ISRAEL OFFICE 31 ous options represented, and on sharing these with their colleagues and constituencies as well as the executive branch. We also asked legislators to revisit the seminal, yet underutilized, Levy Report—having successfully lobbied in 2014 for its entry in the Congressional Record—to emphasize that contemplated alternatives must be based on recognition of Israel’s superior claim to Judea/Samaria. The 90-page report, commissioned by Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and researched by three prominent Israeli jurists, including Supreme Court Justice Edmond Levy, substantiates the rightfulness of this and related claims under international law. While on past trips to the Hill, ZOA Israel Director Daube had observed a modicum of interest in investigating the alternatives raised, the insertion of individual MK plans into this latest iteration catalyzed a very definite “Let’s hear more about this” attitude. Congressmen Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and Bill Johnson (R-OH), co-chairs of the new Israel Victory Caucus (IVC)—in which ZOA Israel has been separately asked to lend a hand—believe that IVC could be an appropriate sponsor for the in-person or live simulcast briefings we are requesting. We also are consulting with MKs Oded Forer (Yisrael Beiteinu) and Yaakov Peri (Yesh Atid), co-chairs of IVC on the Israel side, on the complex logistics involved in getting this underway. Continuing to act as an intermediary between Israeli and U.S. leadership, ZOA Israel/ Legal Grounds is assembling the next set of letters from MKs to members of Congress, which will include, among others, another from MK Smotrich, and from former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren, now a Kulanu MK and deputy minister. It should be noted that, while ZOA has long advocated breaking out of the untenable two-state box, it does not endorse any specific alternative plan. EUROPEAN ANTI-SEMITISM ZOA Israel has expanded its reach to parts of Europe in its fight against the disseminated lie of illegal Israeli occupation and other manifestations of anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism. For 23 years, ZOA has maintained a laser-sharp focus on Palestinian/Islamic incitement as a root cause for these spiking phenomena. Pursuing a bolder response, ZOA Israel also is now spotlighting the need for a tripartite—Israel, the U.S., and Europe— coordinated assessment and action plan. ZOA Israel’s more direct engagement with European matters began on the heels of several meetings and events attended in close proximity in Israel: with the European Union’s Coordinator for Combating Anti-Semitism, Katharina von Schnurbein, concerning the dangers of so- ZOA Israel has expanded its reach to parts of Europe in its fight against the disseminated lie of illegal Israeli occupation and other manifestations of anti- Semitism and Israel de-legitimization. Protests against unequal treatment of Judea/ Samaria residents no longer would be needed if the Legal Grounds Knesset law initiative succeeds (L-R) MK Yehudah Glick, strong advocate for Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem, one of four Knesset writers of letters for Washington delivery by Jeff Daube
20605FM
To see the actual publication please follow the link above