The Congressional Club of To Protect Our Heritage PAC held a breakfast on June 25 with honored guest Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi. She is the newest member of the US Senate, appointed by the Governor of Mississippi only two months ago upon the resignation of Senator Thad Cochran. She is now a candidate for the position of Senator in the upcoming special election to be held the first Tuesday of November.
Senator Hyde-Smith issued a well worded and warmly accepted position paper detailing her stand on issues concerning the US -Israel relationships. Senator Hyde-Smith spoke about her upbringing and how she became a strong supporter of Israel. Just days earlier on June 20th she voted for, and the Senate passed, an annual $3.8 billion dollars in US military aid for Israel.
Two years ago, we had a breakfast for Rep. David Young of the 3rd district of Iowa. At the breakfast there was a discussion about the education material in the Palestinian territories and Gaza. Specifically, regarding the ani-West, anti-Christian, anti-American, anti-Jewish and anti-Israel text books and educational material being used by the Palestinian Authority schools primarily in the West Bank and the UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Workers Agency) text books in the 697 schools that they operate primarily in Gaza but also a few in Judea and Samaria. To date, despite all the efforts made to create a workable peace between Israelis and Palestinians, it has not been successful. The activities of the PA and UNRWA of fomenting hate in their schools is making it impossible to make peace even in the next generation.
Based on the conversation at that breakfast, Rep. David Young introduced a bi-partisan bill HR 6034 on June 7, 2018. Fellow Republican Peter Roskam of IL and Democrats Rep. Josh Gottheimer of NJ and Rep. Brad Sherman of CA agreed to be original co-sponsors. The bill “requires the Secretary of State to submit annual reports reviewing the educational material used by the Palestinian Authority or UNRWA for Palestinian refugees in the West Bank and Gaza.”
Last month Congressman Young wrote the breakfast club a note stating, “It was from that meeting a few years ago which prompted me to explore the issue of violence and intolerance in educational materials”. He continued “As I look back at the evolution of this issue and policy idea I’m working on, the meeting and conversations I had with your breakfast club members was a key footnote”. This note is not only a thank you but shows the importance of meeting and how effective our breakfasts are with our Representatives and Senators. Freely expressing our thoughts and concerns with them, a right given to all Americans in the first amendment of the constitution, should be exercised whenever possible.
Now we turn to the hard work of gathering support for this bill and getting it passed. I urge everybody to personally contact their congressman, or any congressman they know, and ask them to co-sponsor HR 6034 and vote for it when it comes to a vote. Direct contact with our representatives does have an impact and can be the pivotal point in helping them formulate their opinions and ultimately decide their votes.
To get more information on the PA and UNRWA’s blatant anti-Israel and anti-Western civilization educational material, visit “Palestinian Media Watch” on their web site www.palwatch.org. This organization directed by Mr. Itamar Marcus listens to public comments made by major Palestinians and reviews all major printed newspapers, magazines and other material including schoolbooks in their original language. You can also visit “The Center for Near East Policy Research” directed by Mr. David Bedein at www.cfnepr.com. This organization makes videos of actual classrooms and camps in session and also reviews textbooks used in Gaza and the Palestinian territories.
