Several hundred Jewish leaders from across the U.S. offered their gratitude to members of the United
States Senate and House of Representatives for their staunch support of
the U.S.-Israel relationship, on on Wednesday.
Seventeen members of congress and Israeli ambassador Michael Oren were
among those who gathered in the Kennedy Caucus Room of the Russell
Senate Office Building for the Iron Dome Tribute Luncheon. The event
also honored the memory of the late Hawaiian Senator Daniel Inouye, who was instrumental
in securing funding for the Iron Dome and was known as a staunch ally of
the State of Israel throughout his political career.
The Iron Dome Congressional Tribute, which was coordinated by Ezra Friedlander and The Friedlander Group, was chaired by Robert Rechnitz, a prominent Los Angeles based Jewish philanthropist and businessman who is the Principal of Bomel Companies.
In his introductory remarks, Robert Rechnitz noted that everyone in the room was there to give thanks to the United States. "We have no
political agenda," said Mr. Rechnitz. "We are here to simply offer our
gratitude to the United States for its unwavering support of Israel."
Republican Congressman
Ed Royce of California, who is the Chairman of the House Foreign
Affairs Committee, spoke about the 90 percent success rate of the Iron
Dome in November and how important it was that Americans got the
opportunity to see the defense system work effectively. He also
recounted how his father was one of the people who liberated Dachau as a
member of the American military during World War II. His father took
pictures of what he witnessed in the death camp and embarked on a tour
of college campuses in order to tell young adults about the horrors of
the Holocaust.
"My overriding goal as
Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee is to strengthen American allies
like Israel and weaken our enemies like Iran and Hezbollah," said
Congressman Royce.
Republican Senator
Roger Wicker of Mississippi talked about the great relationship between
Israel and the United States over the past 65 years. "Israel lives in a
very unwelcoming and hostile neighborhood," said Senator Wicker. "That
is why we need to support the Iron Dome."
Senator Rand Paul, a
Republican from Kentucky, spoke about his trip to Israel and how much he
enjoyed being there. He told the crowd how he sang Hebrew songs
together with a group of rabbis at the Western Wall, even though he had
no idea what the words meant.
"It is not our job to
dictate to Israel every bit of policy minutia," Senator Paul said. "It
is not our job to tell Israelis where they can or cannot build."
After giving a "shout out" to "the best ambassador in town - Michael Oren," Republican Congresswoman Ileana
Ros-Lehtinen of Florida, a vocal supporter of Israel, noted that she is
introducing the Iron Dome Support Act, which is a testament to how much
the U.S. values its relationship with Israel. "The Iron Dome saved thousands of lives and it must continue to do so," said Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen.
Referring to the United States and Israel, Republican Senator James Inhofe of Oklahoma, who
is a Ranking Member of the Armed Services Committee, said that "our
interests are the same and I am going to make sure that it stays that
way."
Democratic Congressman
Adam Schiff of California got the crowd laughing while discussing his
recent trip to Israel. "When your name is Adam and you're married to a
woman named Eve, going to Israel is like coming home. What can I say?
It's bashert."
When he addressed the crowd, Ambassador of Israel to the United States Michael Oren noted that the Iron Dome is the first anti-ballistic system to prove successful in combat. "It is literally rocket science," he said.
"The Iron Dome doesn't
only save lives, it prevents wars. It's a game changer," said
Ambassador Oren. "Behind the Iron Dome stands a marble dome - the
Capitol of the United States of America."
Ambassador Oren also
discussed President Obama's upcoming trip to Israel and remarked that
his visit "will demonstrate an unbreakable alliance and an iron clad
commitment between the United States and Israel."
In addition, the Ambassador paid tribute to the late Senator Daniel Inouye and introduced his wife, Irene Inouye.
Mrs. Inouye talked
about how much her husband had valued the strong bond between the U.S.
and Israel. "Dan wanted peace," she said. "I hope that it will be
achieved in our lifetime."
Bill Thompson, Jr.,
the former Comptroller of the City of New York, commented that, "the
celebration of the Iron Dome is a shared victory." Referring to the
U.S.-Israel relationship, he said that "our futures will be forever
linked."
R. James Woolsey, the
former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and currently the
Chairman of Woolsey Partners, LLC, discussed the remarkable nature of
the Iron Dome System. "The Iron Dome is inventive and successful," he
said. "It avoids wasting defense on incoming rockets that won't hit
anywhere sensitive."
Republican Congressman
Trent Franks of Arizona said that, "the Iron Dome has become the face
of missile defense for the world." He also discussed the perseverance of
the Jewish people. "After the Holocaust, the Jews wiped away their
tears and they built a nation. The Nazis are gone, but Israel remains."
Democratic Congressman
Joe Kennedy, III of Massachusetts spoke about his visit to Sderot and
the impact that seeing the reinforced bus shelters that doubled as bomb
shelters had on him. "The only thing Israel asks for is the right to
exist," he said. "That's not too much to ask."
Democratic Congressman
Eliot Engel of New York, the Ranking Member on the House Foreign
Affairs Committee, said that the Iron Dome "allowed the United States to
put its money where its mouth is."
"Support for Israel is
strong and it's bipartisan and that's the way it should be,"
Congressman Engel said. "The bond between the United States and Israel
is strong and it is unbreakable."
Senator Pat Roberts, a
Republican from Kansas, said that, "Israel has a right to exist and we
have to defend that right at every opportunity."
Ezra Friedlander, CEO of The Friedlander Group which coordinated the event, called the luncheon a resounding success.
“The importance of gathering in the Senate to express a sense of
gratitude goes a very long way in communicating with members of Congress
how much the American Jewish community and the entire pro-Israel
community values their ongoing support and how critical it is for the
US-Israel relationship,” Friedlander told VIN News. “Although we live
in the age of Twitter, the importance of face to face communication and
interaction cannot be overemphasized and that was accomplished this week
at the Iron Dome tribute.”