BDS is intrinsically a
scheme to destroy Israel
by alternative means. It
will fail, and everywhere
it is promoted, it
reveals its adherents as
extremists.
Iran has not yet been stopped from proceeding
with its plans to develop nuclear
weapons, and ZOA continues to push for
congressional actions to make this more difficult.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and
President Trump, along with former National
Security Advisor John Bolton, have been
doing great work on this challenging issue,
but Congress must pass new sanctions as well.
ZOA is doing all it can to keep the focus on
Iran and its nefarious activities. Nothing that
happens in Lebanon, Syria or Gaza is really
independent of the literally evil plans of the
Iranian regime. (Worth noting is that the U.S.
continues to supply the Lebanese Army with
weapons and support, even though they are
now closely allied with Iran and its Hezbollah
proxy.)
The ZOA’s Government Relations
department also continues to focus on other
regular legislative priorities, including fighting
anti-Semitism and advocating on behalf of
Jewish students being harassed on college
campuses. We continue to be vigilant in educating
Congress about the ongoing Arab war
against Israel and the dangers of a “two-state
solution” that creates a new terrorist state on
Israel’s borders, and communicating ZOA’s
insights and reactions to the news of the day.
In addition to dealing with our elected officials,
the Government Relations department
interacts with other Jewish and Christian
pro-Israel organizations, and participates in
meetings, public forums and policy discussions
with foreign policy and political professionals,
and continues to engage in print and
broadcast media opportunities to spread the
word on ZOA’s issues.
The annual ZOA Capitol Hill Advocacy
Mission was a big success in June 2019, with
30 House members, senators, and a White
House staffer addressing the group of activists.
Not limited to the nation’s capital, ZOA’s
Government Relations Director Dan Pollak
has also visited ZOA chapters around the
country to give talks and educate members
on the situation in Washington, D.C. Both
Pollak and Deputy Director Joel Kassiday
continue to work closely with ZOA regional
directors and with ZOA’s Israel office.
Government Relations 33