Jewish Week (NY) Notes JINSA Open Letter on New START, 11/30/2010
START renewal and the Jews: it’s getting more interesting
Submitted by James Besser on Tue, 11/30/2010 – 13:29
Politico’s Ben Smith has an interesting item this morning on efforts by two Jewish senators – Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) – to get AIPAC to endorse renewal of the START treaty.
START renewal and the Jews: it’s getting more interesting
Submitted by James Besser on Tue, 11/30/2010 – 13:29
Politico’s Ben Smith has an interesting item this morning on efforts by two Jewish senators – Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) – to get AIPAC to endorse renewal of the START treaty.
“We write to ask AIPAC to publicly support the immediate ratification of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START),” the two wrote in a letter to Howard Kohr, executive director of the pro-Israel lobbying giant. “The new START treaty is vital to our own national security, and to that of our close ally, Israel.”
As I wrote previously, the Anti-Defamation League and the American Council for World Jewry are actively supporting renewal. Now add to that J Street, which recently endorsed renewal and made this pitch to members of the Senate: “This agreement is the centerpiece of the Obama Administration’s effort to rebuild the U.S.-Russian relationship, which has led to unprecedented cooperation with Moscow in building an international consensus against Iran’s nuclear program. Stalling or rejecting the treaty would materially undermine this strengthening relationship, putting essential Russian support for multilateral pressure against Iran at grave risk.”