To the honorable Senator Cory Booker, I’m a citizen in your State of New Jersey, living in Lakewood’s predominantly Orthodox Jewish community. I came out in support of you the times you visited Lakewood, and I came away impressed by your genuineness and sincerity of wanting to do the right thing and not go with the flow of politics as usual in Washington. You spoke to our community and made us feel we were on the same page morally and politically. You were on target and articulate in your speeches to our community.
The question then begs to be asked of you, where is your morality and where is our representation in the senate when you vote against what common sense dictates and how most of your constituents feel.
I know you’re a democrat and there are issues one must vote with the party line but your vote cast in favor of the Iran deal just put the lives of 8.5 million people who live in Israel in harm’s way.
The USA was always there for Israel (at least until the current president took office). This vote is a new low in the relationship between the United States and Israel.
Below is your stand on Israel in words taken from your website.
The U.S.-Israel Relationship
“In an increasingly uncertain world, Israel continues to be an advocate for freedom, equality and democracy in the Middle East, protecting the rights of its citizens while upholding the values that Americans hold dear. From a strategic perspective, the United States must continue to support Israel as a secure homeland for the Jewish people.
“Simply put, where Israel’s security is at stake, America’s security is at stake.”We share strategic interests, face common threats and jointly aspire to achieve peace.
Ultimately, however, it is not only America’s strategic self-interest, but also our shared history, a set of common ideals and respect for democratic values that anchors our special relationship with the Jewish state. American support for Israel has been at the center of our Middle East policy for over six decades and must continue to be a central component of our foreign policy in the region. it is the right of the Israeli government to make the tough decisions that are necessary to secure its future.
During any eventual negotiation, certain things must remain non-negotiable, namely conditions that speak to Israel’s right to exist as a secure Jewish state.
It would seem that your vote for the Iran deal doesn’t add to the security needs of Israel, if anything can be said about Iran it’s their promise to obliterate and wipe Israel off the map of the earth and they can be trusted about that, and only that.
Having Iran police itself looking at their weapons of mass production facilities is having the proverbial FOX GUARDING THE HEN HOUSE.
For a smart man as yourself a Rhodes Scholar no less, I’m scratching my head in disbelief as to how you came to your decision.
Senator Booker, the vote is next week, and it’s not too late to reverse your decision and do what you know deep down is morally right for yourself for your constituents you represent, and for the state of Israel.
Sincerely yours,
Ari K.
Lakewood, NJ.
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why is aguda silent on the issue?!
Well done!
Thanks for writing your view in a respectful way
This deal supports Israel. Most of the Jewish Senators and Congressmen/women support this deal. Why do you have an issue with Senator Booker?
At this point I don’t think it will even make a difference if the US votes it down.
The rest of the world is already lifting all sanctions and is happy to do business with Iran.
The US did a horrible job at the negotiating table and it’s to late to turn back.
To the author:
You contend that Senator Booker’s vote on this matter is at odds with a majority of his constituents. Do you have any information that verifies this claim? NJ is larger than just Lakewood.
Secondly, your view on the Iran deal as a whole, I am not entirely at odds with. However, I believe that supporting the deal is the best of bad options. I thank Senator Booker for supporting the deal and the U.S. and Israel’s best interest.
Sound rationale exists for supporting this deal, despite the doom the talking heads espouse.
For one, I would think some inspection of nuclear facilities (which Iran has already) is better than no inspection whatsoever.
Second, to claim we can continue imposing sanctions on Iran until Moshiach comes overlooks the worldwide support sanctions require in order to be effective. Support for the sanctions was waning in the international community and the sooner a deal could be reached, the better the U.S. bargaining power would be.
Finally, the only real alternative (beside kicking the can down the road) would be a war with Iran. Now to many, this may not sound so bad, but I assure you, if your children were serving in the military and would need to do the dirty work, you would sing a different tune. Haven’t we learned our lesson from our previous wars how devastating the effects of war can be? Is the Iraq war something you really want to repeat? That should be our absolute last resort… not our first.
Mr. Farfel… In case the fact that most of the “Jewish” Senators and Congresspersons are Democrats and will almost always support their party has escaped you, you have now been reminded. Apparently Senator Booker and also Congressman Pallone do not have the courage to buck the party leadership or Obama. Both of them waited until the votes were already in to announce their positions. This was the exact opposite of another 2 Jewish Senators (Schumer of NY. and Cardin of MD.) who came out against this bad deal and against Obama. That is courage.
bring in Trump to Lakewood. invite his Yiddish daughter & son in law. when elected he will not let us down. they donate to Yeshivas otherwise. maybe throw a hint in for sponsorship here for schools.
Gotta say, Booker let me down here. So disappointed in him. Looked like a guy with a little bit of sense when he came here, but he is paying tribute to the same party powers…. I do wonder why the Agudah is silent on this as teh first commenter writes. WHERE IS THE AGUDA STATEMENT OF DISPLEASURE? THere should be one. If for no other reason than just to respectfully iterate that our demographic is not happy with this decision it should be done. Respectfully, not with anger, but just with a clear message- We do not approve of this decision as a community and will make that disapproval known to our best ability at the polls and elsewhere.
For those saying it is to late for samctions, I have seen a few articles from wxperts that be to differ. Europeam banks have been hit heavily by the recession, leaving the U.S. Banks more dominant than ever. If U.S. would impose sanctions that would prohibit U.S. Banks from doing business with companies who do business in Iran, no global company could weather thise samctions.
In regard to the comment that all of NJ is not Lakewood, the fact is that a vast majority of the country opposed te Iran Deal, Jew and non Jew alike. It only stands to reason that NJ, with a large Jewish population, would be no worse than the rest of the country.
It’s really amazing to see where things have come to. The fact that at this point we are still discussing negotiations, treaties and deals like Iran can be appeased is mind blowing. Instead, we need to be discussing our military options. In hindsight who wouldn’t have wanted to murder Hitler? What we need is decisive action by the U.S. and (or) Israel to eradicate the nuclear sites once and for all. I realize it’s more complicated than how it sounds, but all the craziness now is just pushing off the inevitable, one deadline after another.
And yes our elected officials, even if their vote is not needed in the end, must be held accountable. And it’s too bad if Booker is listening to some constituents, he’s not listening to US and does not deserve our vote in the future. It is still not too late Cory, please do the right thing.
What I don’t understand is as follows. It seems that everyone, including the president himself agrees with the notion that nuclear Iran will destabilize the entire region and eventually affect the entire world as well. If so, how can we pave Iran’s path to the bomb in 15 years? If our elected leaders would at least be reassuring us that Iran will not be allowed to go nuclear, but for now we are better off delaying the ultimate confrontation we’d all understand. However, this isn’t the song being sang. The song being sang is that we refuse to go to war if necessary to prevent t Irsn from going nuclear and therefore this deal is better for us because we are at least delaying the inevitable.
Am I getting this right, do all you readers out there agree with this notion?
Thank you for helping our kal Yisroel
The deal is great, because the deal stops Iran from going nuclear in the next 15 years. It doesn’t stop Iran from going nuclear after that, at which point, there will be a war.
The other alternative is to have the war now. (Like, NOW.)
The first option is better, so the deal is a great deal for America.
*****
As an American, I support America and its best interests. Senator Cory Booker did the right thing, and voted to support America’s best interests.
As a Jew, I’m sure Hashem (God) will provide any necessary help to Israel when the time comes.
he is like a classic sleeping politician first they lie on one side and then they lie on the other ,welcome to the land of the free, at least it aint iran here
what do you expect from a booker.