In response to Hamas’ October 7 atrocities and Israel’s war against terrorism, Agudath Israel of America is organizing an ongoing “Virtual Washington Mission” to impress upon the nation’s elected officials the importance of their continued support for Israel and to solicit their aid in helping to address the security challenges currently facing American Jews.
Agudath Israel’s Washington Office has worked closely with the organization’s nationwide regional offices to coordinate the virtual meetings with over 30 senators and congresspersons. And more are being arranged. Some members expressed their desire to have in-person meetings, which were convened in their home districts.
The agenda of these meetings has included the need for Congress to back up Israel’s rooting out of Hamas, to condemn and isolate the terrorist group, the safeguarding the hostages, and to quickly pass legislation to provide Israel the military aid it urgently needs. In addition, the activists are expressing concern regarding the dramatic uptick in antisemitic incidents in the U.S., particularly those experienced by Jewish students on America’s college campuses, and urged the members to support a substantial increase in federal security grants that support shuls, schools and other community institutions.
The mission’s participants include hundreds of rabbinic and lay leaders across the country, all meeting with their respective members of Congress. Participants report that the reaction of the senators and congresspersons has been overwhelmingly positive, and receptive to the Jewish community leaders’ perspective and message. The members of Congress stressed how important it is that they hear from their constituents at this time, and how every individual who reaches out to a congressmember makes an impact.
The meetings have led to tangible results including members of Congress co-sponsoring legislation, reaching out to University deans, and in one case, authoring a letter to Secretary Blinken asking him to arrange a screening of the Israeli video featuring the brutality of Hamas’ October 7th attacks for members of Congress and the media.
“Everyone needs to understand that now is the time to talk to your elected officials in Washington,” said Rabbi Yossie Charner, Agudath Israel’s director of congressional affairs. “For every pro-Israel call a congressional office receives, we have been told that it gets even more from the other side. We, as both an organization and as constituents, must make our voices heard.
In addition to the virtual mission, since the beginning of the war Agudath Israel has been communicating on an ongoing basis with officials at the White House, the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Education, to make them aware of our communities’ views and concerns and to keep abreast of government involvement in the situation in Israel and in American Jewish communities.
Agudath Israel has also sent out a series of action alerts in an effort to mobilize our constituents to reach out via email to their members of Congress, encouraging them to express support for Agudath Israel’s priorities in regard to Israel and American Jewry. Through these action alerts, tens of thousands of emails from across the country were sent to hundreds of members of Congress in 38 states.
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
One Response
So that’s Aguda’s PATHETIC response after they royally screwed up their message about the March on Washington? Wish washy…first go, then deleting and moetzes calling it chazer treife, maybe they’re chazer trreife PLEASE GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER (this is coming from someone who formerly trusted “Daas Torah”)