Pro-Israel

3:52 PM, Dec 27, 2012 • By DANIEL HALPER

The largest pro-Israel group in the nation, Christians United for Israel, says that "More than 17,000 people have responded to a Christians United for Israel (CUFI) action alert launched yesterday asking individuals to email their Senators in opposition to the potential nomination of former Senator Chuck Hagel as Secretary of Defense."

The email being sent to senators by members of the pro-Israel reads:

As a member of Christians United for Israel, I'm writing to ask you to publicly oppose the nomination of Senator Chuck Hagel to be our next Secretary of Defense. The easiest time to stop Hagel's nomination is before it's ever made.

The greatest threat to our security and that of our front-line ally Israel is a rising and potentially nuclear Iran. Yet Senator Hagel has demonstrated a troubling blind spot towards this threat. In the Senate, he repeatedly opposed economic sanctions on Iran intended to stop its nuclear program. He also opposed recognizing Iran's Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization. Finally, he refused to support efforts to further isolate Iran's number one puppet: Hezbollah.

As a combat veteran, Senator Hagel deserves our respect. As a former senator, he deserves your cordiality. But America deserves someone who recognizes the greatest threats facing us to lead the Defense Department.

Please oppose the nomination of Senator Hagel for Secretary of Defense.

11:58 AM, Nov 19, 2012 • By DANIEL HALPER

A new poll from CNN finds that most American support for Israel's retaliatory action in Gaza targeting Hamas.

12:36 PM, Mar 19, 2012 • By DANIEL HALPER

Christians United for Israel now has a million members, the group run by Pastor John Hagee announced.

12:55 PM, Dec 7, 2011 • By DANIEL HALPER

Ben Smith has an important piece in Politico today about the anti-Israel left:

The Center for American Progress, the party’s key hub of ideas and strategy, and Media Matters, a central messaging organization, have emerged as vocal critics of their party’s staunchly pro-Israel congressional leadership and have been at odds, at times, with Barack Obama’s White House, which has acted as a reluctant ally to Benjamin Netanyahu’s Israeli government.

11:23 AM, Sep 12, 2011 • By DANIEL HALPER

The Emergency Committee for Israel's new campaign in New York City, featuring billboards, print ads, a web ad on the New York Times homepage, and a new website—check it out at www.NotProIsrael.com.

9:09 AM, Jun 2, 2011 • By DANIEL HALPER

The Emergency Committee for Israel is running the following ad in a significant cable news buy, thanking “Israel’s true friends, Democrats and Republicans alike,” for supporting Israel when “President Obama sided with the Palestinians.”

6:28 PM, Apr 27, 2011 • By DANIEL HALPER

The pro-Israel group Z Street is hosting an interesting conference on Capitol Hill next week (on May 4 in the Congressional Auditorium at the Capitol Visitors' Center). Speakers include: George Gilder, Khaled Abu Toameh, Harold Rhode, and many more. The conference, which the organizers are calling 'Rethinking the End Game: Improving Lives in the Middle East,' should provide a perspective not usually heard in Washington.

Kiss’s Gene Simmons Stands Up for Israel and Arab Democracy Movements

6:04 PM, Mar 23, 2011 • By BENJAMIN WEINTHAL

Gene Simmons, a cofounder of the rock band Kiss, recently returned to his native Israel, after a 52-year hiatus. Unlike other entertainers who have boycotted the Jewish state, such as Elvis Costello, the Pixies, and Pink Floyd's Roger Waters, Simmons expressed his support for Israel.

'Terrorism Special Policy' Prevents Pro-Israel Group from Gaining IRS Tax Exempt Status

3:32 PM, Dec 13, 2010 • By DANIEL HALPER

Z Street, the pro-Israel group that alleges the IRS has prevented it from gaining tax exempt status because its policy toward Israel is antithetical to the administration's, now says that the IRS is changing its tune. Instead, Z Street is being excluded because of a "a Terrorism Special Policy, and that Israel is included."

Pro-Israel Group Targeted by IRS? (Updated)

11:33 AM, Nov 26, 2010 • By DANIEL HALPER

THE WEEKLY STANDARD first reported on the continued legal battle between the IRS and the pro-Israel group Z Street earlier this week.

Z Street's Legal Battle Continues Against the IRS

6:26 PM, Nov 22, 2010 • By DANIEL HALPER

As THE WEEKLY STANDARD reported in August, pro-Israel group Z Street believes it was discriminated against after "Z Street was told by an IRS agent that it might not be granted 501(c)(3) status, which would allow the group to be tax exempt, because its position toward Israel differs from the Obama administration's official policie

Rupert Murdoch on Anti-Semitism and Israel

11:40 AM, Oct 14, 2010 • By DANIEL HALPER

Rupert Murdoch last night delivered a speech to the Anti-Defamation League on anti-Semitism and Israel. The New York Sun provides a thoughtful editorial on the subject. And here's Murdoch's entire speech, as prepared for delivery:

It’s the American people.

10:30 AM, Oct 8, 2010 • By WILLIAM KRISTOL

Now we know who constitutes the real Israel lobby: the American public. Especially the Republican-leaning part of it.

Consider the results of a new poll, a survey of 1000 likely voters done October 3 to 5 by McLaughlin and Associates for the Emergency Committee for Israel. (The complete survey results, including cross-tabs, are available at committeeforisrael.com.)

How can someone in good faith, and with good intentions, possibly donate a dime to this organization?

12:40 PM, Sep 28, 2010 • By DANIEL HALPER

The liberal lobbying group J Street, which has operated under the pretense of being pro-Israel, has really taken a hit in the last week. Eli Lake of the Washington Times uncovered that, despite J Street’s longstanding insistence to the contrary, the group has received significant funding from financier George Soros and his children. Additionally, the same report revealed that J Street received $811,967, from a woman named Consolacion Esdicul, a resident of Happy Valley, Hong Kong and an associate of Bill Benter, a hugely successful international gambler.