Jewish Leaders Urge Immediate Action on Iran Legislation

Welcome Senator Reid's Call on Administration to Work with Congress to "Quickly Complete Action"

New York, April 28, 2010 … Leaders of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations called on the House and Senate conferees to move ahead quickly on their deliberations on the Iran sanctions legislation passed by each House of Congress late last year. “We urge the members of Congress charged with reconciling the two measures to act quickly and to produce the strongest possible legislation. Time is not on our side and delays allow Iran to move ahead towards a nuclear weapons capability. We must send a clear message to Iran of the seriousness with which we regard its nuclear program and provocations as well as to our friends in the region of our determination and commitment to prevent it,” said Chairman Alan Solow and Executive Vice Chairman Malcolm Hoenlein.

Solow and Hoenlein also praised Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) for his recent letter to Secretary of State Hilary Clinton calling on her to “work with Congress to quickly complete action on the Iran sanctions legislation” and encouraging the Administration to “do everything possible to reduce recent tensions with Israel.”

Reid expressed his concern about the continuing threat from Iran’s nuclear weapons program and stated that “we are at a decisive moment both with Iran and the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations; it is at such moments that US leadership is crucial to ensure the security of Israel. We cannot allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon which would threaten Israel, our allies in Europe, and our own national interests.”

“Senator Reid plays an important role on these two issues. As we saw in the recent letters from both the Senate and the House of Representatives to President Obama, there is overwhelming bipartisan support and commitment to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability. As Senator Reid stated, a nuclear-armed Iran is a threat not just to Israel but to the entire Western world. This issue must stay at the top of the Administration’s agenda, and we thank Senator Reid for encouraging Secretary Clinton to work with Congress to quickly move the Iran sanctions legislation,” said Chairman Alan Solow and Executive Vice Chairman Malcolm Hoenlein.

“The long-standing relationship between the United States and Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East, is based on shared values, beliefs and interests and is of vital importance to both. We agree with Senator Reid that this relationship makes the United States more secure and that we must move forward with ‘a peace process that protects the security of Israel,’” added Solow and Hoenlein.