Barry Moore, a Republican, was sworn in as a member of the 117th Congress on Jan. 3 after he defeated Democrat Phyllis Harvey-Hall on Nov. 3 in the US House of Representatives election in Alabama's 2nd Congressional District to succeed retiring Republican Rep. Martha Roby.

Previously, Moore, 54, who is married with three children, served in the Alabama House of Representatives. Before that, he founded a waste-hauling firm.

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His support for Israel is driven by his Christian and conservative beliefs.

JNS talked with Moore by phone on Dec. 17. The interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

A: For a long time, even in the Alabama legislature, I've been a strong supporter of Israel, and I'll continue to be. The Bible is very clear – those who bless Israel will be blessed. That's one of the things that's fundamental to my faith.

Q: Do your Christian beliefs fully inspire your support for Israel?

A: I don't think so. That is fundamental to my faith. We always want to see justice around the world, and any time a race or a party or a people are mistreated, it's incumbent upon us to do the right thing and help those folks.

Q: What else inspires your support for Israel? 

A: Just being a conservative. I think the conservatives I know, they stand with Israel, and they believe that [US] President [Donald] Trump has done a fantastic job of overarching support of Israel. It's just one of those things as a conservative Republican – most of us support Israel and will continue to fight for its rights and freedoms.

Q: Have you ever been to Israel?

A: I've never been. I hope to go soon. I've never had the opportunity.

We have family members that have done some work in Israel. My wife's first cousin has done a great deal of work in Israel over the years and works as a liaison from time to time. He would bring certain dignitaries from Israel, and they would speak at different churches around the country. He's also lobbied for Israel's rights in the US Capitol.

Q: Regarding Iran, what's your reaction to what US President-elect Joe Biden has said about re-entering America into the nuclear deal if Tehran returns to compliance?

A: I think President Trump was smart to get us out of the Iran deal. I don't think it was good for the country – certainly, not good for Israel and any of Israel's allies. I hope that Biden will use the leverage that the Trump administration has built and not go back into the poorly formed agreement that they risk Israel's security.

Q: What about the Iran nuclear deal did you not like?

A: Iran can't be trusted. Iran poses a severe threat of peace and stability, and if we go back into the deal, we pull the leverage off the table.

Q: What's your reaction to the rise in anti-Semitism at home and abroad?

A: It's very troubling to me. It has to do a little with our nation and the moral decline in our country. I'm from the Bible Belt, and we truly believe that Israel is G-d's chosen people. We've lost our way and haven't taught our kids very well. Just the education system and not educating people on the Holocaust and what happened in World War II and what Hitler did to those people. It's a combination of poor education and moral decline in our country that has allowed these generations to allow some abuses. Jewish people face a lot of enemies. The left in this country do not seem to care for the Jewish people. President Trump signed an executive order combating anti-Semitism in December 2019, and I think we need to see that [kind of] leadership.

Q: What's your stance on the BDS movement?

A: That's just part of an anti-Semitic movement. It's a way to try to get people to divest and to punish Israel, and to boycott and to use it as leverage. It's one of those things I'm totally against. We need to stand against that sort of thing.

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 Reprinted with permission from JNS.org

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A new report from the US State Department has found that US authorities have had mixed results in blocking assets going to terrorist entities and state sponsors of terrorism.

According to the Terrorist Assets Report, which is sent annually to Congress, the United States saw a decrease in blocking assets to Hamas, Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from the previous year, while it blocked more in assets tied to Iran, Syria and Hezbollah in that period.

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In 2019, the United States blocked $927,915 in assets tied to Hamas, a $437,068 decrease from 2018; it blocked $1,121,760 in assets belonging to the IRGC, a $13,868,001 decrease from the previous year; and it blocked $23,481 in assets tied to PIJ, a $36,258 decrease from 2018.

Additionally, in 2019, America blocked $399,253 in assets belonging to the Islamic State, a decrease of $258,436 from 2018.

On the other hand, in 2019, the United States blocked $22,826,728 in assets tied to Hezbollah, an $11,225,057 increase from the previous year. It blocked $129 in assets belonging to the Iranian-supported militia Kata'ib Hezbollah, which has conducted attacks on US and fellow coalition forces in Iraq in 2019 (there was no 2018 figure listed for the affiliate).

Furthermore, the United States blocked $40,000 in assets tied to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).

Hamas, Hezbollah, Kata'ib Hezbollah, ISIS, the IRGC, PIJ and the PFLP are US-designated terrorist groups.

When it came to state sponsors of terrorism, the United States blocked Iran from $119.54 million in assets in 2019, a $12.13 million increase from the previous year; and it blocked Syria from $36.17 million in assets, a $1.1 million increase from 2018.

Jonathan Schanzer, who worked on sanctions policy at the US Treasury Department and currently serves as senior vice president of research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told JNS that the report "is often a reflection of US sanctions priorities."

Therefore, he said, it was unsurprising that "Iran, Syria and Hezbollah saw an increase in blocked funds," although he noted that it was unusual "to see a drop in IRGC blocked funds, given that the guards remained a focus of administration policy."

"Similarly, one might have expected a slight uptick in blocked Hamas assets, given administration priorities," he continued. "PIJ and PFLP are both relatively small terrorist groups, so the amount of blocked assets would logically be small."

Schanzer said "it should be noted that the US has captured fewer assets over the years, as terrorist groups have adjusted to the US sanctions system. While working in dollars is still attractive, these groups have been forced to work in other denominations given the heightened risk. To a certain extent, the US can be said to a victim of its own success."

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The US Senate runoffs in Georgia to take place on Jan. 5 have expectedly generated intense national interest and already become the most expensive in history with some $340 million raised so far. Democrats Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock have hauled in more than $100 million each, significantly more than Republican Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler at $68 million and $64 million, respectively.

With the outcome set to determine control of the Senate for the upcoming Biden administration, the stakes are about as high as they can get. American Jewish groups from both sides of the aisle have invested heavily in the race, as they see stark differences in the candidates' policies on topics such as the US-Israel relationship, the Iran nuclear deal, anti-Semitism and more.

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Most of the scrutiny by the Jewish and pro-Israel community surrounding the runoffs has been on the race between Loeffler and Warnock.

Loeffler has supported Trump's pro-Israel agenda, while Warnock has come under fire for defending anti-Semitic comments made by Rev. Jeremiah Wright, giving a May 2018 sermon in which he accused Israel of shooting non-violent Palestinian protesters, signing onto an anti-Israel statement last year that likened Israeli control of the West Bank to "previous oppressive regimes" such as "apartheid South Africa" and presenting a 2016 sermon that compared Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to segregationist and former Alabama Gov. George Wallace.

Last month, Warnock released an editorial by the Democrat titled "I Stand With Israel." In that piece, he did not repudiate those past controversies.

The Jewish Democratic Council of America endorsed Warnock and Ossoff, who is Jewish, both in the general election and ahead of the runoffs, and hosted a Dec. 8 virtual event that also featured Ossoff.

Warnock, the pastor of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta where civil-rights icon Martin Luther King Jr., preached, also said, "I am a staunch ally and supporter of Israel, and I echo without reservation Dr. King's perspective that Israel's right to exist as a state and in security is incontestable."

In addition to holding the event (its super PAC cannot give directly to the candidates in accordance with election law), JDCA PAC has been fundraising and spending money in campaigning for Warnock and Ossoff. It is spending close to $200,000, the council's CEO, Halie Soifer, told JNS.

According to Soifer, JDCA has put out digital ads and sent direct mail pieces to more than 50,000 homes in Georgia. It has also been making an estimated 50,000 phone calls and sent 50,000 text messages to nearly 100,000 Jewish voters in the state. The organization isn't doing door-to-door canvassing, as requested by the campaigns due to concerns about the spread of the coronavirus.

In response to the criticism Warnock has gotten for his past statements and actions on Israel, Soifer cited his position paper and remarks during the JDCA event. "He's made it clear that he strongly supports the US-Israel relationship, he strongly supports the full implementation of the MOU [from 2016 between the United States and Israel worth $38 billion over a decade in defense assistance]."

"He does not support any cutting or conditioning of aid," she continued. "He opposes BDS. So he's made it clear that he shares our views when it comes to Israel."

In response to Warnock comparing Netanyahu to Wallace, Soifer said "what he has said in the past, frankly, is also aligned with the view of the majority of Jews in that the majority of Jews consider themselves pro-Israel and are critical of at least some of the current Israeli government's policies. Just as we can be strong patriots and be critical of our own government's policies, so, too, can we be pro-Israel and criticize or question some of the Israeli government's policies."

She dismissed the criticism of Warnock's support for Wright and called it "guilt by association claim from many years ago," saying it's not "relevant" to the runoffs.

Rather, what is far more relevant, said Soifer, is Loeffler's ties to House Rep.-elect Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who has trafficked in anti-Semitic, and other racist and conspiratorial remarks, and has also heralded QAnon.

Whereas JDCA endorsed Warnock and Ossoff in the general election and from the start of the runoffs, Democratic Majority for Israel's political action committee, DMFI PAC, endorsed just Ossoff in the general and from the start of the runoff cycle and did not immediately endorse Warnock following the general election until Dec. 9.

In a statement that day, DMFI PAC president Mark Mellman said the endorsement of Warnock was decided following a Zoom conference between the candidate and DMFI leadership.

"Warnock is strongly committed to strengthening the US-Israel relationship, as well as to achieving social justice, delivering affordable health care for all Americans and creating opportunities for all to succeed," he said.

Mellman echoed the talking points of Jewish Democrats who say Warnock has expressed support for US assistance for Israel, support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and opposition to the BDS movement.

He also mentioned Warnock inviting Israeli Ambassador to the United States Ron Dermer in 2015 to address "his congregation during Sunday services.

Like JDCA and DMFI PAC, JStreetPAC has endorsed Ossoff and Warnock. JStreetPAC has raised more than $500,000 for the runoffs with $385,000 of that going directly to the campaigns and $115,000 going to the group Fair Fight to assist with their organizing efforts, J Street spokesperson Logan Bayroff told JNS.

JStreetPAC, joined by Chicago-based black women-led grassroots group Women2Win, held a fundraiser for Ossoff and Warnock on Dec. 21 that was attended by the Democratic candidates.

Turning out the Jewish vote

The Republican Jewish Coalition, which endorsed Loeffler and Perdue, has been doing targeted Jewish outreach in Georgia since the runoffs were declared shortly after the Nov. 3 election, the organization's national political director, Sam Markstein, told JNS. The campaign strategy has included sending 25,000 text messages, 100,000 phone calls and canvassing by knocking on thousands of doors in the Atlanta suburban countries including Fulton, Cobb and DeKalb.

The RJC plans on tens of thousands of text messages and phone calls every day until Jan. 5, added Markstein.

Whereas JDCA has released campaign ads, the RJC has not. Markstein said that hundreds of millions have already been spent on ads by other entities.

"We're focusing on where we can make a difference in a market that is so overly saturated with ads, we don't think it's a good use of our time, energy or resources," he said. "We're going to be focusing on to turn out the Jewish vote is to hyper-target the grassroots ground game in Georgia, whether it's in-person canvassing, virtually through phones or texts as well as raising money directly for the campaigns from our generous supporters from across the country."

The RJC's political action committee, RJCPAC, has raised around $700,000, while RJC national chairman and former Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) raised around $1 million, according to Markstein. RJCPAC has a portal through which RJC members can donate to the candidates in accordance with campaign finance laws.

On Warnock, Markstein said, "I would direct you to the comments made by local [Orthodox] rabbis – representatives of the Jewish community in Georgia who would know better than anybody else who Raphael Warnock truly is, and they lambasted him for his rhetoric, for his actions, and they strongly encouraged voters to reject him and his record on Jan. 5."

On Loeffler's association with Greene, who endorsed Loeffler, Markstein deferred to RJC executive director Matt Brooks, who did not respond to a request for comment on the issue.

Perdue, who co-sponsored an anti-BDS law in 2017, has supported Trump's pro-Israel agenda, while Ossoff has supported the Iran nuclear deal. In a statement to Jewish Insider, Ossoff warned that Israel applying sovereignty to the West Bank would undermine "efforts to achieve a two-state solution. A sustainable and humane resolution of conflict can only be achieved by diplomacy."

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org

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Say 'aloha' to Hawaii's newest member of Congress, Kai Kahele, who told JNS in an interview earlier this month that his state "has always had a very unique relationship with the State of Israel."

Kahele's state boasts Jewish history and, as of 2014, was home to 7,500 Jews, not to mention hordes of tourists annually. The islands are home to several synagogues and Chabad Houses.

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The 46-year-old Democrat, who is married with three daughters and was elected to Congress from Hawaii's 2nd Congressional District, expressed his appreciation for the late Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), who was known as a strong supporter of Israel.

"My position is the same," said Kahele. "And that's an unconditional commitment to Israel."

He remarked that "Israel is a very strong partner" and the "best example of democracy and the American values that we have in the Middle East."

Kahele, who will be leaving his position as a member of the Hawaii Senate, has never been to Israel, though he's "super looking forward to going."

Between 1994 and 1997, he played for the University of Hawaii's volleyball team, which had three Israeli players at the time whom Kahele said "became my best friends."

One of those players was Yuval Katz, who led the university a runner-up finish in the 1996 NCAA Championship. Kahele said that befriending these players allowed him to experience some of Israel's culture and language.

Kahele said that he reached out to those friends during his congressional campaign.

Kahele said that while there's no moving the US embassy back to Tel Aviv from Jerusalem, it's important to ensure that Jerusalem "is a shared special place" for the Palestinians and Israel's neighboring countries.

He called the Abraham Accords "a good step in the right direction" and "an opportunity to minimize violence, to further democracy, to ease and reduce tensions in the region, and to move that needle a little bit closer to a peaceful society and peace in the region."

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'A step in the right direction'

He also said combating the Iranian threat "requires the ultimate diplomacy" by using sanctions and other diplomatic tools.

Kahele, a US Air Force veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, said that resorting to military force should be the last course of action.

He supported the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which the United States withdrew from in 2018, although he said it has its shortfalls. He acknowledged that Iran should never get a nuclear weapon, and that it remains the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism.

"Everything can't be perfect," he said. "You can't get everything you want."

Still, he said, "it was a step in the right direction."

Nonetheless, Kahele said the US military "is the best thing we have to stabilize" the Middle East.

His predecessor, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, an anti-interventionist Democrat, came under fire for meeting with Syrian President Bashar Assad, who used chemical weapons on the Syrian people and has aligned his regime with Iran and its proxies, such as the US-designated terrorist group Hezbollah.

In his interview with JNS, Kahele called Assad "a war criminal," saying "he murders and slaughters his own people." He opposed US President Donald Trump withdrawing US troops from northeastern Syria.

Kahele also expressed opposition to the BDS movement, saying he would support legislation against it.

As for the uptick in anti-Semitism throughout the United States, it remains a real concern. "That's not what the United States stands for, and we need to be a worldwide leader" in the battle against it, he said.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org

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The Pentagon, prompted by US President Donald Trump, ordered a drawdown this week of US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, a move that experts told Jewish News Syndicate might actually empower Iran.

The drawdown to 2,500 in both places is slated to take place by Jan. 15, said Acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller, who was installed in the top Pentagon role last week after Trump fired US Defense Secretary Mark Esper.

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That date is five days before President-elect Joe Biden is set to be sworn in on Jan. 21. He has expressed support for US troop withdrawals from the Middle East, though has called for the United States to have a small counterterrorism force there.

Currently, approximately 3,000 troops are stationed in Iraq and 4,500 US troops in Afghanistan.

Danielle Pletka, a senior fellow in foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, said these upcoming moves are counterintuitive to Trump's overall Iran strategy.

"On the very day that Donald Trump seeks to up the pressure on Iran, he does the exact opposite in removing pressure on the Tehran regime in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. The policy is incoherent," she said. "Worse, the policy is dangerous. This is an 'Iran-first' move that I would expect from Obama retreads, not the Trump administration."

In fact, four Katyusha rockets reportedly hit in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone on Tuesday with the US embassy in their crosshairs. A child was killed and five people were wounded. While US officials have blamed Iran-backed groups for such attacks, no such groups have claimed responsibility for the incident.

Ilan Berman, senior vice president of the American Foreign Policy Council, said the impact of troop removal "is likely to be mixed."

"On the one hand, a reduced American presence in Iraq is likely to remove impediments to Iran gaining an even greater strategic and political presence there," he said. "If history is any judge, this will be a deeply detrimental scenario. It will also reverse major political efforts by Washington and Baghdad in recent years aimed at bolstering Iraqi sovereignty."

"On the other hand, however, a drawdown of US forces in Afghanistan is likely to empower the Taliban and other radical actors to Iran's east," continued Berman. "These are actors that Iran also sees as threats, and the Iranian regime may therefore be forced to think more locally, and to invest greater resources in mitigating threats in its immediate neighborhood. That is something that could turn out to be an aggregate good for regional security."

'Whether the withdrawals will embolden Iran is moot'

Others see the withdrawal as not having a major impact on Iran's influence in the region, which has been consistently growing for years.

Aaron David Miller, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, stated that the missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran, have not been successful; therefore, whether the withdrawals will embolden Iran is moot.

"If we couldn't succeed in Afghanistan and Iraq with a number 50 times those, do you think it matters now we're down to 2,500?" he posed. "Iran's influence, especially in Iraq, won't be boosted or degraded by those numbers. Trump's 'maximum pressure' campaign against Iran is failing. They want us out of Iraq, and Trump has brought them a little closer to that goal."

Gold Institute for International Strategy senior fellow Matt Brodsky, on the other hand, expressed hope that the withdrawals "will not hinder the United States' ability to deter Iran from additional regional aggression and prevent the resurgence" of the Islamic State.

"Clearly, the president has made clear his preference to bring America's troops home and to stop what he calls 'endless wars,' " he said. "The problem is that our enemies also get a vote and these are their wars. America has made tremendous progress in the Middle East in the past four years. I'd hate to see those gains jeopardized."

'A cautionary tale of a premature decision'

United Against Nuclear Iran policy director Jason Brodsky (no relation to Matt Brodsky) said the drawdowns "are inconsistent with a strategy of maximum pressure on Iran."

"In Iraq, Iran's Axis of Resistance wants to see Washington gone. Withdrawing also reduces US leverage and influence in Baghdad. Iraq's government remains trapped between an American rock and an Iranian hard place," he said. "Iraqi officials who are allies of the United States are already concerned about a premature return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), as that would empower Tehran in the country as a result of sanctions relief."

He continued, saying that "a drawdown coupled with the prospect of a return to the flawed JCPOA would embolden Iran's partners and proxies in the country even further. Iran also wants to see the United States leave Afghanistan, and has been cultivating the Taliban to retain influence and leverage in the country. The Obama administration's withdrawal from Iraq in 2011 is a cautionary tale of a premature decision divorced from conditions on the ground, as only a few years later did American forces have to be sent back again to deal with the threat from ISIS."

Jonathan Schanzer, senior vice president at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said that "Trump is unwittingly undermining American deterrence in the Middle East."

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"Even a downsized or right-sized troop presence can serve as a deterrent to malign actors, as we saw in Syria over the past few years," he said. "America's departure will invite the likes of Russia, Iran, Hezbollah and others to fill the void left by the United States. This will have a deleterious impact on Israeli security, as well as the security of our other Arab allies."

"Also lost in all of this is the cost to America, both in financial and human terms, when redeployment to these areas becomes necessary once the security situation unravels," he pointed out. "This was the case with the US deployment to Iraq after the ill-advised withdrawal from Iraq."

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), in coordination with the Jewish community, announced on Monday its commitment to address an alarming increase in anti-Semitic and anti-Zionist harassment and discrimination on its campus.

"Students who choose the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for their college education make that decision with an expectation that they will find the freedom and security to grow, to explore and to express their whole and best selves," said the university in a statement, which it released in coordination with the Jewish United Fund Chicago, Illini Hillel, Hillel International, Illini Chabad, Arnold & Porter and the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law.

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"Sadly, that is not the experience of all members of the student community. Anti-Semitic acts and expressions are all too common in our country and in our world, and examples of that intolerance have occurred at this university as well," they continued. "This is unacceptable. While the university has taken measures in the past to address this problem, the university must do more."

The statement notes that university "leaders in the Jewish community and counsel for the Jewish students have engaged in meaningful and productive conversations," and although "we may not agree on all aspects of these complex and critical issues, we are united in a single view that our shared and common goal must be to support a safe and welcoming environment for Jewish and pro-Israel students at the University of Illinois that is free of discrimination and harassment."

The statement came in response to recent anti-Semitic and anti-Zionist incidents at the university over the past few years, as outlined in a complaint filed months ago with the US Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights, submitted on behalf of Jewish students and alleging that the school has allowed a hostile environment to proliferate on its campus in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The complaint, filed in accordance with the December 2019 executive order on combating anti-Semitism, was publicized last month.

The statement is independent of the complaint and does not impact it, Hillel International spokesperson Matthew Berger told JNS.

"We deplore anti-Semitic incidents on campus, including those that demonize or delegitimize Jewish and pro-Israel students or compare them to Nazis. This subjects them to double standards that are not applied to others," said the statement released on Monday. "All Jewish students, including those who identify with Israel or Jewish campus organizations, should be able to participate in campus activities aimed at fighting racism and achieving social justice."

The University of Illinois will "create an Advisory Council on Jewish and Campus Life that will consist of undergraduate and graduate students, staff, faculty and alumni, as well as representatives from the Jewish community," according to the statement.

The advisory group will "assist the chancellor and university leadership to identify opportunities to enhance the campus environment for all students, faculty and staff, and to advance its commitment to an inclusive community where all feel welcome," according to the statement.

The university expects to have the advisory group in place before the spring 2021 semester, which begins on Jan. 25. The campus is open in-person and for remote learning amid the global coronavirus pandemic.

Additionally, the statement said the university "will institute focused and regularly recurring educational programming regarding anti-Semitism."

Moreover, UIUC "will review, evaluate and, when necessary, revise procedures and practices so they are appropriately aligned with shared values opposing discrimination and harassment on campus, including anti-Semitic actions."

UIUC emphasized that while it is committed to protecting freedom of speech and academic freedom, it is also committed to "never tolerate harassment or discrimination, including against its Jewish students, and to enforce its nondiscrimination policy to the fullest extent" and "is committed to complying with applicable federal, state and local anti-discrimination laws as a state and federally funded institution."

The Jewish organizations involved in the statement thanked UIUC Chancellor Robert Jones for his efforts, but noted that this is "only a first step."

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org

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With election day a week away and early voting in full force throughout the country, U.S President Donald Trump and former US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, and their surrogates, have been upping their presence on the campaign trail. The Jewish outreach effort, albeit limited and mostly online due to the coronavirus pandemic, is no exception.

Aaron Keyak, who was tapped in July as the director of Jewish outreach for the Biden campaign, said that the campaign has been "constantly doing more calls and events."

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He noted that the campaign's Jewish outreach effort has included "half a dozen or so events" with Democratic vice-presidential nominee, California Sen. Kamala Harris, and her husband, Doug Emhoff, who is Jewish, in states such as Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Virginia.

"When it comes to the Jewish community, there are sizable populations in Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan. But there's also a significant Jewish population in Arizona, Colorado and Nevada," noted Keyak. "Obviously, we wish we were campaigning under normal circumstances, but when you're campaigning virtually, you're able to do these events throughout the country back-to-back in various states. That's what we're doing."

He said, "as far as our principals, we're available to talk to the Jewish community and our allies on the Hill, not to mention our policy experts like Tony Blinken, Jake Sullivan or any of the various members of Joe Biden's teams. We've been out there engaging with voters."

In terms of the Trump campaign's Jewish outreach initiative, "Jewish Voices for Trump" was officially launched last month.

However, "while the official coalition was launched the day after the Abraham Accords were signed, we had been having events geared throughout the Jewish community, including back in May, when we commemorated the second anniversary of the move of the US embassy to Jerusalem," Boris Epshteyn, a strategic adviser and the point person for Jewish outreach for Trump's campaign, said. "So the campaign has been focusing on outreach to the Jewish community throughout its time."

Although Jewish political groups, including the Republican Jewish Coalition and Jewish Democratic Council of America, have been campaigning for their candidate, including holding virtual events with surrogates from the campaigns they support, they have been doing so independently of the campaigns since it's against federal campaign finance laws for federal candidate campaigns to work with groups that have a super PAC. Like Democratic Majority for Israel, RJC and JDCA each has a super PAC.

While none of the aforementioned groups have held an in-person event this year with their preferred candidate, J Street hosted a virtual reception for its endorsed candidate, Biden, in September.

'Work to fight against anti-Semitism, bigotry, racism, xenophobia'

Heading into the final days of the election, campaign surrogates and voters see differing qualities and priorities in informing their decision to support the candidates.

Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) said that a Biden administration would "work to fight against anti-Semitism, bigotry, racism, xenophobia."

"What you will see in contrast to the current administration is a condemnation of the environment that allows division and bigotry and anti-Semitism to take root and grow," he said.

However, Trump surrogate Bryan Leib said that the incumbent "promised he would stand shoulder to shoulder with the Jewish community in America and around the world. The president promised that he would improve our damaged relationship with Israel and withdraw from the disastrous Obama-Biden-negotiated [nuclear] deal with Iran. The president promised to move our embassy to Israel's eternal and undivided capital, Jerusalem. The president promised, and he delivered."

Leib cited the president's executive order on combating anti-Semitism, calling it "a bold decision." He also called on the US Jewish community to "take a non-emotional and objective look at what President Trump has done for our community in America, Israel and around the world."

Ezra Jaffe of Skokie, Ill., who identified himself as a left-leaning Republican "and strong supporter of Israel," said that despite agreeing with some of the president's policies, including on Israel and China, "I have never trusted President Trump from even before he campaigned for president, and he has not done anything to change my view. His personality and leadership style do not instill confidence domestically or internationally. For those reasons, I will be voting for Joe Biden."

Raeefa Shams, an Independent in Washington, DC, said, "I believe that Jews and other minorities, and really all Americans, thrive when our leaders respect our country's laws, institutions and longstanding norms, celebrate our diversity and promote unity over division. I think Joe Biden has embraced those qualities over his long political career."

Yechezkel Moskowitz, a board member of "Jewish Voices for Trump" who lives in New York, said the president will continue to nominate justices to the US Supreme Court – like Amy Coney Barrett, who was just sworn in on Monday night – who are pro-religious freedom and pro-free speech and continue to push forth a school-choice agenda to encourage Jewish families to choose a day-school education for their children, even though tuition remains an obstacle for many families.

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Moskowitz also noted that if Trump were to be re-elected, more Mideast countries will follow the lead of the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan to normalize ties with Israel, and that doing so would "affect Jews in America because a safe Israel is good for America."

Increased foreign relations in the Middle East, he said, "will continue to help foster the additional evolution of the American-Israeli relationship, as I believe it also impacts anti-Semitism in this country, both on the left and on the right."

Kayla Gubov, vice chairman of the group Young Jewish Conservatives, said that the Abraham Accords and Sudan agreeing to normalize ties with Israel "marks a new era in the history of the Jewish people."

"Jews for thousands of years have prayed for peace among all nations," she said, "and it seems that President Trump is fulfilling that prayer in real-time."

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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After two years practicing law, the younger Lieberman, 50, became a teacher and a principal at a Jewish day school, and eventually started a business to provide health care to families, small-business owners and union members.

Lieberman is running in a special election in Georgia to serve the remaining two years of the term of Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.). Incumbent Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler, who was appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp after Isakson retired in 2019 for health reasons, faces off against GOP Rep. Doug Collins and eight Democrats, including Lieberman and pastor Raphael Warnock.

In accordance with Georgia electoral law, if no candidate gets at least 50 percent of the vote, a runoff between the top two finishers will be held in January.

On Nov. 3, all candidates for Isakson's seat, regardless of partisan affiliation, will be on the ballot. According to many polls, Warnock is the Democrat most likely to advance to the expected run-off unless the January election ends up being between Loeffler and Collins – a possibility with Lieberman playing spoiler to Warnock's chances. Otherwise, the special election would likely be between the two Georgia Republican members of Congress.

A single father, Lieberman has two daughters, Tess and Willie.

JNS talked with Lieberman by Skype on Oct. 9. The interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Q: Why are you running, and how are you different than your father politically and ideologically when he was in the Senate?

A: I'm running as a fed-up citizen of Georgia. We have been living here in this state with senators who in the most basic way don't represent us. They don't represent our priorities and values on the most important issues, and I don't think politics as usual or politicians as usual will get the job done for us. I think they'll just kowtow to whoever seems to be the most politically threatening force instead of fighting for our priorities and values. That's why I'm running.

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How I'm different than my father politically and ideologically when he was in the Senate? I don't know. I leave that to other people to figure out. It's not something that I think about really. I leave it to the voters.

Q: You mention senators not representing Georgia's values. As it pertains to the Jewish and pro-Israel community, especially in Georgia, what does that mean? Have Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler not represented the Jewish and pro-Israel communities in Georgia well?

A: I would say that is probably an issue where their positions are in sync with a, thankfully, strong majority of Georgian sentiment. My critique is focused beyond that issue, to be sure.

Q: What issues specifically?

A: If you look at issues like doing anything to work towards universal health care, such as favoring a public option, as I do. If you look at favoring common-sense gun reform. If you look at accepting climate change as real and the human impact on it. If you look at fighting for voting rights in a real way. All of those issues – and there are more are issues where my position is where most Georgians are. Ultimately, I or any Democrat will be in a strong position to defeat either Rep. Doug Collins or Loeffler one on one in January because, politics aside, the Democratic candidate is just going to be more in step with most voters in Georgia on most of the important issues.

Q: What makes you different from your Democratic opponents, like Pastor Raphael Warnock?

A: Warnock, until probably a couple of months ago, he didn't have an issues section at all on his website. He has diligently avoided joint appearances. We will have two debates later this month, so perhaps we'll flesh some things out then. I would guess that we are similar on the majority of issues, as we both are Democrats. I know that our position on school choice may be different. I believe he is opposed to more public school choice. I believe he is opposed to scholarship programs that enable parents from poor families to choose a private school if they want, so I think that's a difference.

Although he has apparently of late come around to a pro-Israel position, it shouldn't be overlooked that his religious role model is Rev. Jeremiah Wright, and at exactly the same time US President Barack Obama was distancing himself from Wright's statements and condemning Wright's statements, Warnock was, dafka, running to Jeremiah Wright to defend him. I think that is of relevance to Georgia voters and perhaps Jewish voters. Warnock's religious role model responded immediately after 9/11 by saying that "America's chickens were coming home to roost." I think that's a difference, that's certainly not my point of view.

The other big difference is that, and this goes for Collins and Loeffler as well: Of the four top candidates, I'm the only one who shows up on Day One in Washington who can say that I'm working for the people of Georgia and only for the people of Georgia. Each of the other three is only in this race because someone put them there. And for this reason, Loeffler, Collins and Warnock will all have divided loyalty between the people of Georgia and one or two powerful patrons in Washington or Atlanta. The people of Georgia deserve something better than that. They deserve someone they know who will be there, fighting for them and for them only.

Q: What part of President Donald Trump's pro-Israel agenda do you agree with? For example, do you agree with the Trump administration's "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran?

A: I agree with the move of the embassy to Jerusalem. I agree that the nuclear deal with Iran, the JCPOA, was not a good deal, and I think that clearly the region has progressed to a place of greater stability since the US withdrew from it [in May 2018]. I think the region and the world will be in a better place of greater strength than renegotiating that deal so that Iran is not able to export and finance mayhem, even if not nuclear, conventional mayhem as they had been doing aggressively since the plan was put in place. And you have to give them credit for the agreements that clearly the United States has played a big part in putting together between Israel and the UAE and Bahrain. I hope there are more.

Q: Did you agree with the reimposition of sanctions and additional sanctions the Trump administration has placed on Iran?

A: Generally, yes. I'm not going to say that I'm signed onto the "maximum pressure" campaign, but Iran is a dangerous rogue state and agent of instability in the region, and I don't believe that additional sanctions – absent a follow-up effort towards renegotiation – are a good idea. But I don't think they're a bad idea as part of laying the groundwork for renegotiation of arms, as well as hostility between Iran and other countries.

Q: But you supported the US withdrawal from the Iran deal, correct?

A: I think it was a bad deal and withdrawing from it has left the region in a better place. I have not been in the Senate, so I have not been privy to the multiple layers of intelligence that go into these decisions, but I can say in hindsight there have been positive consequences from withdrawing, yes.

Q: How can we best fight anti-Semitism, especially on college campuses?

A: We need to be vigilant. We need to call out things as they happen. We as adults and young adults, we as parents, communicating to our children, can't communicate a message to go through life with bowed heads. We need to call out anti-Semitism wherever it appears, and we need to encourage our children to be strong in the face of it. It's something that's always been with us. It's a form of bigotry and hatred that will never go away, but that doesn't mean that we need to allow it to fester or grow as it seems to have been and the biggest thing we can do is really calling it out.

Q: Would you support anti-BDS legislation, even though a good number of other Democrats say that such measures go against the First Amendment?

A: I would support anti-BDS legislation.

Q: What do you say to your fellow Democrats who say anti-BDS legislation goes against the First Amendment?

A: I think it's a stupid point. It doesn't go against the First Amendment. It doesn't do a darn thing to the First Amendment to say that you're not going to support the boycott. The boycotters can still boycott. Their First Amendment rights are still intact. That doesn't mean you need to support it.

Q: What's your reaction to Democrats and those who are for conditioning US assistance to Israel?

A: As those conditions have been outlined, I'm against that. I'm opposed to placing conditions on our support for Israel.

Q: What's your reaction to Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), whose re-election campaigns were endorsed by House Speaker Pelosi?

A: Clearly, they could be stronger in valuing the American-Israeli relationship. Generally speaking, I think they are each proud members of the extreme left-wing of the Democratic Party. They don't represent the mainstream of the Democratic Party nationally or in Congress.

Q: Has the Democratic Party become anti-Semitic and anti-Israel? There's the notion that this party is no longer your father's party.

A: The Democratic Party is not anti-Semitic or anti-Israel. Virtually, every vote that comes up, there are strong bipartisan majorities in both the House and the Senate favoring the American-Israeli alliance. Are there a handful of voices saying things that are of concern? Yes. I would say at this point, that is more of a warning flare than a problem.

Q: On the far-right, what's your reaction to Marjorie Taylor Greene, who's all but guaranteed to be elected from a congressional district in your home state, despite her support for the QAnon conspiracy theory and for making controversial, even bigoted, statements?

A: There you have the extreme, extreme element in the Republican Party that the Republicans refuse to speak out against. In fact, Doug Collins and Kelly Loeffler, who I'm running against, have congratulated her on her victory. And they should be ashamed because as they endorsed her, they are also at least complicit. It's at least an implicit endorsement of her various statements and positions that are disturbing and way out there.

Q: Many have called for you to drop out of the race. With less than a month left, do you plan to still be in the race?

A: I plan to be in the race. There's still a lot of undecided voters. There's still a lot of soft support on the Democratic side. We've got three weeks to go.

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Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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The five-and-a-half-year trial resulted in the convictions on Wednesday of 68 people, including 18 former lawmakers.

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The case, overseen by a three-judge panel, centered on the 2013 murder of 34-year-old anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas, who was chased down and stabbed to death by a Golden Dawn member. The killer, former truck driver Giorgos Roupakias, confessed.

The attack sparked outrage and charges that Golden Dawn was a paramilitary-style organization that used beatings, intimidation and murder as tactics – all with the knowledge of senior party members who sat in Athens at the time.

Golden Dawn was founded in 1980 by Nikolaos Michaloliakos, a Holocaust denier, and was Greece's third-largest political party in 2015 during the country's decade-long financial crisis, though it never got more than 10 percent of the national vote. The party was voted out of the Hellenic Parliament in the 2019 election, despite the fact that out of Greece's 703 regional councilors, 22 belong to the party.

Michaloliakos was one of seven of the 18 former party members convicted of leading a criminal organization, a felony that carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years. Individual sentences are expected to be announced in the coming days.

Despite the downfall of Golden Dawn occurring even before the verdict – it was unable to get sufficient financing – its designation as a criminal organization will result in "the full disbanding of the party, especially since their leadership is going to go to jail," Endy Zemenides, executive director of the Chicago-based Hellenic American Leadership Council, told JNS.

Long-awaited & welcome decision by Greek court.

Neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party has been declared a criminal organization. Its leaders are headed for jail.

As a target of Golden Dawn, I know something about its methods.

Justice has prevailed in #Greece.https://t.co/EjTXicWoJt

— David Harris (@DavidHarrisAJC) October 7, 2020

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis tweeted that it was a "truly historic day for Greece, democracy and the rule of law. Αfter the Greek people voted the neo-Nazi party of Golden Dawn out of Parliament in the last election, today the Greek justice system convicted its leadership of operating as a criminal organization,."

Jewish organizations lauded the trial's result.

"Long-awaited and welcome decision by Greek court. Neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party has been declared a criminal organization. Its leaders are headed for jail. As a target of Golden Dawn, I know something about its methods. Justice has prevailed in Greece," tweeted American Jewish Committee CEO David Harris.

"The landmark ruling of the Greek court that criminalizes this neo-Nazi entity shields the republic of our country," said the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece in a statement. "It reaffirms an important truth: Neo-Nazi organizations that weaponize patriotism are dangerous and spread hatred."

"This is a welcome and important decision, and finally tells the facts as they are – that neo-Nazis like those in Golden Dawn are criminals, pure and simple," said European Jewish Congress president Moshe Kantor in a statement. "We hope other nations which allow similar neo-Nazi parties to run in elections and sit in parliaments will likewise proscribe parties that promote racist and hateful ideologies."

Kantor called the verdicts "a win for democracy, and a defeat for hate and intolerance."

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Sacha Roytman-Dratwa, director of Combat Anti-Semitism, said in a statement, "Golden Dawn members have openly expressed neo-Nazi sentiments and denied the Holocaust. Such inciteful behavior inevitably leads to violence and tragedy," he said. "Although the court's decision is an important step, there is still plenty of work to be done in Greece and beyond. The racism represented by Golden Dawn hasn't disappeared.

"Hopefully, the court's landmark ruling will encourage political and judicial leaders in other countries to redouble their efforts in combating anti-Semitism, racism and hatred, wherever it is found."

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

The post Greek court brands neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn criminal organization appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

The jarring ad features a photo of a stone about to be put on top of a grave marker that already consists of stones on top of it, in accordance with Jewish tradition.

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Alongside the Kaddish being recited is audio of Trump's past statements on the pandemic, such as "It is what it is," as an increasing number of COVID-19 deaths flash across the screen. To date, more than 7.7 million people in the United States have been diagnosed with COVID-19 with nearly 215,000 recorded deaths as a result of the highly infectious disease.

The ad ends with the word "VOTE."

"The Jewish community is in mourning due to the devastating human loss of from the coronavirus, and many of us are saying Kaddish. Each Saturday, my father and I attended shul together until he contracted and succumbed to the virus a few months ago," said JDCA chairman and former Rep. Ron Klein (D-Fla.) in a statement.

"The Jewish community in South Florida, including my own family, has been deeply impacted by this devastating disease. The magnitude of this tragedy could have been avoided," Klein said.

Republican Jewish Coalition executive director Matt Brooks told JNS, "This ad does nothing to win over undecided voters; it's awful. If a voter already feels Trump mishandled the virus, then they're already voting for [Joe] Biden … couple that with the fact that they aren't spending any money on it, and it all adds up to a big zero."

The ad is actually part of a $250,000 ad campaign by JDCA PAC.

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