NJDC Criticizes Senators for Not Calling on EU to add Hezbollah to List of Terrorist Organization
Listed in: Israel, Other Foreign Policy, NJDC News, Press Releases
Washington, DC - The National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC) raised concern today that 12 U.S. Senators - 10 of who are Republicans - failed to sign a bipartisan letter calling on the European Union (EU) to add Hezbollah to its list of terrorist organizations. Most troubling, the top two Republicans on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Chairman Richard Lugar (R-IN) and Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE), and the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Chairman John Warner (R-VA), were not among the 88 Senators who signed the letter.
"When it comes to Israel and the Jewish community, the hypocrisy of Republicans in Congress is just overwhelming. How is it that Republicans in the Senate can claim to be supporters of Israel when almost 20 percent of their caucus - including their top two Members on the Foreign Relations Committee and top Republican on the Armed Services Committee - apparently doesn't think that Hezbollah should be on the EU list of terrorist organizations," asked NJDC Executive Director Ira Forman. "While Democrats are out there trying to punish Israel's enemies and ensure that she has a right to defend herself, these ten Republican senators have no problem with the international community treating Hezbollah as a legitimate organization. Shame on them."
In addition to Chairmen Lugar and Warner and Senator Hagel, also missing from the list of signatories were Republican Senators Lamar Alexander (TN), Lincoln Chafee (RI), Tom Coburn (OK), Larry Craig (ID), Pete Domenici (NM), Michael Enzi (WY), and Judd Gregg (NH).
