Ban on Political Junkets to Israel Deals Blow to Lobbying Efforts

By Nathan Guttman

Washington - In a challenge to one of the most powerful lobbying tactics used by the Jewish community, a county in Maryland decided last week that local legislators could no longer go on sponsored trips to Israel.

Montgomery County’s ethics commission decided last month that council members are prohibited from traveling at the expense of the local Jewish community, even when funding is indirectly provided by a private foundation. A trip planned months in advance was subsequently canceled.

“We were stunned by the commission’s decision,” said Ron Halber, executive director of the Greater Washington Jewish Community Relations Council, which organized the trip.

In an e-mail to a Montgomery County legislator, the ethics commission wrote that “the routing of monies through a lobbyist organization to provide travel services makes the gift unacceptable.”

The decision has such weight because sponsored trips to Israel are widely used by Jewish groups both nationally and locally to build support for Israel among non-Jewish leaders and to cultivate one-to-one relationships between American and Israeli leaders. On a national level, the trips have recently come under scrutiny amid the scandals surrounding Washington lobbyists and their relationships with lawmakers. The Montgomery County decision now brings the dilemma to the local level, as communities face the need to adjust to the changing winds in Washington and growing concerns about the power of lobbyists.

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Mexican Dynamite Truck Explodes Killing 37
Our government just gave Mexican Truckers permission to drive throughout U.S.

By Charles Coughlin – EURO

A City News article reports “A truck carrying dynamite blew up after colliding with another vehicle in Northern Mexico Saturday night, killing at least 37 people. Officials say the victims include three reporters who were on the scene covering the crash. Police say a fire broke out after the initial accident and the dynamite went off, causing a giant explosion near the town of Sacramento. A federal police official says 37 people were killed and 150 were injured. He says the blast left a crater three-by-12 metres in the concrete.”

This impressive disaster coincides with an effort to allow Mexican trucks on US highways. One recent news article notes “Over the weekend a new program sponsored by the Department of Transportation went into affect allowing selected Mexican trucks to drive all over the United States. The program is part of the NAFTA agreement and has been long delayed, though it is backed by the White House and other government agencies. They say allowing the trucks will save money, cut pollution and enhance trade and relations with Mexico. For years, thousands of Mexican owned and operated trucks have driven through U.S. checkpoints. Until now, these trucks could only drive within a 25-mile zone on the border. The zone has disappeared because of a new program that was given final approval last week. It will allow selected Mexican trucks to travel as far north as Maine.”

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