Thanks to the great Americans for Peace Now Legislative Round-Up for pointing out that the Israel lobby is currently falling on its face. Today's update includes a rundown of the lobby's weak response to the congressional letter to Hillary Clinton led by Rep. John Olver urging the US to "release emergency funds to UNRWA for reconstruction and
humanitarian
assistance" in Gaza.
The weak response has come from Rep. Steven Rothman (D-N.J.). He circulated a Dear Colleague letter, and is circulating a bill for co-sponsors, that attack US funding for the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). UNRWA is the UN agency that administers Palestinian refugee camps. While the Olver letter supporting increased UNRWA funding has attracted 63 signers, the Rothman letter has 7. The Rothman resolution has received a similarly anemic response gathering only 7 co-sponsors, despite the fact that it circulated with a letter making it clear that it is supported by AIPAC and the ZOA.
Rothman appealed to the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations today to try to gather support, but is already scaling back his attack. The JTA reports: "Rothman said he and Kirk were sidelining for now their longstanding
efforts to pull U.S. funding for the United Nations Relief Works Agency
because there are leaders 'on both sides in the Senate who feel there
are too many hurdles now being in put in the way of Palestinian aid,'
and it was not likely to pass."
In related news, President Obama announced today that he "has authorized the use of $20.3 million from the U.S. Emergency Refugee
and Migration Assistance (ERMA) Fund to address critical post-conflict
humanitarian needs in Gaza," of which $13.5 million will go to the UNRWA. Sure, its not the $3 billion the US sends Israel's way each year, but it's one interesting sign the winds may be shifting, ever so slightly. (Adam Horowitz)
