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Garrett No Friend to Israel, Opponent Gussen Says

Republican congressman's support for Israel amounts to "empty words," Teaneck opponent says.

 

The following is a letter to the editor from Adam Gussen: 

Over his years in Congress, Scott Garrett has voted to support the State of Israel on several occasions.  He's voted to recognize the Israel on her anniversary.  He's recognized her right to defend herself.  He's voted to urge Mahmoud Abbas to remove the 10 articles in the Fatah Constitution that call for Israel's destruction and terrorism against Israel.  In short, Scott Garrett has stood with Israel on many occasions.  However, when Israel's security was actually being threatened, Scott Garrett put partisan politics ahead of the safety of every Israeli man woman and child.  

In October of last year, Scott Garrett voted against an amendment designed to stop US land from being awarded to a multinational mining corporation whose subsidiary, Rio Tinto operates the largest uranium mine in the world.  The mine - the Rossing mine is located in Namibia.  Rio Tinto's second largest partner in this uranium mine is the government of Iran. Iran has spent years attempting to avoid United States sanctions.  Make no mistake about; if Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons, Scott Garrett is making their job easier. 

The last thing in the world we should be doing is enriching a company that flaunts international sanctions by providing the Iranian government profits from uranium.  Further, we should not trust a company that's been sanctioned by the United Nations 6 times for violating international sanctions against Iran to keep uranium out of the hands of the Iranians.  The proposed amendment would have prevented any company doing business with Iran from profiting from mining on US lands.  Geologists estimate that the copper mines on these US lands should yield between $2 and $7 billion. 

Scott Garrett is certainly willing to show his support for Israel when that support comes in the form of empty words.  But when Israel really needed a friend to stand up to Iran against those like President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who say that “Israel must be wiped off the map”, Scott Garrett was nowhere to be found.  Anyone can claim to be your friend.  But as always, actions speak louder than words.  When Israel needed a friend, Scott Garrett played politics and left his "friends" in Israel to fend for themselves.  That's not my definition of friendship.   

When elected I will be a true friend to Israel, not a fair-weather friend.  I know the value of Israel’s friendship and will ensure that every vote will protect the people of the state of Israel and not the special interests.

- Adam Gussen 

Adam Gussen is the deputy mayor of Teaneck and a Democratic candidate for congress in the 5th Congressional District. 

Related Topics: Adam Gussen and Scott Garrett

Me

12:52 pm on Monday, September 24, 2012

And Obama shunned Netanyahu by not meeting with him recently. Probably to campaign. So I guess you could say he "played politics and left his "friends" in Israel to fend for themselves. That's not my definition of friendship." So I'm not sure you are in the right party either.

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David Zatz

1:57 pm on Sunday, October 14, 2012

Netanyahu arrived in NYC and demanded an audience with the President, who was not in NYC. No foreign leader orders around the President of the United States like that. Netanyahu was out of order and, frankly, being a jerk. Obama's "big test" is not whether he's at the beck and call of Israel's PM.

B@B

1:07 pm on Monday, September 24, 2012

I'm Jewish, but I don't think Israel should be the #1 consideration of which candidate to elect to represent NJ-5. Scott Garrett is an ideologue whose Ayn Randian, "I Got Mine And The Heck With You" philosophy provides more than enough fodder for opposition. Israel policy is not set by a single Congressman, and frankly, I'm disgusted by this flagrant pandering for votes in Teaneck. How about explaining how poorly ALL of the district has been represented for the last decade?

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paul smith

9:00 pm on Monday, September 24, 2012

if this isnt on target i don't know what is. Garrett is shafting us so his red state butt buddies can feed out of the federal trough that We pay for, thanks to the quasi-farmer from Sussex.

Eric Fettmann

1:07 pm on Monday, September 24, 2012

A "letter to the editor"? Sounds more like a blatant freebie ad.

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Ira

2:11 pm on Monday, September 24, 2012

Are they running for Knesset or Congress?

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Tee Smyth

2:44 pm on Monday, September 24, 2012

Yeah. Umm.

Anyone know if Mr. Gussen has written letters to the editor about-oh, I dunno, any other issue?

jp1

3:41 pm on Monday, September 24, 2012

Israel and there leaders should stay out of US election politics.

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catnap25

9:25 am on Tuesday, September 25, 2012

This makes me worry about your leadership, even though I dislike Garrett. We need help in the USA. This idea that we should be doing everything Isreal wants worries me.

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Roby Langert

9:29 am on Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Adam, Thanks for educating the public.

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themoneypit

7:03 pm on Tuesday, September 25, 2012

No offense but these so called Republicans tough guys that hate handouts for the little guy and spend their entire careers under the US Government payroll confuse me. It's a total contradiction. When a real Republican that will not take a penny from government shows up, I will vote for him.

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Valerius "Diet" Publicola

7:03 pm on Tuesday, September 25, 2012

I'm more concerned how Garrett has been no friend to Bergen County. He has voted many times against items that would have resulted in money or other things for this area. For us living in a state that gets back less in federal taxes than we send, we should want someone who will get for us all we can!

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themoneypit

7:27 pm on Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Money for whom? We are broke! We pay the highest taxes, our streets are broken, factories are shutting down. Kids are now paying for their own school sports uniforms, gear, etc. They get around the tax thing by naming it something else. Oh Yeah! Garrett is sure a friend to the man on the street. Only he gets to retire with one gigantic paycheck and benefits for life and I get to say I voted for him. WIth friends like Garrett, who needs enemies? You say it's not his fault. There is plenty of blame to go around, including me for being stupid enough to fall for that nostalgic cowboy crap the Republicans feed us to get us to vote for them

John Santaella

1:22 pm on Thursday, September 27, 2012

I thought this race was for a representative seat in the US Congress, not the Knesset.

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Me

1:29 pm on Thursday, September 27, 2012

Hey John, it wasn't the funny the first time we read it when Ira wrote it and it wasn't funny now.

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Jay

12:34 pm on Sunday, April 7, 2013

I don't think it was meant to be funny. Maybe more ironic. We have too many fiscal problems here in the US, NJ and Bergen county to be worrying what Israel thinks of our decisions to benefit our own country, considering almost every decision that is made by Israel, benefits Israel. We need to start benefiting ourselves again in America. From this article it seems Israel really needed a friend to help them, what exactly does their part of the friendship bring to the table? If it is anything near the benefits what Israel reaps from America, than I am all for assisting them on some issues. Until than, this is a race for the representative seat for NJ-5 for the Congressional house of the United States of America, not a race for a seat in the Knesset of Israel.

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Jay

12:36 pm on Sunday, April 7, 2013

Well, I just realized I am quite delayed into this topic. -_- lol

Shan Navaratnam

4:15 am on Saturday, September 29, 2012

I want to see Democrats win the congress from Far Right wing Redumblicans who work for wealthy

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Dr.Doom

10:38 am on Saturday, September 29, 2012

I would like to see Republicans win the congress from the Far Right fanatics and then work with the democrats on fixing this country

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John Santaella

4:23 am on Sunday, September 30, 2012

Me: Who said it was a joke. I see nothing funny about making the issue of Israel a litmus test for Congress.

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