Archive

2023

Browsing

EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., sent a letter to fellow House Republicans on Monday urging them to vote in favor of her censure resolution against progressive Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich.

Tlaib has been criticized by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle over her response to the ongoing war between Israel and terror group Hamas. 

‘I do hope that our Republican majority can come together to do what is right. The Constitution offers us a pathway to hold each other accountable for our actions, and Rashida Tlaib must be held to account,’ Greene said in the letter obtained by Fox News Digital.

‘This is a critical moment for our party’s values and principles… Supporting my censure resolution of Rashida Tlaib is not just a matter of political necessity but a moral and ethical imperative.’

Greene introduced her censure measure on Thursday as a privileged resolution, meaning the House has two legislative days to kill it or move it forward. The chamber is not back in session until Wednesday. 

In particular, she cited Tlaib’s participation in a massive protest on Capitol Hill during which Israel-Gaza ceasefire demonstrators took over part of the Cannon House Office building, leading to hundreds of arrests. Greene called the protest an ‘insurrection’ multiple times.

Tlaib is the only Palestinian-American in Congress and among a small but vocal group of House Democrats who are critical of the Israeli government. She is also one of 15 House Democrats who did note vote to condemn Hamas last week.

Democrats have near-universally condemned Greene’s resolution as a politically charged weapon. 

Rep. Becca Balint, D-Vt., hit Greene with a privileged censure resolution of her own later Thursday, accusing her of having ‘repeatedly fanned the flames of racism, antisemitism, hate speech against the LGBTQ community, Islamophobia, Asian hate, xenophobia and other forms of hatred.’

But the Georgia Republican shrugged it off as ‘retaliation’ for her censure against Tlaib.

‘In retaliation for filing this censure resolution, Democrats launched their own effort, filled with a litany of lies, to censure me to protect their terrorist-sympathizing colleague,’ Greene wrote. 

‘The hypocrisy of the Democrats knows no bounds, so I am not relying on them to censure Tlaib for her blatant antisemitic and evil rhetoric. But I do hope that our Republican majority can come together to do what is right,’ she continued.

At least two House Republicans are leaning against the censure, Semafor reported on Sunday night. Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., is reportedly planning to vote against it, while Rep. John Duarte, R-Calif., was also reportedly leaning against it.

Fox News Digital reached out to Walberg and Duarte’s offices for comment but did not immediately hear back.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

House Republicans have rolled out a bill giving $14.3 billion in aid to Israel, while cutting into cash President Biden allocated toward the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) last year.

The 13-page bill released on Monday would completely offset the foreign aid by rescinding those funds from the Inflation Reduction Act passed last year. Specifically, it targets some of the $80 billion the package gave to the IRS.

It comes as Israel continues to fight a bloody war against terror group Hamas. Hamas militants attacked Israeli towns and villages earlier this month, killing most of the 1,400 casualties Israel has seen in the conflict so far. Thousands of Palestinians have also been killed.

Israel is shaping up to be the first big test for newly elected Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., whose first act on the House floor as leader was to pass a bipartisan resolution condemning Hamas. 

He’s expected to hold a vote on the Israel aid bill on Thursday.

It will likely put Democrats in a tough spot between the political fallout of rejecting Israel aid and the bill’s removal of funds from Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. 

And the bill puts Johnson at odds with the Democrat-controlled Senate and White House, both of which are pushing for Israel aid to be tied with dollars for Ukraine’s defense against Russia. 

However, the cuts to IRS funding is likely to please conservatives – Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, told Hill Country Patriot Radio on Monday that he would support Israel aid if it was offset with budget cuts. 

‘The American people must see that it’s going to cost something if we’re going to give another $14 billion to Israel. So I’m for it. But it should be paid for…with real money, not budgetary gimmicks,’ Roy said.

Earlier this month Biden asked Congress to approve a mammoth $106 billion supplemental funding request with $14.3 billion for Israel, more than $60 billion for Ukraine, just over $13 billion for U.S. border security and an additional $10 billion in humanitarian assistance. 

Johnson made clear he would not be putting the entire package together on the House floor, something a significant number of conservatives also opposed.

‘We are going to move a standalone Israel funding bill this week in the House. I know our colleagues, our Republican colleagues in the Senate, have a similar measure,’ Johnson told ‘Sunday Morning Futures.’

‘There are lots of things going on around the world that we have to address, and we will. But right now, what’s happening in Israel takes the immediate attention. And I think we’ve got to separate that and get it through. I believe there will be bipartisan support for that, and I’m going to push very hard for it.’

Just two Republican lawmakers have come out against the Israel funding so far, GOP hardliner Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky.

Last week a group of GOP senators led by Sens. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Mike Lee, R-Utah, introduced a bill in the Senate to strip the $14.3 billion in Israel funding from Biden’s request to move it on its own.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

The White House on Monday compared the Israeli-targeted storming of a Dagestan, Russia airport over the weekend to the anti-Jewish pogroms perpetrated throughout Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby made the comparison during the White House press briefing after press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre condemned the antisemitic protests taking places on college campuses across the U.S.

‘I just want to add just one little thought here on top of Karine’s excellent comments on anti-Semitism. I think you all saw what happened in Dagestan, Russia yesterday in what can only be described as a chilling demonstration of hate, bigotry, intimidation. Some people have compared it to the pogroms of the late 19th and early 20th century, and I think that’s probably an apt description given that video that we’ve seen out there,’ Kirby said.

He ripped Russia’s federal government for staying silent on the Makhachkala airport’s storming, which was perpetrated by a group of pro-Palestinian rioters who were reportedly searching for passengers arriving on a flight from Tel Aviv, Israel in the largely Muslim region of south Russia bordering the Caspian Sea to the east and Azerbaijan to the south.

‘I think that speaks volumes. And the same goes for here in the country. Karine talked about what’s going on college campuses, but same goes for Islamophobia. There’s no place for that in the country. It must be condemned equally as strong, and we all need to work with might and main to stop that kind of hate as well,’ he added.

The pogroms referenced by Kirby referred to numerous instances of mob-led violence targeting Jews during the later years of the Russian Empire and the transition years following the Russian Revolution that led to the formation of the Soviet Union. Others occurred across other parts of Eastern Europe around the same time, and in Nazi Germany in the 1930s.

On Sunday, the White House said it ‘vigorously condemns’ the group of rioters who shouted antisemitic chants as they searched for passengers.

The actions led to the airport’s closure, and all other flights headed toward Makhachkala were diverted.

Fox News’ Landon Mion contributed to this report.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

In this week’s edition of The DecisionPoint Trading Room, Carl opens the show with a look at a very bearish market BIAS Table. He examines how the latest mortgage rates are squeezing buyers and sellers alike by comparing today’s mortgage payments versus payments at the lows; it’s astounding. Carl also defines “Blowoff v. Blowout” volume and discusses its significance. Meanwhile, Erin finds strength in the Materials (XLB) Sector and zeros in on Steel as an industry group to watch this week.

This video was originally recorded on October 30, 2023. Click this link to watch on YouTube.

New episodes of The DecisionPoint Trading Room premiere on the StockCharts TV YouTube channel on Mondays. Past videos will be available to watch here. Sign up to attend the trading room live Mondays at 12pm ET by clicking here!

In this edition of StockCharts TV‘s The Final Bar, Dave discusses implications for this week’s earnings releases, the November Fed meeting, and geopolitical events. He answers live viewer questions on volume-based indicators, downside targets for the S&P 500 chart, possibilities for a countertrend rally for stocks, and why investors should consider this market guilty until proven innocent.

This video originally premiered on October 30, 2023. Watch on our dedicated Final Bar page on StockCharts TV, or click this link to watch on YouTube.

New episodes of The Final Bar premiere every weekday afternoon LIVE at 4pm ET. You can view all previously recorded episodes at this link.

The White House said Sunday it ‘vigorously condemns’ the group of pro-Palestinian rioters in Russia who flooded an airport as they were shouting antisemitic chants and reportedly searching for passengers from a flight that departed from Tel Aviv, Israel.

The airport, located in the city of Makhachkala in the Republic of Dagestan, closed after rioters began flooding the runway Sunday night, Russian aviation authority Rosaviatsia reported. All other flights headed toward Makhachkala were diverted.

In the first public comment made by the Biden administration since the incident, White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said the U.S. condemns the ‘antisemitic protests’ at the airport in Russia.

‘The United States vigorously condemns the antisemitic protests in Dagestan, Russia,’ Watson wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. ‘The U.S. unequivocally stands with the entire Jewish community as we witness a worldwide surge in antisemitism. There is never any excuse or justification for antisemitism.’

Many users on X blasted Watson’s post for referring to the riot as a ‘protest,’ with some people replying that the correct term would be ‘pogrom,’ which means attacks on particular ethnic groups, particularly Jewish people.

During the riot, a small number of Israelis were ‘isolated’ at the airport as rioters were heard yelling ‘Allahu Akbar’ and antisemitic slogans, according to Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation reporter Amichai Stein.

The Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem told Reuters that an Israeli ambassador in Russia was working with authorities to protect the Israelis in the region.

‘The State of Israel views gravely attempts to harm Israeli citizens and Jews anywhere,’ the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. ‘Israel expects the Russian law enforcement authorities to safeguard all Israeli citizens and Jews, whoever they may be, and to take robust action against the rioters and against the unbridled incitement being directed at Jews and Israelis.’

The majority of residents in Dagestan are Muslim while Jewish people represent a minority group in Russia – accounting for approximately 83,000 people in the entire country.

The riot at the Russian airport comes amid the ongoing war in the Middle East between Israeli forces and Hamas terrorists. 

More than 9,400 people have been killed on both sides since Hamas launched its largest attack against Israel in decades on Oct. 7, prompting Israeli forces to respond. Thousands more have been wounded, and many others have been taken hostage by Hamas and raped, tortured and murdered.

Fox News’ Andrea Vacchiano contributed to this report.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

The Biden campaign took aim at newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson this past week over his views on ‘same-sex relations’ but ignored past comments from President Biden on the same subject during his time in public office.

‘Mike Johnson called for criminalizing gay sex,’ the Biden-Harris presidential campaign wrote Wednesday in a post to X, formerly known as Twitter. ‘Johnson called same-sex relations ‘inherently unnatural’ and said it could destroy ‘the entire democratic system.’ He railed against courts for ‘closing bedroom doors’ and upholding the right to privacy.’

The post also included a link to a CNN article about the subject, which was titled ‘New speaker of the House Mike Johnson once wrote in support of the criminalization of gay sex.’

Though the report claimed that Johnson ‘has a history of harsh anti-gay language,’ President Biden also has a history of making statements against gay marriage during his time as a senator from Delaware and also as Vice President of the United States — before he famously changed his position.

In September 1973, while responding to a question about homosexuals serving in the U.S. civil service or the military, Biden suggested that homosexuals were ‘security risks.’

Biden’s comment at the time, according to Wilmington’s The Morning News, came in response to a question from Robert Vane, a gay activist who questioned the then-senator about discrimination.

‘My gut reaction,’ Biden told Vane at the time, ‘is that they (homosexuals) are security risks, but I must admit I haven’t given this much thought . . . I’ll be darned!’

In February 1993, Biden voted in favor of an amendment to codify the Department of Health and Human Services’ prohibition of the permanent immigration of individuals who were HIV positive.

Following his vote, Biden claimed he was ‘ambivalent on the issue’ but voted for the amendment anyway, saying the issue was ‘bigger than whether HIV should be on the list or off the list,’ according to a report at the time from The Washington Times.

The same year, Biden also voted for the National Defense Authorization Act of 1994, which included the ‘don’t ask don’t tell’ policy that barred gay Americans from serving in the military.

Signed by then-President Bill Clinton in November 1993, ‘section 571 of the law, codified at 10 United States Code 654, described homosexuality in the ranks as an ‘unacceptable risk . . . to morale, good order, and discipline,” according to the Congressional Research Service (CRS). ‘The law codified the grounds for discharge as follows: (1) the member has engaged in, attempted to engage in, or solicited another to engage in a homosexual act or acts; (2) the member states that he or she is a homosexual or bisexual; or (3) the member has married or attempted to marry someone of the same sex,’ CRS noted of the measure.

The Guardian reported in 2011 that approximately 14,500 individuals had been removed from the military for violating the ‘don’t ask don’t tell’ policy from 1994 to 2011.

In August 1994, Biden joined 22 of his Democrat colleagues to vote in favor of an amendment that cut off federal funds to any school district that taught the acceptance of homosexuality as a lifestyle, The Associated Press reported at the time.

Biden has also held a variety of views on same-sex marriages, which have changed over time as he has worked to appeal to voters.

In 1996, Biden voted for the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which amended ‘the Federal judicial code to provide that no State, territory, or possession of the United States or Indian tribe shall be required to give effect to any marriage between persons of the same sex under the laws of any other such jurisdiction or to any right or claim arising from such relationship.’

Signed into law by Clinton on September 21, 1996, the measure established a federal definition of ‘marriage’ as ‘only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife’ and a definition of ‘spouse’ as ‘only a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or wife.’

Reiterating his support for the DOMA in 2004, Biden stated, ‘This has long been a state issue, and it should remain that way.’ Biden would later vote for the law, which defined marriage as between men and women for federal purposes, and explicitly permitted states to refuse to recognize same-sex unions in other states.

At the same time, he twice opposed an amendment to include a gay marriage ban as part of the Constitution.

In 2006, Biden told CNN: ‘Look, marriage is between a man and a woman. Tell me why [a constitutional marriage amendment] has to be put in the Constitution now? We already have a federal law that has not been challenged. No one’s declared it unconstitutional. It’s the law of the land, saying marriage is between a man and a woman.’

Biden went on to doubt that it would constitute ‘discrimination’ to define marriage as between men and women.

‘Look, I don’t — I don’t know whether it would be writing discrimination into the Constitution,’ Biden continued. ‘But it doesn’t warrant the Constitution. There’s a lot of things that don’t need to be in the Constitution. And what we have always — marriage has always been something we left to the states.’

In June 2006, while speaking to NBC News’ ‘Meet the Press,’ Biden was more forceful.

‘You know, think about this. The world’s going to Hades in a handbasket,’ Biden told anchor Tim Russert at the time. ‘I can’t believe the American people can’t see through this. We already have a law, the Defense of Marriage Act. We’ve all voted — not, where I’ve voted, and others have said, look, marriage is between a man and a woman, and states must respect that. Nobody’s violated that law, there’s been no challenge to that law. Why do we need a constitutional amendment? Marriage is between a man and a woman.’

During the 2008 presidential campaign, Biden maintained his opposition to gay marriage.

‘I have to ask you this because it does affect me and my family directly,’ Biden was asked at a campaign event in Iowa in 2007. ‘But if, in the next five years, if you’re president, do you see gay marriage in the future?’

Biden responded: ‘I don’t. Here’s what I do see. I see an absolute guarantee of civil union with the exact same rights. Now, here’s the dilemma. Here’s the dilemma. The truth of the matter is, states have made legal, through licensing, the performance of marriage what religions have essentially consecrated. That’s how they view it.’

During the October 2008 vice presidential debate, Biden vowed that ‘in an Obama-Biden administration, there will be absolutely no distinction from a constitutional standpoint or a legal standpoint between a same-sex and a heterosexual couple,’ but that ‘[neither] Barack Obama nor I support redefining from a civil side what constitutes marriage.’

Moderator Gwen Ifill pressed: ‘Let’s try to avoid nuance, senator. Do you support gay marriage?’ Biden answered simply, ‘No.’

Despite his past comments, Biden has claimed in recent years that he was one of the first leaders who held public office to support same-sex marriage.

‘I was the first major leader holding public office to call for same-sex marriage. So I don’t know what about the past of Barack Obama and Joe Biden was so bad,’ Biden said in New Hampshire in February 2020, during his campaign for president.

In March 2020, in Washington, D.C., Biden doubled down: ‘I’m the first person to go on national television in any administration and say I supported gay marriage. I supported gay marriage when asked. And so it started a ripple effect. I’m not taking all credit for it, but I’m the first major player to say I support gay marriage on national television.’

However, major figures from both parties had already done so, including Dick Cheney and Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

When reached for comment, Johnson’s office pointed Fox News Digital to comments he made during a recent appearance on Fox News Channel’s ‘Hannity’ about the matter.

‘I respect the rule of law. When the Supreme Court issued an opinion, that became the law of the land,’ Johnson said. ‘I respect the rule of the law, but I also genuinely love all people regardless of their lifestyle choice.’

Biden’s campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Gregg Re contributed to this report.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

The House of Representatives is gearing up for a slew of politically charged resolutions this week, delaying work on government funding bills ahead of the Nov. 17 deadline to avert a possible shutdown.

Three pieces of legislation were introduced as privileged resolutions on Thursday, just before House lawmakers jetted off for the weekend. Classifying resolutions as ‘privileged’ forces the House to take action on them within two legislative days.  

One by Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, R-N.Y., is aimed at expelling scandal-plagued Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., his fellow Long Island freshman lawmaker who pleaded not guilty to 10 new felony counts, including identity theft, on Friday. 

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., meanwhile, introduced a resolution to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., over her participation in an Israel-Gaza cease-fire rally outside the U.S. Capitol and inside a House office building earlier this month. Fox News Digital first reported that resolution on Tuesday.

She accused Tlaib of ‘antisemitic activity’ and told Fox News Digital earlier this week that she anticipates vast Republican support, and she called on Democrats to condemn Tlaib as well.

Greene herself is the target in another censure resolution, this one by Rep. Becca Balint, D-Vt. Introducing it on the House floor Thursday, Balint accused Greene of having ‘repeatedly fanned the flames of racism, antisemitism, hate speech against the LGBTQ community, Islamophobia, Asian hate, xenophobia and other forms of hatred.’

The House is first likely to vote on whether to table the resolutions, which would effectively kill them, before voting on the resolutions themselves if the motion to table fails.

They will likely take them up on Wednesday when the House is back in session, or Thursday – taking up significant time next week when the House is meant to be working on its seven remaining appropriations bills. 

‘Wasting time on pointless resolutions and censures accomplishes absolutely nothing other than quenching the insatiable thirst of some lawmakers to pursue political vendettas. But, of course, what do I know,’ one GOP aide told Fox News Digital.

Another GOP aide dismissed the move by their own party to expel Santos. 

The aide called him an ’embarrassment’ who belongs ‘on the next HBO show about Congress’ but added, ‘there is other more important work to be done: securing the border, reining in reckless federal spending, and holding the Biden administration accountable.’

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Saudi Arabia’s defense minister is set to visit the White House this week in a bid to tamp down regional tensions in the Middle East after the kingdom reportedly shot down a missile fired from Yemen that was intended for Israel. 

‘I can tell you that Saudi Arabia wants to make sure that the U.S. fully understands the humongous ramifications of the Israeli ground invasion into Gaza,’ Salman Al-Ansari, an independent Saudi Arabian geopolitical analyst, told Fox News Digital. ‘Riyad wants D.C. to think critically and to not fall into supporting decisions that may fire back at the U.S. interests and the whole region.’ 

Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman is set to visit Washington on Monday to talk with senior Biden administration officials, Axios reported after speaking with three sources with knowledge of the trip. Bin Salman, the brother of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and former ambassador to the U.S., would be the highest-ranking Saudi official to visit Washington since Biden took office.

The meetings will include national security adviser Jake Sullivan, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and several others, according to the report.

Saudi Arabia warned Saturday that ‘any ground operation by Israel would threaten the lives of Palestinian civilians and result in inhumane dangers.’ 

Israel’s much-anticipated ground offensive has seen a number of delays as the U.S. and other Western allies urge Israel to hold off until the release of the 220 hostages believed held by Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday night announced that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would implement the ‘second phase’ of ground operations, but fell short of announcing or initiating any wide-scale offensive. 

Al-Ansari cast doubts on whether Israel would ever initiate such an offensive, instead suggesting that the much-touted offensive was nothing more than propaganda for both ‘local and international image.’

‘I highly doubt they will do it,’ Al-Ansari said, explaining that he believes the Israeli cabinet ‘is in complete disagreements about everything’ regarding how to proceed with its response.

‘The U.S. should give hints to Israel that Netanyahu needs to back off,’ Al-Ansari said, adding that Netanyahu ‘will keep making more historic mistakes over and over.’

Tensions in the Middle East remain high following a Hamas terrorist attack on Oct. 7 that killed 1,400 Israelis and saw Hamas kidnap over 220 hostages – some of whom have been released in the following weeks. 

Israel responded by pounding the Gaza Strip with systematic bombings and shelling against Hamas military targets, but collateral damage has reportedly resulted in over 8,000 Palestinian deaths, including many women and children, according to the Hamas-backed Gaza Health Ministry.

Hezbollah militants in Lebanon and Houthi militants in Yemen have launched attacks against Israel since Oct. 7, threatening to spill the conflict out across the Middle East.

The USS Carney shot down four cruise missiles and dozens of drones launched from Yemen by Iran-backed Houthi militants, but the Wall Street Journal reported that Saudi Arabia shot down a fifth missile launched by the Houthis in a move to protect its airspace.

The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment regarding its actions, which some have claimed amount to a defense of Israel, though Al-Ansari insisted that Saudi Arabia acted to protect its airspace.

‘Disregarding the conflict in Gaza, it is evident that Saudi Arabia, akin to any nation globally, will intercept any missile traversing its airspace, regardless of its intended trajectory,’ Al-Ansari said.

‘Undoubtedly, the Iranian regime orchestrates these proxy actions, and Saudi Arabia will unfailingly prevent these tumultuous launches from going unchallenged,’ Al-Ansari added, stressing that the Houthis – as well as Hezbollah – continue ‘menacing’ Saudi Arabia and remain ‘active threats’ to the kingdom.

Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder said while Iran did not ‘explicitly’ order the attack, the department believed that, ‘When you see this uptick in activity and attacks by many of these groups… there’s Iranian fingerprints all over it.’

Relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran remain a significant point of geopolitical tension in the Middle East, with each country seeking to take a leading role on opposite sides of the Muslim divide: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia boasts a population of 90% Sunni Muslims compared to Iran’s equivalent population of Shia Muslims. 

Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to a Chinese-brokered normalization deal, resuming diplomatic relations after an eight-year pause. Part of the deal included Iran’s agreement to halt covert weapons shipments to its Houthi allies in Yemen – a move that the Journal reported could ‘inject new momentum into efforts to end one of the region’s longest-running civil wars.’ 

Al-Ansari cautioned that the question of normalization between Saudi Arabia and Iran remains to be seen ‘when and how’ it may come to fruition – a ‘revelation that only time will unfold.’

The attack on Israel and the subsequent response have proven a slow but galvanizing issue for the region that has appeared to help with those questions of alignment: Arab nations took tepid or even outright dismissive stances in the aftermath of the Hamas attack, followed by strong condemnation of Israel after an apparent bombing at a Gaza hospital.

Hamas immediately blamed Israel for the explosion at Al-Ahli Arab Hospital, but several intelligence agencies from the U.S., the U.K., France and Canada have independently confirmed it occurred due to a rocket misfire from the militant group Islamic Jihad. 

In an op-ed published Saturday in The New York Times, former U.S. envoy to the Middle East Dennis Ross claimed that he had spoken with allies across the Middle East during the past two weeks and found that Arab officials understood ‘that Hamas must be destroyed in Gaza.’ 

The Arab officials allegedly claimed that any perceived victory for the terrorists ‘will validate the group’s ideology of rejection, give leverage and momentum to Iran and its collaborators and put their own governments on the defensive.’ 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Israel is at war and the forces of terror are once again on the march in the Middle East. In this time of peril, America needs a reliable, honest, and forthright ambassador to Israel with a record of defending the Jewish State. President Joe Biden’s nominee for U.S. ambassador to Israel, Jack Lew, is none of these things.  

While serving as then-President Barack Obama’s secretary of Treasury, Lew championed the Iran nuclear deal and was instrumental in its implementation. Lew called the agreement with Iran, which delivered over $100 billion in sanctions relief to Israel’s greatest enemy, a ‘strong deal’ and said that ‘it will make our country safer, it will make our allies safer, and it will make the world safer.’ 

Our allies in Israel disagreed. In fact, Prime Minister Netanyahu called the agreement, ‘a very bad deal.’ An Israel Democracy Institute and Tel Aviv University poll found that 73% of Jewish Israelis believed that the deal posed an ‘existential threat’ to their nation. Attendees booed and jeered Lew when he spoke in defense of the agreement at the 2015 annual conference of the Jerusalem Post — one of Israel’s largest newspaper publications.   

Netanyahu was so opposed to the Iran deal, which Lew championed, that he traveled to the United States and addressed a joint session of Congress to urge congressional opposition. Lew condemned Netanyahu’s speech as ‘beyond the pale’ and a ‘huge mistake.’ 

In his final days in office, Obama took his revenge on Netanyahu by refusing to veto a United Nations security resolution condemning Israel. Lew defended the decision, sneering that ‘I don’t think it’s a great thing for Israel to always have only the United States standing between it and condemnation.’  

But Lew didn’t just advocate on behalf of the Iran deal or attack its Israeli critics; he lied to Congress to protect it. Lew told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that Iran ‘will continue to be denied access to the [U.S.’s] financial and commercial market.’  

He also stated that, ‘Iranian banks will not be able to clear U.S. dollars through New York, hold correspondent account relationships with U.S. financial institutions, or enter into financing arrangements with U.S. banks. Iran, in other words, will continue to be denied access to the world’s largest financial and commercial market.’

Seven months later, Lew’s Treasury Department granted a license to convert Iranian assets worth billions of dollars into American currency using our financial system. His department even pressured two American banks to complete the transaction. He either lied during his testimony or made himself a liar when he broke his word. Both are contemptible — one is criminal.  

In addition to lying, Lew neglected to tell Congress that his department was traveling the world to encourage foreign countries to do business with Iran. According to a report by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Treasury and State Department officials conducted over 200 ‘roadshows’ in foreign cities to encourage economic engagement with Tehran.  

The committee found that ‘the roadshows amounted to the U.S. government telling the world that Iran was open for business, as long as the rest of the world left the United States out of it.’ 

The Senate should not confirm a man who has lied to it through both omission and overt dishonesty. The Senate should likewise refuse to confirm a man who has acted as the de facto banker and business agent of the ayatollahs to serve as America’s representative in Israel.  

Both the United States and Israel need a U.S. ambassador in Jerusalem that is worthy of their confidence. Both nations deserve better than Lew. President Biden should withdraw Lew’s nomination and select an honest champion of the American-Israeli alliance in his place.  

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS