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The letter, drafted by Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.) and House Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), was sent to Appropriations Committee chair Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and ranking member Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas), with signatures from 331 members of Congress.

It harkened back to the guarantee that the United States made in 2016 under the Obama administration in the US-Israel Memorandum of Understanding, which was later overwhelmingly passed by Congress under the 2020 US-Israel Security Assistance Authorization Act and codified into law by the National Defense Authorization Act.

"As the United States meets pressing global challenges, we strongly believe that robust US foreign assistance is vital to ensuring our national security interests abroad," the letter stated.

According to the letter, the MOU guarantees $3.8 billion in security assistance to Israel each year for 10 years for a total of $38 billion. Of the annual amount, $3.3 billion is for foreign military assistance and $500 million for cooperative missile-defense programs in what will be the fourth year since the agreement.

The letter cited tensions with Iran, its terrorist proxies, an explosion on an Israeli ship in the Gulf of Oman, the launch of three anti-tank missiles at an IDF vehicle in 2019 by Hezbollah, and Hezbollah's estimated arsenal of 130,000 rockets and missiles as reasons the aid is needed both for Israel's security and American interests.

"Congress is committed to maintaining Israel's Qualitative Military Edge and its ability to defend itself, by itself, against persistent threats. Our aid to Israel is a vital and cost-effective expenditure which advances important US national security interests in a highly challenging region," the letter continued. "For decades, presidents of both parties have understood the strategic importance of providing Israel with security assistance."

The letter also reiterated US President Joe Biden's promise of not placing conditions on aid to Israel, calling such a consideration "irresponsible" given the serious threats it faces.

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"Just as foreign assistance is an investment in advancing our values and furthering our global interests, security aid to Israel is a specific investment in the peace and prosperity of the entire Middle East. US support for Israel makes the region a safer place and bolsters diplomatic efforts aimed at achieving a negotiated two-state solution, resulting in peace and prosperity for both Israelis and Palestinians," the letter concluded.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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The US Congress passed last week a $741 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for the 2021 fiscal year, and it includes the continuation of American assistance to Israel for missile-defense programs and other initiatives.

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The Pentagon blueprint passed the US House of Representatives by a vote of 335-78, while the Senate passed it by a tally of 84-13.

The NDAA allocates $500 million towards missile-defense systems in Israel, such as the Iron Dome, David's Sling, and Arrow 3. Additionally, it extends authorization for the US War Reserve Stockpile in Israel through the 2025 fiscal year and authorizes an additional $200 million annually in stocks.

The NDAA also lifts current limitations on the transfer of precision-guided munitions to Israel in an emergency and authorizes the president to exceed the current limitation of $200 million on the transfer of PGMs in a non-emergency setting under certain conditions. Moreover, it authorizes the secretary of defense to establish a directed energy program with Israel.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee and Christians United for Israel applauded the passage of the NDAA as it pertains to US assistance to Israel.

In a statement, AIPAC commended Congress "for including significant pro-Israel provisions" that "will help Israel protect itself against continuing security threats."

"It is refreshing to see Congress set aside its partisan differences to advance this vital legislation. We strongly support this bill being signed into law," Sandra Parker, chairwoman of CUFI Action Fund, said in a statement.

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However, US President Donald Trump has threatened to veto the NDAA over renaming US military installations commemorating Confederate figures. The tallies of the passage in the House and Senate would be sufficient to get the two-thirds majority needed to override presidential vetos.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org 

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It's also the fourth peace accord between Israel and a Middle Eastern country, following Egypt in 1979, Jordan in 1994 and the UAE, which agreed to such a deal on Aug. 13 and is scheduled to formalize it in a White House ceremony on Tuesday.

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Bahrain will also be part of the ceremony, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif al-Zayani will sign a declaration of peace, according to a joint statement released by the United States, Bahrain and Israel.

US President Donald Trump, who tweeted that the agreement is "Another historic breakthrough," spoke on Friday with Bahraini King Hamad bin Salman al-Khalifa and Netanyahu, who called the agreement "a pivot of history, a pivot toward peace."

Another HISTORIC breakthrough today! Our two GREAT friends Israel and the Kingdom of Bahrain agree to a Peace Deal – the second Arab country to make peace with Israel in 30 days!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 11, 2020

Israel and Bahrain will exchange ambassadors, have direct flights and launch economic initiatives, said Trump in the Oval Office shortly after announcing the deal.

It is currently unknown where the Bahraini embassy in Israel will be located. Most countries have embassies in Tel Aviv. The United States and Guatemala are the only ones to have theirs in Jerusalem, both having relocated there in May 2018. The Emirati one will be in Tel Aviv.

The full details of the Israel-Bahrain deal have yet to be announced.

'A very auspicious moment'

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee called the development "another historic demonstration of a new promising era in Israeli-Arab relations."

"These diplomatic achievements are a testament to the fact that a strong and secure Israel, backed by the United States, is critical to bringing reconciliation to the region," said AIPAC in a statement. "The old and unproductive paradigm of boycotts and rejectionism is collapsing, and a new model of peace, prosperity and cooperation is emerging."

"Now is the time for other countries in the region and the Palestinian leadership to embrace this model, and cement new ties and forge lasting peace and security in the Middle East," continued AIPAC.

"Historically, sustainable Arab-Israel peace agreements have been achieved with active United States leadership. The back-to-back agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, and now Bahrain, were achieved with the full engagement of the US administration," said American Jewish Committee CEO David Harris. "We thank President Trump and his team who saw these possibilities, and welcome the winds of change in the Middle East that lay the foundation for greater peace, cooperation and prosperity."

Jewish Council for Public Affairs President and CEO David Bernstein told Jewish News Syndicate that his organization "could not be more pleased that Bahrain and Israel are normalizing relations. This is a very auspicious moment for Israel and the prospects for peace in the Middle East."

Jewish groups from both sides of the political aisle applauded the development.

"Bahrain's decision to normalize relations with Israel demonstrates the growing conviction in the region that now is the time to set aside old conflicts, stand united against the threat of Iran, and engage in economic, technological, scientific and cultural cooperation with Israel that will improve the lives of all the peoples of the Middle East," said Republican Jewish Coalition national chairman former Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) in a statement.

Democratic Majority for Israel president and CEO Mark Mellman told JNS: "From Bahrain and the UAE to Chad and Malawi, countries once at best skeptical of Israel are turning into friends. We salute the wisdom of all these countries in recognizing both the mutual benefits of strong ties with Israel, and Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state in peace and security."

"Bahrain's decision to normalize relations with Israel is yet another positive indicator that change in the region is moving in a welcome, positive direction," B'nai B'rith CEO Daniel Mariaschin told JNS. "The UAE, and now Bahrain, are sending a strong and unmistakable message that peace and stability in the region are indeed reachable."

Sarah Stern, founder and president of Endowment for Middle East Truth, called Friday's development "yet another indication of the blossoming of warm relations between Israel and the Sunni Gulf states that had been up until now 'under the table.'"

The new development "shows that these Arab partners understand and appreciate that the Jewish state is not going anywhere, that Israel is here to stay; that they have a tremendous amount that they can share and learn from Israel, in terms of high tech, cybersecurity, water irrigation and agriculture, and in the age of COVID-19, medicine," she said.

At least since 2019, Bahrain has been improving its diplomatic relations with Israel. In June of that year, it hosted the "Peace to Prosperity" conference, where the United States released the economic component of its Israeli-Palestinian peace proposal. The following August, Bahrain joined the US-led coalition to protect shipping in the Gulf against Iran.

Along with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain opened its airspace last week to allow flights between Israel and the UAE.

This week, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain agreed to open their airspace to flights east from Israel.

'A sea change of attitudes'

Zionist Organization of America President Mort Klein told JNS that the Bahrain-Israel normalization deal is a loss for two of Israel's enemies – Palestinian leadership and the BDS movement – and that US President Donald Trump "deserves the Nobel Peace Prize," which the president was formally nominated for this week for brokering the Israel-UAE peace deal.

"The more Islamic countries that make peace with Israel, the less impact the Palestinian terrorist dictatorship's anti-Semitic propaganda lies and the BDS movement against Israel will impact," he said.

American Jewish Congress President Jack Rosen said, "We are witnessing a sea change of attitudes: the Israel-UAE agreement, the decision of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain to allow Israeli flights to use their airspace, the refusal of the Arab League to condemn the Israel-UAE accord."

American Sephardi Federation Executive-Director Jason Guberman told JNS that the Emirati and Bahraini normalization deals with Israel exemplify "a new era, but one rooted in history."

"Muslims and Jews, as in centuries past, will once again be able to channel their considerable talents and resources into projects that will benefit all of humanity," he said. "For the Greater Sephardic community, these developments are at once historic and personal in ways that may be difficult for others to understand. With shared roots in the region and [those] who have in recent memory experienced the trauma of exile, it is deeply moving to see one Arab country after another welcome them, in freedom and friendship, to be fully Jewish."

"Acceptance of Israel and its integration into the Middle East is a positive development for regional stability, for American interests, and no less importantly, for Israelis not being unfairly ostracized by other states," said Israel Policy Forum in a statement. "We hope that Bahrain's addition to the list of Arab states that have open and official relations with Israel paves the way for more such developments in the months and years ahead."

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At last, "the walls of isolation around Israel are crumbling," Malcolm Hoenlein of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations said.

Even J Street, which is usually highly critical of Israel, welcomed the deal.

"As with the UAE agreement, this is a positive development. Here is some context on the long history of Bahrain-Israel relations, from [Prime Minister Yitzhak] Rabin under Oslo [in the 1990s] to today," tweeted J Street. "And while normalization is welcome, real *peace* requires an agreement that resolves the issues at the core of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and leads to the establishment of a viable and independent Palestinian state alongside Israel."

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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Biden, a Catholic, promising Catholic voters that he would represent their ethics and values even as he endorses pro-abortion rights and selected a Vice President who has built a political career funded by the pro-abortion lobby represented by Planned Parenthood.

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Biden says one thing but does the opposite. Senator Biden in 1982 threatened to cut off US aid to Israel. In a heated exchange with Israeli Prime Minister, Menachem Begin, Biden banged on the table and delivered his threat to which Begin undiplomatically replied,

"Don't threaten us with cutting off your aid. I am not a Jew with trembling knees. I am a proud Jew with 3,700 years of civilized history. Nobody came to our aid when we were dying in the gas chambers and ovens. Nobody came to our aid when we were striving to create our country. We paid for it. We fought for it. We died for it. We will stand by our principles. We will defend them, And, when necessary, we will die for them again, with or without your aid."

In an administration that promised "no daylight" between the United States, Obama, Biden, John Kerry and Hillary Clinton did precisely the opposite.

A December 29, 2015 Wall Street Journal article detailed how the Obama administration conducted surveillance on Israeli officials to discover how the Israeli government would react to their bad Iran nuclear deal. This broke the decades-old bipartisan US policy toward Israel.

Biden has pledged to revive Obama's Middle East policies, particularly his highly criticized Iran nuclear deal which allowed Iran to develop not only its advanced missile program but also more sophisticated centrifuges buried in Iran's underground facility at Natanz, scene of a mysterious explosion in August.  These centrifuges will speed up the enrichment of uranium needed to produce a nuclear warhead at a time of Iran's choosing.

The disastrous fallout of this awful deal was a failure in not understanding that the Iranian regime would not use the money on its people but on broadening its malevolent regional intentions. The Obama-Biden generous gift of potentially $150 billion plus an additional $1.5 billion cash payment enabled the Islamic regime in Tehran to extend their violent hegemony, directly and via their proxies, through Iraq, into Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, and further south in Yemen.

This has left the Sunni Arab world with a dire sense of vulnerability. Inadvertently, it has driven moderate Arab states to first develop covert contacts with Israel and now, with the advent of the Israel-UAE peace deal, with open relationships and partnership.

One of the unsung benefits of UAE's decision to normalize their relationship with Israel was their official renunciation of a 47-year boycott policy against Israel.

In effect, this act killed the infamous boycott, divestment and sanctions movement at a stroke of the UAE pen. How is it possible for radical Left activists, as well as certain members of Congress, to promote boycott campaigns against Israel when Arab states are not only dropping their boycotts but actively signing trade deals with Israel?

It is worth noting that although an attempt to oppose an anti-boycott bill in Congress was defeated, seventeen Democrats continued to support such measures and a further ten abstained from the vote. Two Democrat presidential hopefuls absented themselves from the vote, as did House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Although Democrat representatives do attend the annual AIPAC Conference to show their support of Israel, the jury is out as to whether they do so to appeal to their Jewish and Christian constituents, rather than an affirmative love of Israel. The doubt stems from the failure of any Democrat Congress member to attend the opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem.  They also swerved the Israel Embassy celebration party in Washington DC.

But the unkindest cut of all was when Obama-Biden stabbed Israel in the back as they were leaving the White House. A vindictive out-going president, backed by his vice president, failed to impose the United States veto in UN Security Council Resolution 2334 that decreed, wrongly, that Israeli communities beyond the Green Line were an illegal occupation.

More recently, Biden has said he does not support the extension of sovereignty to Jewish settlements that are the homes, universities and workplaces of 600,00 Jews.

He went further by saying he would renew US funding to the Palestinian Authority ignoring their "Pay to Slay" reward payments to Palestinian terrorists and killers of Israelis.

Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates, privy to important policy issues emanating from the Oval Office, famously said that Joe Biden has been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades.

On the campaign trail, Biden has become an embarrassment. His faux pas and mumbling thoughts are a matter of concern for the Democrat faithful. Even the Chicago Sun Times, a paper that has endorsed the Democratic Party, fears that Biden's diminished faculties will handicap their election chances. But Biden was never elected to affirmatively lead the country but to be the front man for the growing radical wing of the party. In an act of national deception, the Democrats try to project themselves as moderates in an effort to keep their traditional voters on board. In truth, the party has changed beyond recognition. It belongs to the Red-Green alliance, the Marxists and Islamists that control the party Establishment to the point that their elderly leaders take the knee to their demands and, should they take power, their policies.

One example of this change is personified in Rep. Ilhan Omar. Omar projected herself as the shining face of a culture sensitive public when she won her Minneapolis seat. She was supported by the Jews of her district as representing their progressive values. That was before the mask came off and she revealed her real self as an anti-Semitic Israel hater.

More recently, Omar has called for the dismantling of the police. She also called to "tear down the system."  This radicalism shows where the heart of the Democrat Party lies.

Omar is portrayed as the future of the party. As a member of The Squad alongside Rashida Tlaib, Ayanna Pressley, and Alexandria-Ocasio Cortez, they drive its agenda.

It was not by accident that Joe Biden went public asking for a Million Muslim Vote. He spoke the words, but the campaign strategy was decided elsewhere. Biden has yet to go public and ask for a Million Jewish Votes. He won't. That is not where the party is today.

But the Democrat radicals in Congress are far more numerous than this quartet. As mentioned earlier, thirty of them followed their anti-Israel lead when it came to a vote. And their numbers will grow in the next Congress. Elliot Engel, one of the dwindling pro-Israel Democrats was easily defeated by a new radical in a recent primary.

This is the force what will set policy, not Biden. He will be a figurehead president, rolled out to sign policies, read speeches off teleprompters, and be seen shaking hands with visiting dignitaries. The business of government will be executed elsewhere.

Where the party will be, policy-wise, should they win the 2020 election, is reflected in Ilhan Omar. They elected her to sit on the US Foreign Affairs Committee failing to demote her following her numerous anti-Jewish and anti-Israel remarks.

They failed because this is where the power of the party is today.

Imagine a Democratic administration with Ilhan Omar promoted to chair the US Foreign Affairs Committee.

What do you think will be the United States position on Israel?

Barry Shaw, Senior Associate for International Public Diplomacy at the Israel Institute for Strategic Studies. Author of 'Fighting Hamas, BDS and Anti-Semitism.'

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Such a stance is rare for AIPAC, which staunchly defends Israel in Washington. It has yet to make an official statement on the sovereignty move.

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"Two sources – a congressional aide and a donor – say AIPAC is delivering that guidance in Zoom meetings and phone calls with lawmakers. The message is unusual because the group assiduously discourages public criticism of Israel," JTA reported.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly said that he would likely go ahead with the move as part of his government's expected embrace of the Trump administration's peace plan.

The plan allows Israel to apply its laws to settlements and the Jordan Valley, so long as it does not infringe on areas that are designated for a future Palestinian state. That state will only be established if the Palestinians meet a strict set of criteria and no longer pose a threat to Israel – and only after four years of proving themselves – but settler leaders have voiced concern that it would become a terrorist hotbed.

"AIPAC does not encourage members of Congress to criticize the government of Israel," Adam Harris told JTA. "Our role is to strengthen the relationship between the two allies ... It is inevitable that there will be areas of political or policy disagreement between leaders on both sides – as there are between America and all our allies," AIPAC's statement said.

According to JTA, "telling lawmakers that they were free to criticize Israel, while short of encouraging them to do so, was nonetheless a departure from past practice."

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In a statement, the pro-Israel lobby said: "The US-Israel relationship is a mutually beneficial partnership that reinforces America's moral values and strategic interests. This relationship with the only democracy in the Middle East is a key pillar of America's regional security framework. The US-Israel partnership is constantly growing and expanding into new areas, including science, technology, health, energy, agriculture, homeland security and defense.

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"Today, some have proposed reducing our ties with Israel because they object to the potential decision by Israel's leaders to extend Israeli sovereignty to parts of the West Bank. Doing anything to weaken this vital relationship would be a mistake."

The statement comes as Democratic senators and left-wing groups, including J Street and Democratic Majority for Israel, have warned against Israeli annexation of Jewish neighborhoods in the West Bank.

AIPAC stressed that "a strong US-Israel relationship is essential for achieving a genuine peace between the Jewish state and its Arab neighbors, including the Palestinians. A viable two-state agreement is only attainable if America's support for Israel is ironclad, and the Jewish state knows it can take risks for peace because its ally and partner has its back."

The pro-Israel lobby continued that "despite the increasingly close ties between the two allies, it is inevitable that there will be areas of political or policy disagreement between leaders on both sides – as there are between America and all our allies. However, bipartisan support for the fundamentals of the US-Israel strategic relationship must supersede any policy dispute. This is important for not only Israel's security but for America's as well. Indeed, America is more secure when Israel is strong."

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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