The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee adopted on Tuesday a resolution which stipulates that the U.S. will assist Israel if it is forced to take action against Iran.
The resolution, Senate Resolution 65, was introduced last month by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) and was co-sponsored by 15 Senators, including Robert Menendez (D-New Jersey), Marco Rubio (R-Florida), Kelly Ayotte (R-New Hampshire), John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Chuck Schumer (D-New York).
It states that the United States has a vital national interest in and unbreakable commitment to, ensuring the existence, survival, and security of the State of Israel; reaffirms the United States support for Israel’s right to self-defense; and urges that if Israel is compelled to take military action in self-defense, the United States will stand with Israel and provide diplomatic, military, and economic support in its defense of its territory, people, and existence.
It also states that U.S. policy is to halt Iranian nuclear ambitions. Senate Resolution 65 gained the support of 70 of the 100 senators.
A statement issued by AIPAC following the vote said, “The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has sent a very clear and enormously important message of solidarity with Israel against the Iranian nuclear threat—which endangers American, Israeli, and international security. AIPAC urges the full Senate to act expeditiously to adopt the resolution.”
On Tuesday, Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said that “the regime in Tehran does not see the western world as determined to stop the nuclear project, so it allows itself to continue with its plans.
“Only putting the Iranian regime before the dilemma of ‘bomb, or survival’ will lead to the end of the project,” he said.
“The world must take the lead in the standoff with Iran, but Israel must prepare for the possibility that it will need to protect itself alone,” he added.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu also referred to the Iranian nuclear threat on Tuesday, comparing it to the recent behavior of North Korea. He made the comments during a reception for foreign diplomats.
“We have recently seen the results of a wild regime that possesses nuclear weapons,” he said. “We have also seen that heavy sanctions are not always effective against a sufficiently determined regime.
“Therefore, we have an obligation to ensure that this will not happen again. If Iran achieves nuclear weapons, this will change the world. When I said this in the past, many listened and agreed, but now it is possible to agree from an additional perspective, and I think that all governments must do everything possible in order to ensure that this danger is not realized,” said Netanyahu.
Gantz: Israel Can Act Alone against Iran Nukes
Netanyahu: If We Must, We’ll Go to War
@ dweller:
You missed all the fun at the Daily Telegraph comment section the other time. We, israpundits, went en masse and won the arguments – if you reply to this comment, don’t make any reference to the names of two of the people in here who you can guess have joined this truth-telling PR expedition (they have said they don’t want their names mentioned).
@ Canuck Frank:
Don’t have that.
— Below, however, is a list of CO-SIGNERS and the date that they signed.
Any American citizen reading this list and NOT finding his/her own US Senator on the list should (courteously but firmly) put that individual on notice that the Senator’s actions will be remembered on election day.
If you decide to proceed thus, please note that mailed letters (viz., hardcopy) have the GREATEST impact, telephone calls come in second, and emails & tweets — of which they receive literally thousands every day — come in last.
Sen Ayotte, Kelly [NH] – 2/28/2013
Sen Barrasso, John [WY] – 3/6/2013
Sen Baucus, Max [MT] – 3/5/2013
Sen Begich, Mark [AK] – 2/28/2013
Sen Bennet, Michael F. [CO] – 3/5/2013
Sen Blumenthal, Richard [CT] – 2/28/2013
Sen Blunt, Roy [MO] – 2/28/2013
Sen Boozman, John [AR] – 3/5/2013
Sen Boxer, Barbara [CA] – 2/28/2013
Sen Brown, Sherrod [OH] – 2/28/2013
Sen Burr, Richard [NC] – 3/5/2013
Sen Cantwell, Maria [WA] – 3/18/2013
Sen Cardin, Benjamin L. [MD] – 2/28/2013
Sen Casey, Robert P., Jr. [PA] – 2/28/2013
Sen Chambliss, Saxby [GA] – 3/5/2013
Sen Coats, Daniel [IN] – 3/18/2013
Sen Coburn, Tom [OK] – 3/12/2013
Sen Cochran, Thad [MS] – 3/18/2013
Sen Collins, Susan M. [ME] – 2/28/2013
Sen Coons, Christopher A. [DE] – 3/6/2013
Sen Cornyn, John [TX] – 2/28/2013
Sen Crapo, Mike [ID] – 2/28/2013
Sen Cruz, Ted [TX] – 3/5/2013
Sen Donnelly, Joe [IN] – 3/5/2013
Sen Durbin, Richard [IL] – 3/13/2013
Sen Feinstein, Dianne [CA] – 3/12/2013
Sen Fischer, Deb [NE] – 3/5/2013
Sen Flake, Jeff [AZ] – 3/11/2013
Sen Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [NY] – 2/28/2013
Sen Grassley, Chuck [IA] – 3/5/2013
Sen Hagan, Kay [NC] – 3/5/2013
Sen Hatch, Orrin G. [UT] – 3/14/2013
Sen Heitkamp, Heidi [ND] – 3/11/2013
Sen Heller, Dean [NV] – 3/5/2013
Sen Hirono, Mazie K. [HI] – 3/5/2013
Sen Hoeven, John [ND] – 2/28/2013
Sen Inhofe, James M. [OK] – 3/6/2013
Sen Isakson, Johnny [GA] – 3/5/2013
Sen Johanns, Mike [NE] – 3/5/2013
Sen Johnson, Ron [WI] – 3/20/2013
Sen Johnson, Tim [SD] – 3/11/2013
Sen Kaine, Tim [VA] – 3/11/2013
Sen Kirk, Mark Steven [IL] – 2/28/2013
Sen Klobuchar, Amy [MN] – 3/11/2013
Sen Landrieu, Mary L. [LA] – 3/19/2013
Sen Lautenberg, Frank R. [NJ] – 2/28/2013
Sen Lee, Mike [UT] – 3/12/2013
Sen Manchin, Joe, III [WV] – 2/28/2013
Sen McCain, John [AZ] – 3/13/2013
Sen McCaskill, Claire [MO] – 3/5/2013
Sen McConnell, Mitch [KY] – 3/18/2013
Sen Menendez, Robert [NJ] – 2/28/2013
Sen Mikulski, Barbara A. [MD] – 3/5/2013
Sen Moran, Jerry [KS] – 3/5/2013
Sen Murkowski, Lisa [AK] – 3/12/2013
Sen Murray, Patty [WA] – 3/11/2013
Sen Nelson, Bill [FL] – 3/14/2013
Sen Portman, Rob [OH] – 2/28/2013
Sen Pryor, Mark L. [AR] – 3/13/2013
Sen Risch, James E. [ID] – 3/18/2013
Sen Roberts, Pat [KS] – 3/5/2013
Sen Rubio, Marco [FL] – 2/28/2013
Sen Schumer, Charles E. [NY] – 2/28/2013
Sen Scott, Tim [SC] – 3/11/2013
Sen Shaheen, Jeanne [NH] – 3/19/2013
Sen Shelby, Richard C. [AL] – 3/18/2013
Sen Stabenow, Debbie [MI] – 3/5/2013
Sen Tester, Jon [MT] – 3/5/2013
Sen Thune, John [SD] – 3/19/2013
Sen Toomey, Pat [PA] – 3/5/2013
Sen Vitter, David [LA] – 3/13/2013
Sen Warner, Mark R. [VA] – 3/11/2013
Sen Whitehouse, Sheldon [RI] – 3/11/2013
Sen Wicker, Roger F. [MS] – 3/5/2013
Sen Wyden, Ron [OR] – 2/28/2013
Who were the 30 senators who opposed Senate Resolution 65?