Dear Senator Kim: I Strongly Object to Your Recent Votes on Israel’s Security Needs

 

I recently received a letter from Senator Andy Kim explaining his votes on two sets of Senate resolutions opposing weapon sales to. You may recall that I was among almost 200 New Jersey Rabbis who publicly criticized Senator Kim for these votes. 

I am sharing this week my response to Senator Kim’s recent letter to me. His original letter will follow mine.

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The Honorable Andrew Kim

United States Senate

Washington, DC 20510

 

Dear Senator Kim,

Thank you for taking the time to write and explain your position regarding the recent Joint Resolutions of Disapproval on U.S. arms sales to Israel. I genuinely appreciate your willingness to communicate directly and to share the reasoning behind your votes.

That said, I must express my profound disappointment and my alarm over your votes in favor of S.J.Res.26 and S.J.Res.33 in April, and S.J.Res.34 and S.J.Res.41 in July. Whatever their stated intent, the practical effect of these resolutions would have been to block urgently needed weapons from reaching Israel in the midst of the most severe security crisis it has faced since its founding.

Since October 7, Israel has been engaged in a war for its survival against enemies who do not hide their goals. Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, Iran and it’s other proxies have repeatedly and publicly declared their intention to carry out additional massacres, to destroy Israel, and to target Jews worldwide. In this context, the idea of restricting Israel’s access to U.S. defensive capabilities is as unwise as it is dangerous.

I understand that the term “offensive weapons” appears frequently in the public debate. But considering the vast array of threats facing Israel on several fronts, including fortified tunnels buried dozens of yards underground, terror militias embedded in civilian populations, as well as sophisticated rockets, missiles and drones  that distinction becomes blurred to the point of irrelevance. Israel cannot defend its citizens, secure its borders, and prevent future atrocities without the ability to strike terror infrastructure wherever it exists.   Calling these weapons “offensive” does not make them less essential for Israel’s survival.

Your votes aligned you with measures designed to halt or severely limit Israel’s ability to respond effectively to the threats it faces, as well as potentially align you with Senators whose posture toward Israel is at best, unsympathetic and, at worst, openly adversarial. To many in the Jewish community, these votes were a troubling departure from the longstanding bipartisan consensus that America must ensure Israel has the means to defend itself in times of existential danger.

I write to you today to share my strong belief that your votes sent the wrong message at the wrong moment. They suggested a willingness to second-guess Israel’s most basic security needs in the midst of bitter war Israel neither wanted or initiated, even while it is still recovering from the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust. Your votes, while motivated by a desire to end the war potentially extended it, as they signaled to Israel’s adversaries, however unwittingly, that American support might be wavering precisely when clarity and resolve are most needed.

I write this not in anger, but in deep concern. Support for Israel is not abstract for me or for my community; it is personal, urgent, and rooted in an understanding of history that teaches us the cost of hesitation when Jewish lives are at stake, and ignoring the threats that have emanated from Israel’s foes for decades. I respectfully urge you to reconsider this approach moving forward, and to stand unequivocally for Israel's right and its obligation to protect its people.

Thank you again for your service to New Jersey and for engaging with your constituents on critical issues. I remain grateful for the dialogue and hopeful that we can continue this conversation in the weeks ahead.

Sincerely


Rabbi Arthur Weiner

Paramus, NJ

 

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Dear Rabbi Weiner,

     Thank you for reaching out to express your thoughts on the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, and legislative proposals regarding the sale of weapons to Israel. My first international trip as a Senator was to this region, where I saw firsthand the horrific devastation that was brought upon innocent civilians during this conflict. I have worked in diplomacy my entire career, focusing much of it on reducing civilian casualties in conflicts, and I know a conflict of this magnitude demands our continued efforts to bring an end to this suffering. I would like to take a moment to share some of my thoughts on these matters.

     After years of pain and bloodshed on both sides, a negotiated agreement has laid the foundation for an end to violence, return of the hostages, and the flow of humanitarian aid. For Palestinians and Israelis to achieve sustainable security and stability, Hamas cannot be allowed to govern or maintain arms, Israel needs the ability to defend itself, and Palestinians need to be given political, civic, and economic opportunities free from war. I am committed to working with the Trump administration to achieve these ends.

     As you may know, during my time as your Senator, I have voted YES on two sets of Joint Resolutions of Disapproval of weapon sales to Israel – one pair in April, and one pair in July. The April set, titled S.J.Res.26 and S.J.Res.33, sought to stop an $8.8 billion arms sale of offensive U.S. weapons to Israel, and the July set, titled S.J.Res.34 and S.J.Res.41, sought to block the sale of further offensive arms sales to Israel, including the $676 million safe of 5,000 heavy duty bombs. I voted to stop these specific weapons sales because I did not believe that they would further the goal of ending the conflict in Gaza.

     I remain a firm supporter of Israel’s right not only to exist, but to defend itself, as well as to maintain its Qualitative Military Edge. That is why, during my time in both the U.S. House of Representatives, and now as your Senator, I am proud to support appropriations efforts for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system, the replenishment of Iron Dome and David’s Sling funding, as well as helping pass the Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2024. Additionally, I am a cosponsor of S.Res.227, a bipartisan resolution that both celebrated the release of New Jersey resident Edan Alexander, and called on Hamas to release all remaining hostages.

     Thank you again for contacting me. It is a privilege and an honor to serve the people of New Jersey, and to act as your voice in Washington, D.C. I hope that you will continue to keep in touch on issues of concern. If I can ever be of assistance to you or your family, please do not hesitate to contact me.

     To learn more about my work in the Senate, please visit my website at kim.senate.gov.

                                                               Sincerely,
                                                          
                                                               Andy Kim
                                                               United States Senator

 

 

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