In approximately 1440 BC, Moses led the Jewish people out of Egypt, beginning a journey to the land God had promised them in Canaan.1 The journey should have taken 11 days (Deuteronomy 1:2). But, instead, it took them 40 years!
The extended length of the journey was due to the people's lack of faith that ultimately motivated some of them to rebel against Moses (Numbers 14:1-4 and Psalm 78:17-42). This behavior prompted God to decide that the generation that departed from Egypt would have to die in the wilderness before their descendants would be allowed to enter the Promised Land (Numbers 14:26-38).
Accordingly, it was about 1400 BC when the children of Israel were finally poised to cross the Jordan River and enter the land they had been promised. On that auspicious occasion, Moses paused their journey to summarize God's Law for them (Deuteronomy 5-27). He also used the occasion to provide them with a detailed warning (Deuteronomy 28-29).
The Land Use Covenant
God had already given the descendants of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob the title deed to the land of Canaan (Genesis 12:1-3; 17:1-8; 26:1-5; and 28:13-14). Now, through Moses, He was going to make another covenant with them that would be related to their use of the land. Basically, what Moses told them was that even though they had an everlasting title to the land, their use and enjoyment of it would depend upon their obedience to God's Laws which had been revealed to them during their wilderness wanderings.
Moses proclaimed that if the people were obedient to God, He would shower them with blessings (Deuteronomy 28:1-14). Their children, their crops and their animals would be blessed (28:4). Their enemies would be defeated and they would "abound in prosperity" and be established as "a holy people whom the rest of the world would fear" (28:7-11).
Moses proceeded to sternly warn them that if they were disobedient to God, He would place curses on them. Their children would rebel, their crops would fail and their animals would not reproduce (Deuteronomy 28:16-19). They would also suffer from diseases, drought, and foreign domination (28:21,24,33).
Moses further warned that if they did not respond in repentance to these remedial judgments, the Lord would intensify them: "...then the LORD will bring extraordinary plagues on you and your descendants, even severe and lasting plagues, and miserable and chronic sicknesses... all the diseases of Egypt of which you were afraid..." (28:39-60).
Moses then declared that if these extreme measures did not produce repentance, God would subject them to the worst possible punishment — exile from their homeland:"Moreover, the LORD will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth; and there you shall serve other gods, wood and stone, which you or your fathers have not known" (Deuteronomy 28:64).
Moses had already briefly mentioned this ultimate punishment of God in the survey of the Law which He had presented in the book of Leviticus. After listing many possible remedial judgments (Leviticus 26:14-31), just as in Deuteronomy, Moses warned that God's ultimate judgment would be their "scattering among the nations" (26:33).
The Unfaithfulness of the Jewish People
At the conclusion of Moses's warning recorded in Deuteronomy, the children of Israel crossed the Jordan River and entered the Promised Land. And they proceeded to violate God's commands. They failed to annihilate the wicked Canaanite people, and they began to intermarry with them. This led the Jewish people into the worst sin of all — the practice of idolatry.
Just as He had warned through Moses, God responded to Israel's persistent rebellion by sending remedial judgments and raising up prophetic voices to call the people to repentance.Read what the Prophets had to say...
The Destruction of Israel
All these appeals and warnings fell on deaf ears. The result was the destruction of the kingdom of Israel by the Assyrians in 722 BC. The kingdom had lasted 208 years. There had been 19 kings, and not a single one had been considered righteous in the eyes of God.
The Assyrian conquest of the kingdom of Israel marked the beginning of the dispersion of the Jewish people in accordance with the prophecy of Deuteronomy 28:63-64. The ten Jewish tribes of that kingdom ultimately ended up being scattered all across the Eurasian continent, from Assyria to China and even into the Indian subcontinent.3
The Destruction of Judah
It was up and down after that with regard to Judah's kings, but overall, there was a steady descent of the society into spiritual darkness. It is a tragic story because no other nation had ever been blessed as much as Judah. God prospered its people and gave them many righteous kings. More important, His Shekinah Glory resided in their Temple in Jerusalem. But the people of Judah took their eyes off the Lord and began to wallow in pride, which led them into a multiplicity of sins.
Not only did the prophet Jeremiah specify that the nation would be destroyed by Babylon and that the people would be carried away to captivity, he also specified that this exile would last exactly 70 years (25:11-12). But all the warnings fell on deaf ears. Here's how the response is described in Jeremiah 17:23 — "Yet they did not listen or incline their ears, but stiffened their neck in order not to listen or take correction."
So, God sent the Babylonians as His "war club" (51:20), and they destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple. Most of the residents of Jerusalem were either killed or captured and sent into exile. Many others, who were able to escape or who were left behind, decided to flee to Egypt (43:1-6).
The Widespread Dispersion of the Jews
Shortly before the time of Jesus, in the late First Century BC, a Greek geographer named Strabo stated that you could not go anywhere in the civilized world without encountering a Jew.5 By the time of Jesus in the First Century AD, scholars estimate that the majority of the Jewish people (more than 5 million) were living in the Diaspora.6 The Egyptian city of Alexandria was 40% Jewish, amounting to approximately one million Jews.7
The widespread dispersion of the Jews at the beginning of the First Century AD is attested to in the New Testament. On the Day of Pentecost in about 30 AD, when the Apostle Peter preached the first Gospel sermon, a great multitude of Jews from the Diaspora had gathered in Jerusalem for the Feast Days (Acts 2:9-11):
Also in the New Testament you can find a reference to "the Diaspora among the Greeks" in John 7:35. The book of James is addressed "to the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad..."(James 1:1). Likewise, Peter's first epistle is addressed to "those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia..." (1 Peter 1:1).
The Destruction by the Romans
In 63 BC, Judah became a protectorate of Rome, and in 6 AD, the kingdom was reorganized as a Roman province.8
"Ultimately, the combination of financial exploitation, Rome's unbridled contempt for Judaism, and the unabashed favoritism that the Romans extended to Gentiles" brought about a revolt in 66 AD.10
The revolt led to a siege of Jerusalem by Roman troops in 70 AD. After a stand-off of almost six months, the Romans finally breached the walls and then systematically destroyed the city and its temple. In the process, they slaughtered tens of thousands of its inhabitants.
But this great tragedy failed to quell the rebellious spirit of the Jews. Fifty-two years later, they rose up in rebellion once again in a well-organized guerilla campaign that lasted three years (132-135 AD).
This revolt proved to be the last straw for the Romans. Hadrian, the Roman Emperor, responded brutally. According to Roman historian Cassius Dio (c. 150-235 AD), 580,000 Jews were killed, and 50 fortified towns and 985 villages were razed to the ground.11 Those who were not killed were sold into slavery.
Worldwide Dispersion
The ultimate result of the destruction of the kingdom of Judah was the worldwide dispersion of the remaining Jewish people. Yes, there were small pockets of Jews who remained in their homeland, settling mainly in the Galilee and in the city of Tiberias. But the vast majority were scattered to foreign nations — all of which was in fulfillment of very specific warnings God had supplied through His prophets over a thousand years before.
The Jewish historian, Josephus, writing near the end of the First Century AD, stated: "There is no city, no tribe, whether Greek or barbarian, in which Jewish law and Jewish customs have not taken root."14
By the end of the Middle Ages (400 to 1400 AD), there were four identifiable groups of Jews in the Diaspora:
- The Ashkenazi Jews of Central and Eastern Europe.15
- The Sephardic Jews of the Iberian Peninsula (Portugal and Spain).16
- The Mizrahi Jews of Persia.17
- The Anusim Jews which consisted of those who were compelled to convert to either Christianity or Islam.18They were sometimes referred to as "Crypto-Jews."
Each of these groups, in their isolation from each other over the years, developed distinctive forms of dress, worship and language.19 With regard to language, Hebrew became the language of the synagogue. It ceased to be spoken in daily conversation. Among the Ashkenazim, they combined German with Hebrew to produce a language called Yiddish.20 The Sephardim, on the other hand, combined Spanish with Hebrew to produce Ladino.21
In 1492, when the Jews were expelled from Spain, the Sephardic communities migrated to North Africa and throughout the Ottoman Empire. Later, some of them even went to the newly discovered Latin America.
This subsequent dispersion into the Ottoman Empire resulted in the growth of Mizrahi Jews, because that term came to be applied to those who ended up living in areas dominated by Muslims. As would be expected, they developed a mixed language called Judeo-Arabic.22
For 600 years, Babylon was the center of the Diaspora, from the 5th to the 11th Centuries. During the 11th Century, Jewish migration shifted the center of the Diaspora population to Spain, France and the Rhineland, where it remained until the 15th Century. At that point, expulsions and offers of refuge led the Jews either to Poland or the Ottoman Empire. Those two regions remained the principal centers of Jewish life until the 19th Century.
During the 19th Century, the Jews in the Diaspora began to migrate in significant numbers to the Western Hemisphere, including South America. Between 1840 and 1939, the Jewish population of North and South America increased from 1.1% of the world's Jews to 33.1%.23 During that same time period, worldwide Jewry increased from 4.5 million to 16.7 million.24
Jewish Demographics
The Nazi Holocaust resulted in the deaths of 6 million Jews, including 1.5 million children. This reduced the worldwide population of Jews to approximately 10 million. Since that time, the population has grown to 14 million, with 6 million now residing in the re-established state of Israel.25
According to Roman records, there were about 8 to 10 million Jews in the First Century. Since that time, the population of China has grown from 30 million to over one billion. Based on growth statistics like this, demographers estimate that there should be 500 million Jews alive in the world today.26 Instead, there are only about 4 million more Jews today than 2,000 years ago. This fact is the fulfillment of a prophecy found in Deuteronomy 4:27 —"And the LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and you shall be left few in number among the nations, where the LORD shall drive you." That prophecy was delivered by Moses over 3,400 years ago!
Prophecies Fulfilled
The Jewish people have been dispersed all over the world, just as God warned they would be if they were not faithful to Him. They have been severely persecuted everywhere they have gone — again, in fulfillment of a prophecy delivered by Moses (Deuteronomy 28:65-67).
The great miracle of the Diaspora is that the Jewish people have survived to this day — again, in fulfillment of Bible prophecy (Jeremiah 30:11):"For I am with you," declares the LORD, "to save you; for I will destroy completely all the nations where I have scattered you, only I will not destroy you completely. But I will chasten you justly and will by no means leave you unpunished."
A Warning to America
Let me conclude by emphasizing a point that I have made many times, particularly in my book, America the Beautiful?27 It is the fact that I am convinced that ancient Judah is a prophetic type of the United States.
Just like Judah, God has blessed us with great leaders, freedom and prosperity. More important, just like Judah, our nation was founded upon God's Word. And just as God blessed Judah with His spiritual presence in the nation's temple, He has given America the great spiritual blessing of spreading the Gospel all over the world.
Yet, despite our blessings, we have responded just like Judah with pride, apostasy and rebellion. And just as with Judah, God has been calling us to repentance and warning us of impending destruction through remedial judgments like 9/11 and through prophetic voices like Dave Wilkerson.
And just as the people of Judah laughed at the warnings and said, "God dwells in our temple and would never allow an enemy to destroy our nation," the people of America are saying, "God sits on His throne wrapped in an American flag and will never allow us to be destroyed."
We need to remember the words of the prophet Nahum:The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, and the LORD will by no means leave the guilty unpunished... (Nahum 1:3).
Thursday, 5 March 2015
"WHAT IS THE GREAT MIRACLE OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE?" BY DR DONALD REAGAN.
By 
"ISRAEL IS A SAFE HAVEN FOR MIDDLE EAST CHRISTIANS" BY THE WATCHMAN, ERICK STAKELBECK.
Wednesday, 4 March 2015
MORE CUTTING EDGE UPDATES FROM THE DYNAMIC SHOEBAT NEWSLETTER.
Shoebat Newsletter
| |||||
Home | Rescue Christians | Donate to Rescue Christians | Books
Rescue Christians
FFMU (make checks payable to)
2865 S. Eagle Rd, #310
Newtown, PA 18940
877-832-7200
| |||||
 | |||||
| |||||
| |||||
| |||||
| |||||
| |||||
NETANYAHU'S HISTORIC SPEECH IS WELL RECEIVED IN AMERICA BUT OBAMA BOYCOTTS THE ISRAELI LEADER AND THE DEMOCRATS REACTIONS REVEAL A STAUNCH HATRED FOR THE JEWISH STATE!!
New post on Now The End Begins
Nancy Pelosi And Democrat Reactions Reveal Staunch Hatred For Netanyahu And Israel
by Geri UngureanThe anger toward Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu from the Democratic side of our Congress was heating up well before his arrival. Now, after the historic speech, which was interrupted over 40 times with thunderous applause, these Democrats are furious.
President Obama would not attend the speech nor would he meet with PM Netanyahu during his time here. John Kerry was in Switzerland, further negotiating with Iran. Many democrats, whom I will list at the end of this article, boycotted this speech.Most democrats are calling PM Netanyahu’s speech “Political Theater” saying that it was strategically timed right before Israeli elections. Was the timing of his speech calculated? I believe it was, but NOT for political gain. I believe that Bibi wanted to deliver this most important speech during Purim, when Jews across the world celebrate this holiday.House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said she was "near tears" during aspeech to Congress by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday. Pelosi, a California Democrat, said she was "saddened by the insult to the intelligence of the United States" as part of a group of nations negotiating a nuclear deal with Iran. Netanyahu slammed an emerging agreement with Iran and said it would allow the country to acquire a nuclear weapon.Pelosi says she was 'near tears' during Netanyahu speechNetanyahu was gracious toward Obama and thanked him for everything that he has done for Israel. He spoke of Iron Dome and how America helped Israel to attain it. He was gracious and respectful of the office of the presidency, even though he knows the heart of this president is not with Israel. Obama’s actions speak much louder than his words.Netanyahu then said:“Thank you, America. Thank you for everything you've done for Israel. My friends, I've come here today because, as prime minister of Israel, I feel a profound obligation to speak to you about an issue that could well threaten the survival of my country and the future of my people: Iran's quest for nuclear weapons. We're an ancient people. In our nearly 4,000 years of history, many have tried repeatedly to destroy the Jewish people. Tomorrow night, on the Jewish holiday of Purim, we'll read the Book of Esther. We'll read of a powerful Persian viceroy named Haman, who plotted to destroy the Jewish people some 2,500 years ago. But a courageous Jewish woman, Queen Esther, exposed the plot and gave for the Jewish people the right to defend themselves against their enemies.The plot was foiled. Our people were saved. Today the Jewish people face another attempt by yet another Persian potentate to destroy us. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei spews the oldest hatred, the oldest hatred of anti-Semitism with the newest technology. He tweets that Israel must be annihilated -- he tweets. You know, in Iran, there isn't exactly free Internet. But he tweets in English that Israel must be destroyed. For those who believe that Iran threatens the Jewish state, but not the Jewish people, listen to Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, Iran's chief terrorist proxy. He said: If all the Jews gather in Israel, it will save us the trouble of chasing them down around the world.”A day before this speech before Congress, Bibi spoke at AIPAC, and so did some of Obama’s team. As I watched and listened to Susan Rice, I could not help but think back to her appearances on numerous Sunday shows, after the slaughter of four Americans in Benghazi. The Obama administration used Susan Rice to propagate what they new was a lie. She told the American people that the attack in Benghazi was the result of a video on youtube which angered the Muslim world. This quickly was shown to be a lie.So, Obama sent Susan Rice once again, to deliver lies and half truths to AIPAC, and to appear as a spokesperson for the White House, who brought a message of support and love to Israel and the Jewish people.Well, I’m not buying it, and trust me when I say, those in attendance at AIPAC didn’t buy it either. And then there was Samantha Powers, a known anti-Semite. She even put a PERIOD after her blatant lie about Iran:From American Spectator:“First, Power stated, "The United States of America will not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon. Period." Does anyone believe that for a minute? This sounds like another one of the Obama Administration's red lines.If the Obama Administration is so keen on not allowing Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon then why is it no longer demanding that Iran stop enriching uranium and dismantle its centrifuges?Somehow I doubt that Power was in the room when Bret Stephens of The Wall Street Journal so eloquently pointed out at the AIPAC Conference, "We don't allow South Korea to enrich uranium. Why would we allow Iran to do so?"Second, Power spoke of the Obama Administration's effort to combat anti-Semitism around the world:We are living in an era where anti-Semitism is surging by every measure – reported harassment, polling data, violent attacks – and we should all be extremely disturbed by it. Last summer, we saw rallies about the Gaza violence in Dortmund and Frankfurt, at which protesters chanted, “Hamas, Hamas, Jews to the gas!”; and a similar rally in Paris, where protesters marched on a synagogue chanting, “Jews to the oven.”We see children who have to walk through phalanxes of heavily armed soldiers to get into their Jewish schools, and congregants forced to walk through metal detectors to enter their synagogues. And we have seen murder. The attack in Paris, and the attacks before it on the Jewish school in Toulouse, and the Jewish museum in Brussels. Last month’s attack on a synagogue in Copenhagen.Then there are the signs we cannot see, but that are no less chilling. Jews thinking twice before shopping in a Kosher shopping market, putting on a kippah, or hanging a mezuzah outside a home.And yet President Obama not only characterized the attacks at Hyper Cacher as "random" but Josh Earnest and Jen Psaki fell all over themselves to say the attack was not anti-Semitic in nature before acknowledging that it was through Twitter. That was three weeks ago.How can Samantha Power boast of the Obama Administration's prowess in combating anti-Semitism around the world when it had to be dragged kicking and screaming to acknowledge Jews were murdered in Paris because they were Jews?So please forgive me if I don't take Samantha Power at her word where it concerns Iran, anti-Semitism or, for that matter, the time of day or if the sun is shining.”So, please forgive me if I sound disrespectful to this administration. But when we are lied to over and over, and the president cannot use the term, Islamic Terrorism, and he hold numerous meetings in the White House with members of Muslim Brotherhood, which we know is at the helm of terror all over our planet — excuse me, but Obama’s actions speak SO loudly, I cannot hear a word of what he or his minions are saying!!Here is a list of the Democrats who boycotted PM Netanyahu’s speech, and some of their ignorant words:House (48)Rep. Karen Bass (Calif.) — In a statement, Bass said that she would be in Los Angeles for a city council election. “My support for a strong U.S.-Israel relationship has been consistent during my entire time in elected office, and that support will only continue in the years to come. Support for Israel has traditionally been a non-partisan issue, and I want it to remain so,” she said. “Unfortunately, Speaker Boehner mishandled inviting Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to speak to Congress. Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech is now marred with controversy. Prime Minister Netanyahu has been provided with other options to talk with members of Congress, but he has turned them down to do the public speech. It is truly sad that Speaker Boehner and Prime Minister Netanyahu have chosen to play partisan and divisive politics.”Rep. Earl Blumenauer (Ore.) — Wrote a Jan. 29 column in The Huffington Post explaining his decision, saying the Constitution “vests the responsibility for foreign affairs in the president.”Rep. Corrine Brown (Fla.)Rep. G.K. Butterfield (N.C.) — The head of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) focused on Boehner undermining Obama in a statement and emphasized he’s not urging a boycott.Rep. Lois Capps (Calif.) — Told constituent in a letter posted to Facebook that she is skipping the speech.Rep. Andre Carson (Ind.)Rep. Joaquin Castro (Texas)Rep. Katherine Clark (Mass.)Rep. Lacy Clay (Mo.) will skip the speech, his office confirmed Monday.Rep. James Clyburn (S.C.) — Clyburn is the highest-ranking Democratic leader to say he’ll skip the speech.Rep. Steve Cohen (Tenn.) — “After deliberation, I have decided I cannot in good conscience attend the Prime Minister’s speech. My decision not to attend is not a reflection of my support for Israel and its continued existence as a state and home for the Jewish people. I have always strongly supported Israel and I always will,” said Cohen in a statement.Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.) — “As a fierce supporter of Israel, I am disappointed in Speaker Boehner’s efforts to drag Prime Minister Netanyahu into the GOP’s endless efforts to undermine President Obama,” she said in a statement.Rep. John Conyers (Mich.)Rep. Danny Davis (Ill.) will skip the speech, his office confirmed Monday.Rep. Peter DeFazio (Ore.)Rep. Diana DeGette (Colo.)Rep. Lloyd Doggett (Texas) — “A partisan approach with our critical ally, Israel, is a grave mistake,” he said in a statement.Rep. Donna Edwards (Md.)Rep. Keith Ellison (Minn.) — He is head of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), a member of the CBC and the first Muslim in Congress.Rep. Chaka Fattah (Pa.)Rep. Marcia Fudge (Ohio)Rep. Raúl Grijalva (Ariz.) — Grijalva is a co-chairman of the CPC.Rep. Luis Gutiérrez (Ill.) — A spokesman told the Chicago Sun-Times that Gutierrez has a “strong” record on Israel but called the speech “a stunt.”Rep. Denny Heck (Wash.)Rep. Ruben Hinojosa (Texas)Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (Texas) — “The Congresswoman has no plans to attend the speech at this time,” a spokeswoman said.Rep. Marcy Kaptur (Ohio)Rep. Rick Larsen (Wash.)Rep. Barbara Lee (Calif.) — A member of the CBC and former head of the CPC.Rep. John Lewis (Ga.) — His office confirmed he’s not going but emphasized he’s not organizing a formal boycottRep. Dave Loebsack (Iowa) — Told local press he likely won’t attend.Rep. Zoe Lofgren (Calif.) — “I am disappointed Speaker Boehner chose to irresponsibly interject politics into what has long been a strong and bipartisan relationship between the United States and Israel. As President Obama has noted, it is inappropriate for a Head of State to address Congress just two weeks ahead of their election. I agree that Congress should not be used as a prop in Israeli election campaigns, so I intend to watch the speech on TV in my office.”Rep. Betty McCollum (Minn.): “In my view Mr. Netanyahu’s speech before Congress is nothing more than a campaign event hosted by Speaker Boehner and paid for by the American people,” McCollum said in a statement.”Rep. Jim McDermott (Wash.) — “I do not intend to attend the speech of Bibi,” he said in an email to a Seattle newspaper.Reps. Jim McGovern (Mass.) — Told MassLive.com the “timing and circumstances of this speech are deeply troubling.”Rep. Jerry McNerney (Calif.) — “Rep. McNerney is not planning to attend the speech. He’s got several previously planned commitments for that day.”Rep. Gregory Meeks (N.Y.) — A CBC member.Rep. Gwen Moore (Wis.)Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D.C.)Rep. Beto O’Rourke (Texas)Rep. Chellie Pingree (Maine)Rep. David Price (N.C.) — “Speaker Boehner should never have extended the invitation, given the proximity of the speech to Israel’s national elections and the fact that delicate international negotiations, which the Prime Minister wishes to upend, are hanging in the balance.”Rep. Charles Rangel (N.Y.) — “I’m offended as an American,” he said on MSNBC.Rep. Cedric Richmond (La.)Rep. Jan Schakowsky (Ill.): Said she won’t attend but is “anguished” that Boehner’s invitation could weaken support for Israel in Congress.
Rep. Bennie Thompson (Miss.)Rep. Mike Thompson (Calif.)Rep. John Yarmuth (Ky.) — “We know what he is going to say,” the Jewish lawmaker said in a statement.Senate (8)Sen. Al Franken (Minn.) — “This has unfortunately become a partisan spectacle, both because of the impending Israeli election and because it was done without consulting the Administration,” said Sen. Franken in a statement. “I’d be uncomfortable being part of an event that I don’t believe should be happening. I’m confident that, once this episode is over, we can reaffirm our strong tradition of bipartisan support for Israel.”Sen. Tim Kaine (Va.) — “There is no reason to schedule this speech before Israeli voters go to the polls on March 17 and choose their own leadership,” Kasine said in a statement.Sen. Patrick Leahy (Vt.) — Leahy called it a “tawdry and high-handed stunt,” according to a Vermont newspaper.Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) — Sanders, who caucuses with Democrats, said it’s “wrong” that Obama wasn’t consulted about the speech.Sen. Brian Schatz (Hawaii) — “The U.S.-Israel relationship is too important to be overshadowed by partisan politics,” said Schatz in a statement. “I am disappointed in the Republican leadership’s invitation of Prime Minister Netanyahu to address a joint session of Congress with the apparent purpose of undermining President Obama’s foreign policy prerogatives.”Sen. Martin Heinrich (N.M.) — “I intend to watch his speech about Iran from my office, but I have strong objections to using the floor of the United State Congress as a stage for his election campaign — or anyone’s for that matter,” Heinrich said in a statement.Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) — Warren is “deeply concerned” about the prospect of a nuclear Iran but said Speaker Boehner’s actions “have made Tuesday’s event more political.”Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (R.I.) — “I’m concerned that behind it was a mischievous effort to manipulate domestic politics in both countries, which should not be the terms of engagement between friendly allies,” he said in a statement to local station WPRI.Thank you, PM Netanyahu, for your bravery and your leadership of Israel. May God bless you sir. I extend my apologies for those in Congress whose brains do not function as they should.Shalom!!Am Yisrael Chai!
