Jac NEWSbreak VITAL NEWS & RESEARCH INFORMATION FOR JAC LEADERSHIP CIRCLE August 25, 2011

On my mind this month... ✡ Israel United States Hallelujah and amen are the ral- Israel started the month worry- RELIGION-STATE SEPARATION/ lying cries for ing about the tent city protests, the RIGHT WING WATCH Michele Bachmann upcoming Palestinian statehood The First Amendment of the United and Rick Perry. vote in the U.N., settlement build- States Constitution guarantees re- According to their ing discussions, the Arab Spring, ligious freedom to all citizens; and campaign rhetoric, and the crumbling relationships with the first clause of that amendment Gail Yamner they heard the call Turkey and Egypt. The conversa- prohibits Congress from passing a from their Gods and their spouses and tion unfortunately turned to terrorism law “respecting an establishment of answered by entering the Republican August 18th when a barrage of 100 religion.” Known as the Establish- Presidential primary field. They see rockets were fired from Gaza into ment Clause, this passage has been themselves as saviors of America all areas of Israel. Palestinian mili- interpreted generally to prevent who will firmly establish Christian tants carried out attacks in Southern Congress from establishing a national values to root out the evils of the Israel, killing Israeli citizens as they religion or the federal government twenty-first century. went to the beach, work and camp. from showing preference for one reli- Over one million Israelis are now in gion over another. This separation of Bachmann often cites the works of the range of Gazan rockets accord- church and state has benefited Jews Francis Schaeffer who proposed ing to a spokesman from the IDF. and other minority religions since the “Christians, and Christians alone These rockets were shot into Israel Constitution was written and adopted. are Biblically mandated to occupy in clusters in order to avoid the new The 2012 Presidential election is 15 all secular institutions until Christ Iron Dome Defense system and al- months off, but the discussion of reli- returns.” After Roe vs Wade became though many rockets were deflected, gion appears to be playing an unduly law of the land, he published a guide unfortunately 8 Israelis perished in large role. for the violent overthrow of the the attacks. The attacks were carried government if the decision wasn’t out by the Popular Resistance Com- Two of the prominent candidates, overturned. Today one of the lead- mittee which is the terrorist arm of Rep. Michele Bachmann and Gov. ing followers of Schaeffer’s vision is Hamas.(JerusalemCenter 8/19/11) Rick Perry, belong to “a generation of Nancy Pearcey (Bachmann has cited In retaliation, Israel performed Christian conservatives whose views her) who cautions readers to be care- airstrikes aimed at militant groups have been shaped by institutions, ful of ideas from non-Christians. within Gaza, attacking weapon ware- tracts, and leaders not commonly houses, arms-smuggling tunnels and known to secular Americans, or even Perry showed off his Christian senior leaders of the terrorist attacks. to most Christians.” (New Yorker credentials by hosting a prayer rally (YNET news, 8/11) PM Netanyahu 8/14/11). Their platform, cloaked in sponsored by the American Family instructed the military to” make moral/religious garb, is the newest Association. The list of ultra-conser- pinpoint surgical attacks, adding that expression of hardball radical right vative speakers included many who every possible effort must be made to politics. follow the New Apostolic Refor- avoid harming Gaza’s civilians who mation. John Hagee of “the Jews are not our enemies.” • They encourage our education brought the Holocaust upon them- system to reject science instead of selves” fame took part in the day that Although Israel’s borders were teaching it. In Texas, Perry appointed showcased the philosophies of those breached by terrorists, the Palestin- people to the powerful state board of who might guide Perry. ians immediately blamed Israel for education who agree with his faith- the deaths of the attackers. Mark based world view. He says evolution For them there is no separation of re- Regev, PM Netanyahu’s spokesman and global warming are “only theo- ligion and state. Their religion guides said “The Palestinians leadership’s ries,” not recognizing that in science their state and their Bible is the law failure to condemn the attacks a “theory” is an accepted and tested of the land. For them Israel is a place against civilians raises serious set of principles. Bachmann believes for the Jews to gather so the Messiah questions about their readiness for Intelligent Design should be taught can come. For them there is no place independence, and their commit- alongside evolution. for non believers in Jesus. For them ment to fight terrorism.” He added, “ • They are proponents of a new there is no place for me. Their silence was deafening.” (JPost, American theocracy that claims al- 8/2211) legiance to Christianity and the Bible. JAC NEWSbreak, for JAC Leadership Circle, is a monthly publication of JACPAC. • They both promise to repeal the A fragile cease-fire between Israel Writers: Joy Malkus. Dana Gordon health care reform law. In the process President: Gail Yamner and Hamas took hold on August they will deny women their reproduc- Executive Director: Marcia Balonick 22nd after days of intense rocket fire Tel (847) 433-5999 Fax (847) 433-6194 tive rights and preventive health care. Email [email protected] following diplomacy between the Web www.jacpac.org © JAC 2011 (Israel, continued on page two) (Reproductive Rights, continued on page two) Research & Races The House has two new members not be held until January. That seat female representative. The Democratic elected in special elections, one in should also stay in the Democratic col- National Committee considers Warren upstate New York and one in Southern umn, but even Oregon, at least as blue a top tier recruit. California. Democrat as New York, could present Democrats Montana -- Dem. Sen. Jon Tester is (NY-26) was elected in late spring. with a challenge. stressing his “centrism” in his bid for a Hochul worked on Capitol Hill for second term. He faces GOP Rep. Den- Rep. John LaFalce (D-NY) and Sen. 2012 Senate Update nis Rehberg, who is serving his 6th Daniel Moynihan (D-NY) in the -- Former GOP Rep. term as Montana’s at-large member 1980s. She was the underdog in this Chris Shays has entered the race for of Congress. Tester’s votes are in line contest and her upset win was the the Senate seat, currently held by Inde- with all JAC’S criteria, on Israel, on result of a strong campaign based on pendent Sen. . Lieber- choice and on separation. Rehberg’s her opposition to the the GOP plan to man is not seeking reelection. Shays is votes on Israel issues have been good, revise and/or end Medicare, endorsed likely to face a primary against 2010 but his votes on JAC’s domestic issues by her Republican opponent. Demo- candidate Linda McMahon, former are all negative. crat Janice Hahn (CA-36) was elected World Wide Wrestling CEO, who lost the 2010 race to Dem. Richard Blu- last month to fill the seat of Democrat Utah -- Rep. Jason Chaffetz has de- menthal. There will also be a Demo- Jane Harman who resigned to join the cided not to run against 6-term GOP cratic primary between Secretary of S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle Sen. Orrin Hatch for the Republican State Susan Bysiewicz, Rep. Chris East Peace. Hahn, whose family has nomination. Hatch has always had a Murphy and st. Rep. . been involved in Democratic politics conservative voting record, but there JAC supported Shays when he repre- in Los Angeles for many years was a was speculation that Chaffetz, who is sented Connecticut’s 4th district. He Los Angeles city councilwoman prior associated with the Tea Party, would was defeated in 2008 by Democrat Jim to her election. Both women ‘s views challenge the Senator’s conservative Himes. In 2009, Shays was appointed align with JAC’s criteria. Two more credentials. In 2010, Utah GOP Sen. to co-chair the Commission on War- special elections will take place in the Robert Bennett was defeated by Tea time Contracting, an independent, next few months. The first will be Party candidate Mike Lee, who went bipartisan legislative commission es- held on September 13 for New York’s on to win the general election. 9th district, formerly represented by tablished to study wartime contracting Anthony Weiner. This should be an in Iraq and Afghanistan Wisconsin -- Former Dem. Sen. Russell Feingold, defeated in 2010, easy win for Democrats but is turning Massachusetts -- Elizabeth Warren, announced this week that he will not out to be a referendum on President special advisor to the U.S. Treasury run for the Senate in 2012. Dem. Sen. Obama. Polls are showing the Demo- Secretary, and the architect of the new Herb Kohl is retiring, leaving the seat crat, state assemblyman David Weprin, Consumer Financial Protection Bu- open and many Democrats hoped with only a 6 point lead over Republi- reau, has formed an exploratory com- that the former Senator would run. can Bob Turner, a retired cable televi- mittee to challenge GOP incumbent Feingold would not rule out a run for sion executive running as an opponent Scott Brown. Massachusetts has never Senate or another political office in the of deficit spending. The second spe- elected a woman to the Senate or the future, but not this cycle. cial, for the 1st district of Oregon, will state house and currently has only one

Israel, continued from page one United States, Egypt and the United protests over rising prices, lack of amount of money going to the military Nations. Despite the truce, rockets jobs, and high taxes were called off and support of the Orthodox. continue to rain on Israel. temporarily to join with the families in mourning. These protests which It is not known how the attacks and A by-product of this attack was the in- revolve around the issues of social jus- Israel’s response will affect the up- advertent killing of Egyptian military tice have drawn hundreds of thousands coming statehood vote on Palestinian by Israeli soldiers chasing the terror- people into the streets. The affluent statehood at the UN. As the Palestin- ists who crossed into Egypt. After a Rothschild Boulevard in Tel Aviv has ians continue acts of terror against day of Egyptian protests and threats, grown to more than 500 tents. (The Israeli civilians, they argue they need the Israelis apologized for the Egyp- Guardian, 8/11) The protests have statehood to protect themselves from tian deaths. An Israeli official said that attracted the support of most of the Israel. President Obama has promised Israel and Egypt each had an interest country and have brought to light is- to veto any bid by the Palestinians in restoring calm and containing the sues that have emerged as the country and is using diplomacy to urge other crisis. (NYT, 8/21/11) has gone from socialism to a free countries to do the same. Elsewhere in Israel, the tent city market economy- with a significant

Separation/Right Wing Watch, continued from page one • They are determined to shrink the an integral part. future are rollbacks to the less savory federal government to the point it can- aspects of the American past. That was not provide the services we need. • Both claim affection for Israel, which when Jews, blacks, women and gays fits their evangelical goals and, politi- “knew their place,” the environment • They are disrespectful toward the cally, it’s a mainstream issue they can was being despoiled, and robber bar- President (Bachmann told Chris Mat- rally around without offending their ons reigned with impunity. The past thews on MSNBC that he was “un- base. they seek to reinstate is a present too American”) and hostile to the institu- While they claim the moral high frightening to contemplate. tions of government of which they are ground, the solutions they offer for the