US-Israel Relationship

At CUFI, we believe a strong, secure, and sovereign Israel is key to a strong and secure United States. Israel needs America, and America needs Israel. We are two nations with shared values, defending the same principles, and thus engaged in the same fight against common enemies. On May 14, 1948, the US was the first country to recognize the nascent State of Israel just eleven minutes after Israel declared its independence. Since then, the US has been a friend to Israel, our most critical ally in the Middle East. One of CUFI’s core concerns is to shape and strengthen the US-Israel relationship to the safety and security of both our nations.

US-Israel Relationship

Pompeo urges Arab states to abandon boycotts of Israel

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday called on Arab states to end their boycott of Israel and instead engage with the Jewish state.

“It’s time for Arab countries to abandon boycotts and engage #Israel,” Pompeo tweeted. “#MiddleEast divisions = instability.”

Pompeo included a link to a New York Times article about a gathering last week in…

US-Israel Relationship

US lawmakers call for a Food and Drug Administration office in Israel

A regional office of the US’s Food and Drug Administration should be opened in Israel, a bipartisan group of lawmakers said.

A letter sent Friday to the secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Alex Azar, said that “as a global leader in innovation, Israel’s world class medical research programs have spurred…

US-Israel Relationship

Top US general meets Israeli brass amid Iran tensions

The top US general is visiting Israel for meetings with top military leaders, the latest in a series of high-level military meetings amid heightened tensions with Iran.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley met Sunday with his Israeli counterpart Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi.

Israel’s military said in a statement that Milley’s visit was…

US-Israel Relationship

Pentagon, State Dep’t, U.S. Evangelicals and Israel Battle Over Lebanese Army Aid

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is sending mixed signals on the issue of U.S. security assistance to Lebanon. In recent days, senior officials within the administration confirmed that $105 million of aid to Lebanon has been put on hold by the White House. Earlier this month, however, the State Department’s assistant secretary for Near East…

US-Israel Relationship

Report: Hungary blocks EU statement condemning US policy shift on settlements

(November 20, 2019 / JNS) Hungary is blocking a diplomatic effort by the European Union to issue a joint statement condemning the U.S. announcement on Monday that it does not consider Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria to be illegal, the Times of Israel reported on Wednesday.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has made it plain that…

US-Israel Relationship

West Bank settlements not illegal, Pompeo announces in historic shift

In a historic reversal of US policy, the Trump administration announced on Monday that it does not view Israeli settlements in the West Bank as illegal. The policy change was announced by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Washington.
“After carefully studying all sides of the legal debate, this administration agrees with president Reagan,” Pompeo…

US-Israel Relationship

U.S. Air Force chief David Goldfein visits Israel

The Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, David Goldfein, visited Israel.
Goldfein was participating in the Blue Flag joint military exercise, a 10-day exercise in which 70 combat planes from five air forces fly against each other in 19 sorties across six different locations around the country. The exercise ended on Thursday and had gone on…

US-Israel Relationship

US, Israeli firefighters work side by side as rockets fall

(November 17, 2019 / JNS) As rockets fell on southern and central Israel last week, a team of U.S. firefighters worked side by side with their Israeli counterparts to extinguish brush and building fires, and deal with other emergencies.

The U.S. firefighters are part of the Emergency Volunteer Project (EVP), which trains U.S. firefighters and…

US-Israel Relationship

Pence slams rocket fire, says terror groups prefer violence to welfare of Gazans

US Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday slammed the rocket fire from Gaza, saying that it was clear that Palestinian terror groups “put violence ahead of bettering the lives of the people of Gaza.”

“The United States condemns the barrage of rockets on Israeli civilians. It’s clear Hamas & Palestinian Islamic Jihad put violence ahead of…

US-Israel Relationship

Trump recognizes US Army veteran who saved Jewish prisoners in World War II

(November 11, 2019 / JNS) In his speech during the New York City Veterans Day Parade on Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump recognized U.S. Army Master Sgt. Roddie Edmonds, who saved the lives of 200 American Jewish prisoners of war during World War II.

“Here with us today is Lauren Mathews, the granddaughter of a Battle of the Bulge veteran who…

US-Israel Relationship

US-led coalition launches operation to protect Gulf waters

A US-led naval coalition officially launched operations in Bahrain on Thursday to protect shipping in the troubled waters of the Gulf, after a string of attacks that Washington and its allies blamed on Iran.

The coalition, aimed at warding off the perceived threat to the world’s oil supply, has been in the making since June.

Iran, which has…

US-Israel Relationship

Israel, U.S. to push for UNRWA oversight when mandate is renewed

Israel and the United States are heading a diplomatic effort to increase oversight of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) when its mandate to service Palestinian refugees is renewed in December, according to Israel’s Mission to the UN.

The renewal, which occurs every three years, is typically a fairly standard procedure for the…

US-Israel Relationship

Israel hails US, Gulf states for sanctioning Iran Guards, Hezbollah

Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Wednesday applauded the US and six Gulf states for announcing sanctions on 25 entities associated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Lebanon’s Hezbollah terror organization.

“I welcome the decision by the US and Gulf states to impose additional sanctions on Hezbollah and the Iranian Revolutionary…

US-Israel Relationship

New partnership between U.S. Embassy and. neighborhood soccer league

This year, the U.S. Embassy of Jerusalem is giving support to the Hapoel Katamon Jerusalem neighborhood soccer league.

Hapoel Katamon’s Neighborhood League project began 10 years ago in hopes of bringing children from different backgrounds together.

Now, the league has 51 teams from 25 different schools with more than 750 boys and girls and…

US-Israel Relationship

Steelers hold moment of silence for Pittsburgh synagogue shooting victims

PITTSBURGH – Steelers fans packed into the lots surrounding Heinz Field, tailgated – tossing footballs back and forth, consuming savory foods and cold beers – and then filed into the stadium, clad in black and gold, just like they would any other day.

They waved their terrible towels as players took the field during pregame introductions. A few…

US-Israel Relationship

US marks 25 years of peace treaty between Jordan and Israel

The United States marked the 25th anniversary of the peace treaty between Israel and Jordan.

“Today marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Peace between the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the State of Israel, an agreement that began a tradition of peaceful and respectful cooperation that continues today,” read the…

US-Israel Relationship

#ShowUpForShabbat: Philadelphia Jewish And City Leaders Urging Community Members To Show Up For Shabbat

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — This weekend marks one year since the deadliest attack on Jews in American history. Eleven people were slaughtered over their faith as they worshipped at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. To mark the observance in Philadelphia, Jewish and city leaders are urging people to do one thing.

There is a rallying call from…

US-Israel Relationship

WJC to honor Nikki Haley for calling out anti-Israel bias at UN

The World Jewish Congress will bestow its prestigious Theodor Herzl Award to former US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, according to a statement from the organization released on Wednesday.

WJC President Ronald S. Lauder said Haley exemplified Washington’s friendship with Israel, “relentlessly calling out the biases and double standards that…