From the JTA :
Seven Republican U.S. congressmen have accepted an invitation from World Likud chairman Danny Danon to visit Israel this month.
Among those who will be making the trip are the co-chairs of the Republican Israel Caucus, Peter Roskam of Illinois and Doug Lamborn of Colorado. They will be joined by Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, the chairman of the Republican Study Committee, which advances a conservative social and economic agenda in the House of Representatives.
The congressmen will attend discussions at the Knesset, hold meetings throughout the country and take a helicopter flight over the West Bank, Israel Hayom reported.
(thx to Blankfort)
So, only 7 instead of 41?
So amazing that after former Rep Bob Ney went to prison for accepting gifts trips from special interest and new legislation was passed to stop these trips paid for by special interest groups…they continue. Grant Smith has continually tried to shed the light on these illegal and immoral trips. Great that Medea Benjaman jumped on board
@Grant Smith
AIPAC Congressional Lobbying Junkets to Israel Illegal Charges IRS and DOJ Filing
A complaint filed today with the IRS and Justice Department charges the American Israel Education Foundation (AIEF) is a “sham” charitable organization of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. The AIEF, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation which reported $26.3 million in 2009 revenue, is housed in the same facilities as AIPAC. AIPAC was incorporated as a domestic lobby in 1963 by a former Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs employee, six weeks after the Justice Department ordered its parent organization, the American Zionist Council, to begin registering as an Israeli foreign agent.
AIEF recently paid expenses for more than 80 members of Congress to travel to Israel during recess, but does not disclose planned activities or educational curriculum. Rabbi Bruce Warshal called AIEF “an amazing organization of which no one has ever heard…It’s amazing that someone hasn’t filed suit to stop this charade.”
According to the 29 page IRmep Center for Policy and Law Enforcement filing, AIEF meets the IRS definition of an AIPAC “sham corporation”
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@move over Aipac
Visiting the Office of Congressional Ethics about AIPAC Junkets to Israel
On September 27, 2011, in Latest News, by Move Over AIPAC! ..By Medea Benjamin
Two members of CODEPINK, Tighe Barry and myself, along with Grant Smith from IRmep had a meeting with three lawyers from the Office Of Congressional Ethics (including the OCE’s director) about the complaint we submitted regarding AIEF/AIPAC trips to Israel. We walked them through our complaint, including the growing body of evidence that AIEF functions more as a lobbying slush fund than a legitimate charitable nonprofit.
OCE explained the rules from their more narrow perspective. They said that while AIPAC might be taking advantage of every loophole, the trips may not be illegal. OCE explained that without documentable “factual evidence” of wrongdoing, they won’t initiate an investigation— and that it is up to us to provide that evidence.
Traitors, jail them all.
The Israeli government has murdered American civilians and soldiers.
A friend to the Israeli government is, at this moment in time, not a friend to the American people.
If seven congressmen and senators visit Israel every month, it will take 6 years for them all to visit.
Is that a bad thing?