Israel/Foreign Affairs

• Congresswoman McCarthy recognizes the importance of maintaining strong relations with nations around the globe. 
• Foreign assistance and aid provide enhanced security for the United States and helps to promote the common values we, as Americans, share with the global community.
• Particularly, with enhanced uncertainty in the Middle East, Congresswoman McCarthy understands how critical it is to maintain strong relations with our primary ally, Israel.
• As a member of the Democratic Israel Working Group, the Congresswoman strives to protect both Israeli and American interests and promote Israel as a strong nation during this tumultuous international environment.

 

Supporting Israel

Foreign Aid

The Congresswoman is proud to boast her consistent foreign aid support for Israel throughout her time in Congress.  In Fiscal Year 2010, Rep. McCarthy supported $2.775 billion in aid to Israel.  Additionally, she supported the “Iron Dome”, a novel mobile defense system meant to deter short-range missiles from the Gaza region. 

As Congress continues consideration of Fiscal Year 2011 funding and the President’s Fiscal Year 2012 budget proposal, the Congresswoman is scrutinizing federal expenditures and federal contracts awarded.  She is intent on continuing to support aid to Israel as well as bolstering programs that responsibly promote the safety and security of the Israeli people.

Advocating Remembrance and Tolerance

This Congress, Rep. McCarthy signed onto legislation that would expressing the sense of Congress that an appropriate site on Chaplains Hill in Arlington National Cemetery should be provided for a memorial marker to honor the memory of the Jewish chaplains who died while on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States.

The Congresswoman plans on reintroducing legislation that she sponsored last Congress that creates a new , four-year grant program at the Department of Justice for state and local law enforcement agencies to carry out programs that will teach their officers about the implications of the Holocaust for modern day law enforcement professionals. This legislation is based on several regional programs including one established at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum for Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents and one at the Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County for our local police officers.

Denouncing the “Goldstone Report”

The Congresswoman is proud to have voted alongside a majority of her colleagues in the House of Representatives in denouncing the “Report of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission in the Gaza Conflict.”  A cosponsor of the resolution denouncing the report, the Congresswoman found the report to be unbalanced – largely blaming Israel for war crimes and ignoring Israel’s own investigation into the conduct of its military.

Flotilla Incident

The May 31^st incident was a premeditated attack intended to provoke a response and purposefully initiate violent confrontation.  Israel has an inherent right to defend itself and keep its people safe.  Israeli soldiers were attacked while trying to escort the flotilla to port for inspection and as such the Congresswoman was proud to sign a letter to the President in June of 2010 expressing unwavering support for Israel.  Additionally the Congresswoman introduced a House resolution supporting Israel’s right to defend itself, condemning the premeditated actions of the sponsors of the Gaza-bound flotilla, and encouraging the Administration to consider whether the sponsors should be placed on the list of foreign terrorist organizations and placed under a visa ban.

Growing Unrest among the Muslim states

Over the past several months, the United States and the rest of the global community have bore witness to historic citizen uprisings across the Middle East and other Muslim countries, namely, those in Egypt and Libya.  While the ousting of President Hosni Mubarak by the Egyptian populace signals a momentous call for democracy, the Congresswoman is cautious as to what implications a new Egyptian Administration will have on the region’s stability, namely Israel’s security.  The Congresswoman signed a letter in March 2011 to Secretary of State Clinton stressing the importance of Egypt’s treaties to both the security of the United States and Israel. 

Similarly, the Congresswoman is closely following developments in Libya and echoes the calls by the Administration to end the human rights atrocities fueled by Libyan leader Muammar al Qadafi.  Both the circumstances in Libya and Egypt threaten to dramatically change the political landscape in Africa and the Middle East, and the Congresswoman firmly believes the United States must be active and diligent in following developments overseas.

Iran

Iran has consistently been at odds with a majority of the international community. The country’s continued disregard for religious minorities, anti-Semitism, and steadfast pursuit of a robust nuclear weapons program, are all reasons for tremendous concern. As such, Congresswoman McCarthy was proud to cosponsor and support the final passage the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010, which passed the House of Representatives and was subsequently signed into law by the President last Congress.

Further, the Congresswoman signed onto an April 2010 letter calling on the President to impose strict sanctions on Iran.