February 21, 2020 
WEEK IN REVIEW
The U.S. is facing a growing crisis from white supremacy. This form of domestic terrorism is increasingly linked to groups, individuals, or movements abroad. It is a direct threat to the Jewish community as well as other religious and minority groups.
 
Former combat veteran Rep. Max Rose (D-NY) has taken the lead in Congress to introduce legislation to deal with this problem. The Transnational White Supremacist Extremism Review (WSER) directs the Department of Homeland Security to develop and disseminate a terrorist threat assessment of foreign violent white supremacist extremist groups.
 
Rose, who is Chair of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Intelligence and Counterterrorism, also sent a letter with 39 other Members of Congress to the Secretary of State demanding answers as to why white supremacist extremist groups are not included on the list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO).  
 
The terrorist attacks on a synagogue in Poway, CA, and a grocery store in El Paso, TX, were inspired by foreign white supremacist groups. There have also been attacks abroad from these same type of groups.
 
Meanwhile, many of these hate groups have stepped up their propaganda efforts inside our country. According to the ADL, the number of incidents involving the distribution of racist, anti Semitic and anti-LGBTQ fliers, stickers, banners and posters has increased dramatically. Last year there were 2173 reported compared to the 1,214 in 2018. This is the highest number of propaganda incidents ADL has ever recorded.
 
Other Members of Congress, like Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL), are trying to deal with the problem of hate groups. He has introduced The Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2020 to enhance the federal government's efforts to prevent domestic terrorism by establishing offices dedicated to combating this threat; requiring federal law enforcement agencies to regularly assess this threat; and providing training and resources to assist state, local, and tribal law enforcement in addressing it.
 
Rose, Schneider and other JAC candidates are working to protect our country and ensure that we are all safe from domestic and foreign threats. JAC is proud to support them. Make a donation to JAC  
 
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(Not sure who to donate to? Make a donation to JAC and we will use it to support our candidates.)
JAC AROUND TOWN
JAC met with Rita Hart, candidate for IA-2.
(l to r: Paul Hart, Hollis Wein, Rita Hart, Linda Rae Sher, Marcia Balonick)

JAC met with Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL) in Denver.
(l to r: Steve Ehrlick, Sen. Jones, Annie Atlas, Laura Ehrlick)

ISRAEL
Palestinian Officials Face Threats, Abuse for Normalizing Ties With Israel
                  
Palestinian officials in Ramallah defended recent meetings with Israelis and dismissed allegations they were betraying Palestinians by promoting normalization with Israel. The officials insisted the meetings, which took place on Friday and Sunday, were approved by the leadership of the Palestinian Authority and the PLO. The meetings with Israelis were part of the Palestinian leadership's campaign to rally opposition to US President Donald Trump's recently unveiled plan for Middle East peace, the officials said. The campaign also aims to show the Israeli public that the Palestinians are partners for peace, they said. 
Continued Reading

ANTI-SEMITISM & BDS
France Is Failing to Fight Its Rising Tide of Anti-Semitism

The most dangerous place to be a Jew in Europe is France. That's the conclusion of an unpublished, two-year report on anti-Semitism in 11 European countries, conducted by former NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly at former US Ambassador to Austria Ronald Lauder's behest. Kelly's report concludes that the threat to the 450,000 Jews in France, the world's third-largest community (after Israel and the United States), is the most "acute." 
Continued Reading

 

CHOICE
Jewish Women's Group Leads Push to Pass National Bill Protecting Abortions    
 
More than 50 faith-based organizations published a letter spearheaded by the National Council of Jewish Women calling on Congress to pass a bill that would protect access to abortion care. Twenty Jewish organizations were among the 53 groups that signed the letter in support of the Women's Health Protection Act. The measure would provide a safeguard against bans and medically unnecessary restrictions specifically tied to abortion. It has at least 200 co-sponsors in the U.S. House of Representatives and 42 in the Senate.   
Continued Reading

SEPARATION
 
How Do You Get From the Trailer Park to a White House Job? Give Money to Trump's Spiritual Adviser.

As one of the only women in the male-dominated world of TV preachers, Paul White-Cain long ago reached evangelical celebrity status. But now she has now accomplished something no other televangelist has ever achieved: a job in the White House. Since the end of October, she has served as the adviser to the White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative, which Trump created through an executive order in 2018, as part of the White House Office of Public Liaison. As such, her official duties entail consulting with the faith community on such social issues as poverty and crime prevention and making recommendations to the White House Domestic Policy Council.
Continued Reading

BEYOND THE CORE
Secret Service Goes on the Road to Help Curb School Violence    
 
The U.S. Secret Service is taking its effort to curb school violence on the road to help thousands of educators, law enforcement personnel, mental health professionals and others learn how to identify people who may be threats. The latest stop in the Secret Service tour is this week in Miami, where officials say about 700 people will attend a session by the agency's National Threat Assessment Center. Similar events have been held in Los Angeles and Chicago since the November 2019 release of the latest analysis of school violence.  
Continued Reading

POLITICAL BYTE
Trump's Latest Pardons Show How Quickly He's Normalizing Corruption    
 
The notion that arguably the most personally corrupt president in American history has good-faith concerns about corruption has always been absurd. But whatever shred of plausibility it had was dealt a death blow when President Donald Trump pardoned or commuted the sentences of a veritable who's who of corrupt public figures.   
Continued Reading

ELECTION 2020
Trump Campaign Hires Alum of Controversial Data Company  
 
President Donald Trump's campaign is bringing on an alum of the controversial data firm Cambridge Analytica, a move likely to raise alarms among Trump critics and data privacy advocates who worry the president will push the technological envelope to get reelected in 2020. Cambridge gained notoriety for its work on psychological voter profiling and because it allegedly improperly obtained the personal information of tens of millions of Facebook users.     
Continued Reading

FYI
Michelle Obama Shares Throwback Picture From Prom Night    
 
Michelle Obama has shared a throwback photograph from her prom night in the 1980s in a bid to encourage students in the U.S. to register to vote. 
Continued Reading

JAC II
Introducing JACII, a JAC group for young professionals, advocates, and those young at heart who are looking to get involved. Groups have started in Detroit, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
 
Events will feature elected officials and speakers in lively settings. JACII is by and for young people. Now is the perfect time to get involved.
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Know someone who would be interested in joining or hosting a meeting? Let us know at info@jacpac.org. We will be happy to help organize a JACII in your city.

The Last Word
"Institutions are only as strong as the people who protect them."
   
- Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) 
Events
  
An Evening at the Theater with JACPAC
What the Constitution Means to Me
Wednesday, March 11th
Dinner & Political Update with Jill Wine Banks: 5:30 pm
Showtime: 7:30 pm
Chicago, IL
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SAVE THE DATE
Talking Points with
Rep. Sean Casten (IL-6)
Monday, April 6
9:30 am 
Chicago Suburbs
Details to follow
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SAVE THE DATE
April 21-23, 2020
JAC's 2020 Annual Meeting
Celebrating 40 years of JAC
Washington, DC
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Want to host a JAC event? Contact the office and we will help organize it.
info@jacpac.org or 847.433.5999

Joint Action Committee for Political Affairs (JACPAC) is a pro-Israel PAC with a domestic agenda. We support a strong U.S.-Israel relationship and advocate for reproductive health and the separation of religion and state and incorporate other issues of importance to the Jewish community, including gun violence prevention and climate change. In addition to providing financial support for U.S. Senate and House campaigns, JACPAC educates our membership with outreach events designed to inform and activate their participation in the political process.
Paid for by Joint Action Committee for Political Affairs. Contributions or gifts are not tax deductible.  Federal law requires us to use our best efforts to collect and report the name, mailing address, occupation, and name of employer of individuals whose contributions exceed $200 in an election cycle. Corporate contributions and contributions from non-US citizens who are not lawfully admitted for permanent residence are prohibited. All contributions by individuals must be made from personal funds and may not be reimbursed or paid by another person.