Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, January/February 2016, pp. 36-38

Congress Watch

No Surprise: Congressional Likudniks Blame Palestinians for Violence in Israel

By Shirl McArthur

After their failure to scuttle the nuclear agreement with Iran, as described in the previous issue, congressional Likudniks and AIPAC turned their attention to trying to lay sole blame for the ongoing violence in Israel on Palestinians and the Palestinian Authority.

Probably to demonstrate its continued political clout after its embarrassing defeat over the Iran agreement, AIPAC strongly and successfully pushed three anti-Palestinian measures. Predictably, none of the three made any mention of the fact that there have been twice as many Palestinian as Israeli deaths during the violence, nor of the harsh and degrading actions of Israel’s government causing the humiliation and frustration driving individual Palestinians to take desperate actions. AIPAC’s strongest effort was to get the most House signatures on the letter originated by Reps. Ed Royce (R-CA) and Eliot Engel (D-NY) to PA President Mahmoud Abbas. The letter, sent Nov. 5, expressed concern “over the recent wave of Palestinian violence” and urged the “PA to take concrete steps to avoid further violence.” When sent, it had 369 signatures.

The other two measures strongly pushed by AIPAC were the House and Senate resolutions condemning “the Palestinian terror attacks against Israelis” and anti-Israel “incitement” by PA officials and PA-controlled media outlets. The first was the previously described H.Res. 293, introduced in June by leading Israel-firster Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), “expressing concern over anti-Israel and anti-Semitic incitement within the Palestinian Authority,” but updated to include recent events. It was passed Nov. 2 by voice vote under “suspension of the rules.” When passed it had 72 co-sponsors, including Ros-Lehtinen. Only Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) publicly opposed the measure, saying, “I oppose this resolution because any resolution that attacks one side while ignoring the other can only further tension and violence.”

The Senate measure was S.Res. 302, introduced by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) on Nov. 3. It passed by voice vote on Nov. 10. Being more recent, its main focus was “Palestinian terror attacks against Israelis.” When passed it had 69 co-sponsors, including Blumenthal.

Another resolution “condemning Palestinian incitement of violence” was H.Con.Res. 96, introduced by Rep. Rob Woodall (R-GA) on Nov. 19 with 11 co-sponsors.

In introducing H.Res. 485 on Oct. 21, Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ) went even further. The measure “expressing solidarity with the people of Israel in the wake of recent terrorist attacks and condemning the PA for inciting an atmosphere of violence,” blames the PA and Palestinian leaders for “supporting or allowing terrorist activities in Israel”—although none of the attacks have been carried out with the support or backing of the PA. It then urges the president to “freeze U.S. funding to the PA until their leaders openly increase efforts to end their incitement of violence.” It has 52 Republican co-sponsors, including McSally. None of the previous measures to cut aid to the PA has made any progress.

And after UNESCO’s Executive Board on Oct. 21 had the temerity to pass a resolution condemning Israel for the recent surge in violence and blaming Israel for violating the status quo of Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, 19 Jewish House members, led by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), immediately issued a statement condemning the resolution, calling it “offensive and incendiary.” On Oct. 22 Reps. Engel and Lois Frankel (D-FL) also wrote to Secretary of State John Kerry thanking him for opposing the resolution.

Senate Letter Another Effort to Equate Israel’s Colonies with Israel

The European Union on Nov. 4 issued a directive saying that products coming from Israeli colonies on the West Bank and the Golan Heights could no longer be labeled “Made in Israel,” but must be labeled as coming from a “settlement” in the territories. This prompted a disingenuous (if not downright dishonest) Senate letter, initiated by Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), to the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs Frederica Mogherini complaining about the directive and urging her not to implement it. The letter, sent Nov. 9, makes no mention of Israel’s “settlements” but, instead, refers to “certain products made by Israeli companies,” and claims the policy would “promote a de-facto boycott of Israel,” which it does not. Instead, what the letter does is represent another congressional effort to equate Israel’s colonies with Israel, contrary to longstanding U.S. policy. When sent the letter had 36 signatures, including Cruz and Gillibrand.

Hard-Liners Against Iran Agreement Continue Their Efforts to Sabotage It

With congressional failure to reject the Iran nuclear agreement’s “Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action” (JCPOA), which sets forth the timeline of events to implement the agreement, most of the previously described measures to scuttle it can be considered dead. However, some hard-liners continue to fight; some measures are still active and new anti-Iran measures have been introduced.

The previously described S. 1682, introduced in June by leading Iran hawks Sens. Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ), “to extend the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 and to require the Secretary of the Treasury to report on the use by Iran of funds made available through sanctions relief,” still has four co-sponsors, including Kirk and Menendez.

The bills aimed at naming Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a terrorist organization are still barely alive. Of the three, only H.R. 3646, introduced by Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) in September, has gained support. It now has 19 co-sponsors, including McCaul. S. 2094, introduced by Cruz, and H.R. 3693, introduced by Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX), still have no co-sponsors.

Three new anti-Iran measures were introduced. On Oct. 9 Rep. Gerald Connolly (D-VA), with 14 co-sponsors, introduced H.R. 3741, which would establish “in the legislative branch the Commission to verify Iranian Nuclear Compliance.” And on Oct. 8 Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ) introduced H.R. 3728, which would remove presidential waiver authority regarding previously enacted sanctions regarding the provision of specialized financial messaging services to the Central Bank of Iran.

An indication that the fight against the JCPOA continues is H.Res. 500, introduced by Rep. Steve King (R-IA) on Oct. 28, expressing the sense of the House that “Israel has the right to defend itself against Iranian hostility and that the House pledges to support Israel in its efforts to maintain its sovereignty.” Among other things, it states that the JCPOA “substantially diminishes the security of Israel.” It has 42 Republican co-sponsors, including King.

After Iran conducted a long-range ballistic missile test on Oct. 8, at least three letters were sent to President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Kerry. In an Oct. 14 letter to Obama, Sens. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) and Kirk claimed that the test “heightens risks to Israel and the U.S.” Also on Oct. 14, eight senators, led by Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN), wrote to Kerry seeking a determination on whether the test violated an existing U.N. Security Council resolution. On Oct. 21, 11 Democratic senators, led by Cardin, wrote to Kerry expressing their concern and urging him to “consider unilateral and multilateral responses” to the test.

Senate Passes Hezbollah Financing Bill

As previously reported, back in May the House passed, under suspension of the rules, H.R. 2297 “to prevent Hezbollah and associated entities from gaining access to international financial and other institutions.” In June Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced the similar S.1617. Then, on Nov. 17 the Senate called up H.R. 2297, replaced its text with the text of S.1617, changed its title to “Hezbollah International Financing Prevention” bill, and passed it by voice vote. It was returned to the House on Nov. 18, which likely will agree to the Senate amendment. When passed, S.1617 had 28 co-sponsors, including Rubio.

Identical bills were introduced on Nov. 3 aimed at designating the Muslim Brotherhood a foreign terrorist organization.

S. 2230 was introduced by Cruz and has one co-sponsor. H.R. 3892 was introduced by Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) with six co-sponsors. Both bills claim that, since the Muslim Brotherhood has met the criteria for a foreign terrorist organization, the State Department should so designate it.

Ros-Lehtinen Introduces Bills to “Reform” the U.N., Neuter UNRWA

As mentioned in the previous issue, Ros-Lehtinen introduced H.R. 3667 in October “to promote transparency, accountability, and reform within the U.N. system.” This long, far-reaching bill seems designed to render the U.N. ineffective. A key provision to this end is one directing the president to use U.S. influence to shift funding for the regular U.N. budget from an assessed to a voluntary basis. Among its several anti-Palestinian provisions, reflecting Ros-Lehtinen’s apparent allegiance to Israel, is one that would direct the administration to “withhold U.S. contributions from any U.N. entity that recognizes a Palestinian state or upgrades the status of the Palestinian observer mission at the U.N., the Palestine Liberation Organization, the Palestinian Authority, or any other Palestinian administrative organization or governing entity before achievement of a final peace agreement with Israel.”

Then on Oct. 26 she introduced H.R. 3829 specifically designed to eviscerate the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) because of its unforgivable sin of helping Palestinian refugees. It would withhold U.S. contributions to UNRWA until the State Department certifies that UNRWA has met a long list of unlikely conditions.

Given how extreme these bills are, it is not surprising that each of them has only two co-sponsors.

Bill Introduced Prohibiting Funds for Military Operations in Syria

On Nov. 4 Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM) and two co-sponsors introduced S. 2239, which would prohibit funds being made available “to the Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of Defense, the National Security Council, the National Security Agency, or any other U.S. agency or entity involved in intelligence activities for the purpose of, or in a manner which would have the effect of, supporting military or paramilitary operations in Syria.”

The other previously described Middle East-related measures have made little progress (see “Status Updates” box).

Shirl McArthur is a retired foreign service officer based in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.

SIDEBAR

Status Updates

S. 1789, introduced in July by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), the Senate version of the House-passed U.S.-Jordan Defense Cooperation bill, was placed on the Senate Calendar Oct. 27, but no action has been taken. It has 20 co-sponsors, including Rubio.

S. 2009 and H.R. 3445 are identical bills prohibiting the U.S. from selling or transferring to Bahrain specified weapons until Bahrain has implemented all recommendations in the “Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry report.” S.2009, introduced by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) in August, has gained a co-sponsor and now has four, including Wyden. H.R. 3445, introduced by Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) in September, has gained 8 co-sponsors and now has 11, including McGovern.

H.J.Res. 57, introduced in June by Rep. Justin Amash (R-MI), a “constitutional” authorization for the use of military force (AUMF) against ISIS, still has no co-sponsors.

S. 1587, introduced in June by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), AUMF against ISIS, still has two co-sponsors, including Kaine.

H.Res. 209, introduced in April by Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-IN) deploring “the actions of the Palestinian Authority to join the International Criminal Court,” still has 32 co-sponsors, including Walorski.

H.Res. 270, introduced in May by Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ), expressing “the sense of Congress regarding the Palestinian Authority’s purported accession to the International Criminal Court,” still has 12 co-sponsors, including Franks.

H.R. 1489, introduced in March by Rep. Joe Crowley (D-NY), urging “the president to make every effort, in conjunction with the government of Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and the international community, to establish an International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace,” still has two co-sponsors, including Crowley.

Bills to Move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem

H.Con.Res. 62, introduced in July by Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), has gained 2 co-sponsors and now has 34, including Blackburn.

H.R. 114, introduced in January by Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ), still has 23 co-sponsors, including Garrett.

S. 117, introduced by Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV) in January, still has eight co-sponsors, including Heller.

Bills Opposing the BDS Movement

H.Res. 402, introduced in July by Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), has gained no co-sponsors and still has five, including Royce.

H.Res. 318, introduced in June by Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-FL), has gained 3 co-sponsors and now has 34, including Curbelo.

H.R. 2645, introduced in June by Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA), still has no co-sponsors.

H.R. 825, introduced in February by Rep. Peter Roskam (R-IL), still has 70 co-sponsors, including Roskam.

S. 619, introduced in March by Sens. Benjamin Cardin (D-MD) and Rob Portman (R-OH), has gained a co-sponsor and now has eight, including Cardin and Portman.

H.R. 1572, introduced in March by Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO), still has 12 co-sponsors, including Lamborn.—S.M.