The 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act has arrived, but those rights President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law in 1965 are threatened.

Unfettered access to vote is one of the most basic and cherished freedoms in America. Ensuring free and fair access to the voting booth for all Americans is a vital component of our democracy. We need voting rights reform to guarantee full access to the ballot box. 

In 2013, B’nai B’rith spoke out against the 5-4 Supreme Court ruling Shelby County v. Holder, which eliminated the requirement that nine states and numerous counties must seek federal approval before changing their election laws. 

At the time, we expressed deep concern that the ruling could pave the way for state and local efforts to suppress voting by minorities. We noted then that it was time for Congress to act again to extend the requirement that these states and localities get pre-approval to change their voting laws. 

In June Congress began to push ahead on a bill that would restore provisions of the Voting Rights Act, which was passed 50 years ago and has been weakened by several federal court decisions over the years.  

The Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015 would enact new voting protections and expanded federal oversight of voting rules, updating key protections against voting rights discrimination to respond to current challenges.

The 50th anniversary of the original Voting Rights Act presents a historic opportunity to honor the advances won by the civil rights movement a half century ago by passing legislation in our own time that ensures the hard-fought gains they achieved will not continue to erode. 

B’nai B’rith urges both parties and both chambers to work together to pass a measure restoring voting protections for all Americans. 

B’nai B’rith International has issued the following statement:

B’nai B’rith lauds the overwhelmingly bipartisan Senate vote in favor of mandating Congressional oversight of the nuclear agreement the United States and its partners are negotiating with Iran.

The United States Congress has an important and legitimate role in reviewing any measure involving lifting sanctions against Tehran.

The Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act provides a necessary structure for Congressional involvement. Given the high stakes of the nuclear talks, the global impact of their outcome and the many uncertainties that lie ahead as a final deal is negotiated, it is critical that Congress plays an active role.

Though a final negotiating deadline is set for next month, the framework agreement reached between Tehran and the P5+1 negotiating partners (the United States, United Kingdom, China, France, Germany and Russia) in April has many troubling aspects.

B’nai B’rith has long been skeptical of the framework agreement’s ability to increase Iran’s nuclear breakout time from three months to a year, given the regime’s unwavering determination to continue enrichment and its history of evading inspections. Tehran has a decades-long record of obfuscation regarding its nuclear activities. There is no reason to believe now that it will stick to the parameters of an agreement.

We are encouraged by the Senate’s decisive action and urge the House of Representatives to promptly follow suit.  

B’nai B’rith International has issued the following statement:

B’nai B’rith International is encouraged by the bipartisan agreement reached between Congress and the White House on the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015 (S.615), which, if passed, would give the legislature the power to review a final deal on the Iranian nuclear program.

The compromise struck between Sen. Bob Corker and Sen. Ben Cardin gives Congress 30 days to review a deal with Iran following the June 30 negotiating deadline with the United States, its negotiating partners and Tehran. President Obama has pledged to sign the bill if passed by both chambers of Congress.

B’nai B’rith calls on the Senate to pass the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act and the House of Representatives to do the same when the bill is brought to the floor.

Given the high stakes for U.S. national security and stability in the Middle East, it is essential that Congress be involved.

The bipartisan consensus on S.615 is encouraging. It conveys the broad concern in the Senate over the proposed nuclear deal with Iran.

While this congressional action is vitally important, B’nai B’rith remains deeply concerned about the Iranian regime’s interest in adhering to a nuclear agreement based on a 36-year track record of obfuscation and cheating. Iran also continues to act as the world's largest state-sponsor of terrorism, which only furthers our skepticism as to whether Iran will honor the final deal in good faith.

B’nai B’rith International has issued the following statement:

The horrific murders of 147 people in Kenya, most of them Christian college students, are a frightening reminder of the dangers of Islamic extremism.

On April 2, the Somalia-based Islamic militant group al-Shabab infiltrated Garissa University College to begin a murderous rampage. Over the course of the 15-hour siege, they targeted Christians.

Global terror fueled by religious intolerance is a growing plague. In parts of Africa and across the Middle East, assaults on free societies in the name of religion are growing. As we work to combat intolerance, we must all endeavor to remember the names, lives and families behind the raw numbers reported after such a tragedy.

B’nai B’rith International has issued the following statement:

In the wake of the announced framework of a deal between the United States, its five negotiating partners, and Tehran on the Iranian nuclear program, B’nai B’rith International believes there are still many questions surrounding the outcome—questions involving the viability of the deal and whether the notoriously sinister and secretive Iranian government will honor the terms in good faith.

B’nai B’rith is skeptical of the agreement’s ability to increase Iran’s nuclear breakout time from three months to a year, given the regime’s unwavering determination to continue enrichment and its history of evading inspections. The current deal, negotiated by the P5+1 (United States, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United Kingdom), follows more than 20 years of deception by the regime in Tehran. If it was truly negotiated in good faith, then why did Iran run out the clock as the deadline approached?  

We thank Secretary of State John Kerry and his team for their hard work over many, many months. But we still remain concerned.

Iran’s credibility has already been severely strained by its track record of saying one thing and acting on the complete opposite. Iran has always opposed international “interference” in the Syrian civil war, all the while supporting the Syrian government with troops and supplies. In the current conflict in Yemen, Tehran has taken the same stance, while simultaneously backing one side. These are just a few of many examples of Iran’s deceitful and aggressive behavior, a list which also includes Iran’s many ventures as the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism.

The framework deal calls for a reduction of Iran’s installed centrifuges by two-thirds of its current capacity, but Iran’s actions during negotiations seemingly offer a clear blueprint for how it would act once a deal is in place. Even under the preliminary agreement, the regime has continued to enrich and stockpile uranium, build centrifuges, defy the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and other inspection requests from the international community, pursue plans to build intercontinental ballistic missiles and hide the military dimensions of its nuclear program. Will Tehran truly allow for the transparency of its nuclear sites with comprehensive inspections by the IAEA? We also question whether the Iranians will actually convert their clandestine enrichment center at Fordow into a center for nuclear physics and technology research, or whether they will downgrade their heavy-water reactor in Arak.

While Iranian double-speak is a legitimate concern, what’s even more disturbing is the regime’s straightforward talk when it comes to Israel. Just a few days ago a commander in the Revolutionary Guards, Mohammad Reza Naqdi, said that erasing Israel off the map” is “nonnegotiable”—a horribly frightening statement as negotiations were in the penultimate stage.

The incendiary remarks, obviously, don’t stop there. Several months ago, Iranian General Mohammad Ali Jafari said: “The range of (our) missiles covers all of Israel today. That means the fall of the Zionist regime, which will certainly come soon.” Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei even stated that same month: “Whether a nuclear agreement is achieved or not, Israel will be more insecure each day.”

With a June 30 deadline set for a final deal, B’nai B’rith will be monitoring the specifics of the deal that are released in the coming months. B’nai B’rith urges Congress to carefully and stringently review the agreement during that time as well. A nuclear-ready Iran has consequences that would resonate far beyond Israel and the United States. Given the uncertainties of the deal and the enormity of the stakes, we hope that both parties in Congress will make their voices heard, as both the administration and Congress must play an active role in preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Trevor Noah Has History of Anti-Israel, Anti-Semitic, Misogynistic Comments

B’nai B’rith is concerned about the long history of anti-Semitic, anti-Israel and misogynistic tweets by the new choice to host the popular comedy program, The Daily Show.

Trevor Noah, tapped to replace retiring Daily Show host Jon Stewart, has repeatedly tweeted comments that are deeply offensive and highly stereotypical, and his anti-Israel comments even border on incitement. Why does he tweet about Jews so much?

Though Jon Stewart has always been quick to note that The Daily Show is meant to provide entertainment more than actual news, political comedy in our culture is often a substitute for news. Studies have shown that a large number of Americans, particularly young Americans, get their news from such programs.

The line between satire and hate can be very fine. As a result, the role of the host on this popular program carries significant responsibility.

We recognize that the platform The Daily Show provides its host is different from the stand-up comedy circuit, and we are hopeful that Noah will use this new and larger role responsibly on complex, sensitive issues. Entertainment cannot justify promoting hate and misinformation—and no group, including Israelis and Jews, should be considered fair game for bigotry. 

B’nai B’rith International has issued the following statement:

B’nai B’rith International is strongly disappointed to learn that the Virginia State Bar (VSB) cancelled a planned seminar in Israel for its members, citing concerns over Israel’s stringent entry and exit policies as well as a shortage of sign-ups for the trip.

Though the VSB responded to the widespread criticism it received for the decision, insisting it was a logistical move rather than a political one, this situation plays into the hands of the malicious Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. 

Israel’s entry and exit procedures, while certainly strict, are entirely necessary in light of the country’s onerous security predicament. And while the VSB cited the State Department website’s words of caution to those travelling to Israel and the concern some members expressed about being admitted into the country, the BDS movement frequently distorts complex security considerations in its effort to falsely depict Israel as dismissive of civil liberties.

BDS is driven by the rejection of Israel's right to exist as a Jewish democratic state in the ancestral Jewish homeland. The movement singles out Israel for demonization, while consistently applying double standards that undermine Israel’s right to defend itself against terrorism and radical extremism.
 
Israel demonstrates great restraint and conscientiousness in the implementation of its security procedures as it takes in millions of visitors each year. The fact that the VSB would use Israel’s security policies as a reason to cancel a program, thereby handing a victory to the sinister BDS movement, is highly regrettable. We call on the VSB to reverse its decision.

B’nai B’rith International has issued the following statement:

B’nai B’rith International is pleased to see movement from Congress on a permanent solution for paying doctors who treat Medicare patients and ending more than a decade’s worth of “doc fixes.” Since 2003, 17 of these short term fixes have been enacted by Congress, most recently blocking 21.2 percent payment cuts to doctors of Medicare patients. A permanent fix is long overdue, and B’nai B’rith is encouraged by the bipartisan, political will to agree on this legislation.

The sustainable growth rate formula (SGR) is the system that is currently in place for determining payment rate cuts and has been a flawed payment approach from the beginning. Congress votes every year to “fix” the SGR to stop it from taking effect.

B’nai B’rith favors a permanent fix and a replacement of this formula that moves toward incentives for doctors to provide a higher quality of care.

While listening to the outpouring of ideas in resolving this issue, B’nai B’rith does have concerns we hope both chambers  of Congress will consider when reviewing the plan and before voting on a permanent fix.

One of those concerns is the absence of “extenders” in the bill. Extenders have been vital parts of all previous doc fixes, blocking other SGR-based cuts and caps on Medicare benefits, and extending the life of programs that help lower-income beneficiaries with their out of pocket costs. Extenders have a huge impact on low-income patients and it’s unclear what the fate of those programs would be in the permanent fix. If they are left out of a permanent fix, they lose their best annual chance to be addressed.  

Another issue B’nai B’rith has encountered is the inclusion of “pay-fors” in the bill that shift $30 billion in costs directly onto beneficiaries and will most likely result in higher premiums for all future beneficiaries. Instead of shifting this cost onto Medicare patients other avenues should be pursued, such as prescription drug savings which would accrue to the Medicare program if Medicare negotiated lower drug prices.

B’nai B’rith has long been adamant about Congress passing a permanent solution to the broken SGR. In December 2014 B’nai B’rith helped draft a letter from the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations advocating to Sens. Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell and Reps. John Boehner and Nancy Pelosi that very position. Click here to read the letter.


Image via Flickr

B’nai B’rith International has issued the following statement:

B’nai B’rith International delivered a statement on March 23 at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), speaking under the biased anti-Israel item 7 to address the body’s just-deferred “Commission of Inquiry” report on Israel’s conflict with Hamas during the summer of 2014.

B’nai B’rith representative to the U.N. in Geneva Klaus Netter normally speaks under UNHRC agenda item 4, under which all countries except Israel are considered, but instead spoke under item 7 as the commission’s conclusions had previously been expected to be released in that context. Netter admonished the council for the selection of an outspoken critic of Israel, William Schabas, as the chairman of the inquiry. Schabas resigned following the revelation that he had served as a paid consultant to the Palestine Liberation Organization.

Netter explained: “We are speaking under this item, because we had expected that the report of the ‘Commission of Inquiry’ on last year’s conflict in and around Gaza would be submitted by today. Its submission was delayed on account of the most unusual resignation of the commission’s chairman, who had neglected to report his previous consultancy relationship with one of the parties to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Never in the council’s nine-year history—or indeed in the 60-year history of its predecessor [Human Rights] Commission—had such an embarrassment occurred. It should serve as a warning in future selections of commission members and special rapporteurs.”

Netter concluded by putting the Palestinian-Israeli conflict into perspective in the broader context of unrest in the Middle East, highlighting the council’s obsession with Israel and its willful ignorance of the incomparable atrocities being committed in Syria: “The number of victims in all past Israel-Arab hostilities constitute a small portion of the 200,000 victims caused by the Syrian conflict next door, but this relationship is hardly reflected in the number of resolutions coming before the council this week.”

A batch of rote anti-Israel motions and reports—more than those targeting any other country—are expected to be approved by the body, whose own members include serial rights violators.


Image via Flickr

B’nai B’rith International has issued the following statement:

B’nai B’rith International sent a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulating him on his party’s success in Israel's national elections on behalf of all of the organization’s members and supporters. B’nai B’rith also extended its sincere hopes for the security of the State of Israel and overall welfare of the nation as Netanyahu shifts his attention to assembling a governing coalition.

In the letter, B’nai B’rith International President Allan J. Jacobs and Executive Vice President Daniel S. Mariaschin write: “Israel's vibrant democracy—very much in evidence during the recent campaign—is unique to the Middle East and therefore a source of great pride to the Jewish community. We hope that the spirited election campaign just concluded will give way to a renewed sense of national purpose, as Israelis confront the considerable international and domestic challenges facing their country.”

Mariaschin and Jacobs went on to pledge B’nai B’rith’s eternal support, “not only for the well-being of the Jewish state, but for the ongoing strength of the U.S.-Israel relationship.”

They closed by wishing Netanyahu and the government “much success in your effort to lead Israel to a future that is at once secure, prosperous and peaceful.”

Click here to read the full letter.