HARRISON ANNOUNCES BROAD POLICY SUPPORTING THE STATE OF ISRAEL AND HONORING DAY OF INDEPENDENCE

[April 28, 2020 – Longport, New Jersey] – This evening, Tuesday, April 28^th, marks Israel’s national day of independence, commemorating the 1948 Israeli Declaration of Independence and the establishment of the State of Israel.  

In acknowledgement of this important and historic moment, Brigid Callahan Harrison, Democratic candidate for Congress in New Jersey’s second congressional district, announced today her detailed positions supporting Israel and the Jewish people:

Diplomacy
As a political scientist, I think any foreign policy discussion must begin with a condemnation of the tactics used by the Trump administration that have moved foreign policymaking away from the pursuit of the United States’ national interest as guided by knowledgeable and trained foreign policy experts, to the realm of the politically-motivated dilettante. In this climate, oftentimes, the experts who have dedicated their professional careers to pursuing our national interests and attempting to make the world a safer place have been subjected to scorn, ridicule and insult. There are numerous examples of the damage that this modus operandi can cause, including the unification of the Iranian people in the wake of the ill-advised yet Trump-directed assassination of Qassem Suleimani. As a member of Congress, I will be a strong voice for a U.S. foreign policy driven by experts, and motivated by a desire to ensure the peace, liberty, safety, and security of the United States and our allies, including Israel, whose relationship to the United States is an intrinsically special one.

Congressional Oversight of Presidential Authority
The Trump administration has illustrated in a glaring fashion the danger of Congress abrogating its constitutionally-derived authority in foreign relations. Specifically, only Congress is empowered to declared war, and as a member of Congress, I would advocate for revisiting Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF), passed by Congress after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks which has served to weaken the War Powers Resolution of 1973. In Congress, I would work to restore congressional oversight of U.S. military action to the legislative branch in keeping with constitutional intent.

The Relationship Between the United States and Israel
The relationship between the United States and Israel has been one characterized by deep friendship, respect, and loyalty since Israel’s founding, and I believe that relationship is important and must continue to be nurtured and supported. As a member of Congress, I will prioritize working to strengthen our bonds with Israel. As the lone democracy in the Middle East, Israel serves not just as a beacon of hope to many who yearn for a voice in their government, but also as an important strategic partner of the United States. That partnership, formed through the decades-long symbiotic nature of our peoples, is rooted in our shared core democratic values, collaborative undertakings in business, security, science and technology, and through diplomatic initiatives that seek to forge peace between Israel and Arab nations. As congresswoman from New Jersey’s second congressional district, I will work diligently to protect their strong partnership, advocate for the shared interests of Israel and the United States, and lead in the pursuing of peaceful solutions in the region.

Importance of a Two-State Solution
I strongly support the United States’ assuming a leadership role in brokering a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians, while actively discouraging action by the Israelis and the Palestinians which would impede a two-state centered peace process. American leadership in this role can help ensure the security of the state of Israel and protect the future of its democracy, and establish a framework for the safety and security of the Palestinian people while realizing their goal of establishing a homeland. Part of the two-state solution should include the creation of a dual-capital city in Jerusalem, and the negotiation of mutually-agreed upon lands swaps that would make both Israel and the Palestinians whole based on the 1967 armistice lines. The pursuit of this two-state solution would serve to create an environment in which Israelis and Palestinians can live freely, peacefully, and safely, and acknowledge the rights of the Palestinian people. This necessarily means that unilateral actions that would impede the pursuit of a peaceful two-state solution must be actively discouraged, including the Israeli occupation of and the expansion of settlements in the West Bank, the destruction of Palestinian communities to facilitate settlements, any form of unilateral annexation, and also the support of terrorism by Hamas, and the use of divisive, rhetoric by Israeli and Palestinian leaders. As a member of Congress, I will prioritize strongly pursuing a two-state based peace process so that Israel can work to increase international alliances. I will strongly advocate for ensuring the long-term safety and security of the Israeli and Palestinian people, while decreasing the likelihood of violence and the escalation of tensions which threatens the security of the state of Israel, and threatens stability in the region.

Security and Human Rights of the Israeli and Palestinian Peoples
I believe that the long-term security of Israel ultimately rests on a two-state solution, in which the Israeli state can peacefully co-exist with a Palestinian state. I firmly believe that the ability of the Israeli people to live outside the shadow of terrorism is their right, and that is a more likely reality when the Palestinian people have a homeland, where dignity, peace, security, and other basic human needs are met. As the congresswoman from New Jersey’s second congressional district, I will strongly advocate for continued aid to Israel to ensure that Israel has the means for self-defense. I will also support increasing federal funding to the United Nations (UNRWA) to provide education, health care, and social services to the Palestinian people, ensuring that the humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people are met with support from the international community, including and especially the United States. In addition to providing much-needed services to the Palestinian people, doing so also establishes the United States as a good-faith actor in brokering a peace process, lays the foundation for cooperation between Israel and the Palestinians, deters violence, and increases the long-term security of both Israelis and Palestinians.

The Iran Nuclear Deal
I oppose the proliferation of nuclear weapons, and I recognize the serious threat that the acquisition of nuclear weapons by Iran would pose to Israel, the Middle East, and indeed the entire world. I also firmly believe that it is in Israel’s and the United States’ interest to work with comparative moderates throughout the Arab world, and that the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (the Iran Nuclear Deal) provided a workable framework to effectively block Iran’s attempts to acquire a nuclear weapon, and we should work to get back in compliance with the deal. President Trump’s reversal of the Iran Nuclear deal was emblematic of his irrational foreign policy, at odds with common sense and in direct opposition to the viewpoints and actions of foreign policy experts, many Israeli lawmakers, security experts in the region, and our European allies. As the situation with Iran has evolved in the post- Suleimani assassination, I support the bi-partisan efforts to block President Trump from undertaking further military action against Iran unless specifically authorized by Congress.
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