November 13, 2020 
WEEK IN REVIEW
The peaceful transfer of power from one president to another is a hallmark of our democracy. It sets us apart from other countries where violence, chaos and civil unrest mark that process.

The writers of our Constitution made provisions for the peaceful transition of power. They had foreseen that deep seated bitterness and hard feelings between factions with political disagreements could be an impediment to the survival of the nation. They were right. 

Throughout our history there have been bitter election clashes between rivals. Suffering a humiliating defeat, John Adams quietly left Washington, DC under the cover of darkness before the inauguration of his successor Thomas Jefferson. Adams wanted to remain president, but he accepted the results of the election. He stepped down and established an
important precedent for our country.

Since then, the loser of every presidential election has willingly and peacefully surrendered power to the winner, despite whatever personal animosity or political divisions might exist.

Today, we live in a much more complicated time than that of Adams and Jefferson. Donald Trump's refusal to accept the election's outcome and to decision stand in the way of Joe Biden's transition has dangerous consequences for our nation and our democracy. We are in the midst of a deadly pandemic which requires swift action. 

Additionally, our foreign adversaries are closely watching, ready to seize on our vulnerabilities during this time. 

When outgoing President Barack Obama left the White House, he wrote a letter to incoming President Trump. Obama wrote: "We are just temporary occupants of this office. That makes us guardians of those democratic institutions and traditions -- like rule of law, separation of powers, equal protection and civil liberties -- that our forebears fought and bled for. Regardless of the push and pull of daily politics, it's up to us to leave those instruments of our democracy at least as strong as we found them."

It remains to be seen if Trump honors the sanctity of the office and heeds Obama's words. Regardless, Joe Biden will be sworn in as the 46th President on January 20th, with all the pomp and circumstance worthy of that moment in history and in a peaceful, dignified manner that reflects the true essence our democracy.
GET OUT THE VOTE FOR THE 2020 GEORGIA SPECIAL ELECTION
Help send Jon Ossoff (D) and Raphael Warnock (D) to the Senate on January 5th, 2021. 
POSTCARDS ARE BACK
Minimum of 50 and maximum of 200 postcards per request. 
If you would like JAC to send out your postcards, please return them to the JAC office at
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by
DECEMBER 14, 2020
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You can mail them directly to GA on December 21, 2020

MORE WAYS TO GET INVOLVED
ISRAEL
With Biden's Victory, It's Back to the Future for Israel and Palestine

Joe Biden, the U.S. president-elect, and his incoming administration will have an impact on Israel, the Palestinians and the Middle East at large on at least three dimensions: tone, emphasis and outcome. The Biden tone will be conciliatory and moderate, and will seek compromises instead of the confrontations that characterized Donald Trump, the feisty, abrasive and unpredictable outgoing president. And, as it is said, the tone makes the music. 
Continued Reading

ANTI-SEMITISM & BDS
UN Chief Urges Global Fight Against Pandemic and Hatred 

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a global fight on two fronts -- one against the coronavirus pandemic and the other against "the poison" of anti-Semitism and hatred of Muslims, migrants, refugees and many others. Even before the virus struck earlier this year, the U.N. chief said there was a surge in anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim hatred, racism and other forms of discrimination. "And with COVID-19, another virus has spread - anti-Semitism and hatred of many kinds," he said. 
Continued Reading

CHOICE
 
Biden Set to Roll Back Trump Rules on Abortion
 
President-elect Joe Biden is expected to roll back several of the Trump administration's changes to sexual and reproductive health programs, undoing a large portion of the president's executive actions on abortion and women's health. Abortion rights and women's health care advocates anticipate the Biden administration will act swiftly to reverse a myriad of Trump-era rules including ones that allow more employers to opt out of ObamaCare's contraception mandate and ban the use of federal family planning dollars for domestic and foreign organizations that provide or promote abortions.
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SEPARATION
2020 Faith Vote Reflects 2016 Patterns
 
President Donald Trump and Joe Biden this year both looked to rally support among religious Americans, but the faith vote largely broke along familiar lines. "The religious landscape in terms of voting has been remarkably stable," says Robert P. Jones, CEO of the Public Religion Research Institute. "Since Reagan, we have essentially seen this: white Christian voters have tended to support Republican candidates, and Christians of color and everyone else, including the religiously unaffiliated, have tended to support Democratic candidates."
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BEYOND THE CORE
Trump Administration Removes Scientist in Charge of Assessing Climate Change 

Michael Kuperberg, executive director of the U.S. Global Change Research Program, which produces the climate assessment, was told that he would no longer lead that organization, people with knowledge of the situation said. According to two people close to the administration, he is expected to be replaced by David Legates, a deputy assistant secretary at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration who previously worked closely with climate change denial groups. 
Continued Reading
POLITICAL BYTE
2020 Election 'Most Secure in History,' Security Officials Say

Federal election infrastructure officials said in a joint statement that the 2020 election was the "most secure in American history." Meanwhile, President Trump continued to spread baseless claims of widespread voter fraud in key battleground states. Mr. Trump on has still not conceded, and advisers confirmed to CBS News that he has openly discussed running for president again in 2024.
Continued Reading

BIDEN TRANSITION
The Life-Threatening Costs of a Delayed Transition

Because of the delay in the 2000 Presidential Election, the administrator of the General Services Administration at the time, David J. Barram, independently declined to "ascertain" Bush as the winner until the Supreme Court ultimately ruled and Gore conceded. Until now, this was the only instance of "ascertainment" being withheld for a significant period of time. As a result, while Bush and key staff were provided full intelligence briefings, the Bush transition did not have access to federal agencies and resources for 37 long days. President-elect Joe Biden and his transition team should not suffer a similar delay. The electoral landscape is simply not the same. The outcome is not the same. And we have since learned the serious costs of a delayed transition.
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FYI
Remembering Chicago Activist and Philanthropist Linda Sher
 
After the 1980 election, many friends of Israel in Congress were defeated by political groups that opposed Israel and the values of mainstream American Jewry. The far right movement was on the rise. Seeing these changes and the political danger it posed for the U.S.-Israel relationship, a young woman from Chicago named Linda Sher decided to do something - and she did. Sher had a vision to increase women's involvement and empowerment in the political process around the issue of Israel. These factors led Sher to start the Joint Action Committee for Political Affairs (JACPAC).
Continued Reading

The Last Word
"Joe, we've had a long and warm personal relationship for nearly 40 years, and I know you as a great friend of Israel. I look forward to working with both of you to further strengthen the special alliance between the US and Israel."

- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
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.
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