Saturday, November 4, 2023

Congressman Auchincloss: An Update on the War in Israel

UPDATE ON WAR IN ISRAEL

I'm your representative in Congress and I write to keep you informed.

On the Hill

Israel Supplemental Funding Stunt: I strongly support Israel. I voted "No" on the Israel supplemental stunt, because it played politics with Israel's security with no prospect of actually providing funding to Israel.

Speaker Johnson has made the craven, cynical decision to politicize support for Israel at its moment of crisis by 'paying for' its assistance with IRS cuts, which would, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, actually increase the deficit. The bill is a dead letter: the president has vowed to veto it; and both Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell oppose it.

Therefore, the question before me was not whether I want Israel to receive funding, because this bill will not become law.

Instead, the question before me was what this bill signifies, and what a "Yes" vote would represent.

A "Yes" vote would signal the advent of conditioning aid for Israel. It would be the first time in U.S history that Congress has required emergency national security funding to be offset by domestic cuts. The precedent is awful: when other countries need support, Congress provides it; but when Israel needs support, party leaders extract partisan priorities in exchange.

It would not stop at this bill: the next time Israel needs support, what would stop a Republican Speaker from demanding cuts to food stamps in exchange? Or a Democratic Speaker from demanding cuts to the military's ICBM program in exchange? Israel would persistently be tossed on the seas of U.S. domestic politics.

Unconditioned aid to Israel would receive supermajority support in the House, demonstrating bipartisan support for our ally, to partners and enemies alike, when it needs it most. Unfortunately, this rookie Speaker has precluded the possibility of overwhelming bipartisanship by filing a bill so clumsy and irresponsible that the Democratic president, Democratic Senate majority leader, and Democratic House minority leader have all dismissed it out of hand.

I am firmly opposed to conditioning security aid to Israel, whether those conditions are based on Israeli domestic politics or American domestic politics. Support for Israel must be above partisanship.

Bring the Hostages Home: Last week, I stood with the families of hostages held by Hamas. Some of the captives are children, still young enough to be scared of the dark. No ceasefire should be considered until every hostage is returned.

As Israel conducts its military response, I will continue to insist that it uphold the law of armed conflict, which is meant to protect the lives of civilians, and I appreciate the Biden Administration's numerous efforts to that effect. Further, the president has requested additional funding from Congress to stabilize conditions in the Middle East, which I will support. The supplemental package proposed by House Republicans, which I opposed, did not include any humanitarian assistance to Gaza.

Around the Fourth

Temple Town Hall: I appreciated the opportunity to join members of Temple Beth Shalom and other RAC-MA affiliated congregations in coming together during this deeply troubling time.

In addition to materiél, Israel needs moral support from Americans. Now is not the time for equivocation. Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad are internationally recognized terrorist organizations that are executing civilians and using their own denizens as human shields. Israel is a liberal democracy with the right and responsibility to defend itself and its citizens. Calls for ceasefire are premature and counter-productive; Israel needs the military latitude to re-establish deterrence, dismantle Hamas, and rescue hostages.

In the hard months ahead, our pain and our outrage must be forged into sober determination to see Israel through to success and safety. This determination must not descend into malice. Israel's iron fist should be paired with an outstretched hand to the Palestinian people in the West Bank and, ultimately, in Gaza, as well. And the Jewish community here in the United States should always condemn and reject not just antisemitism, but Islamophobia and the cancellation of Palestinian voices, as well.

Onwards,