Blog Archives
Congregation B’nai Israel to host Ambassador Dennis Ross
On Sunday, March 18, 2018, Congregation B’nai Isreal will host a panel discussion entitled, “Is Middle East Peace Possible? A Diplomat’s Perspective” with Ambassador Dennis Ross. The discussion will include an all-star panel of scholars.
Ambassador Dennis Ross will be joined by Florida Atlantic University professors Dr. Ralph Nurnberger, Dr. Robert G. Rabil and Dr. Mehmet Gurses.
Congregation B’nai Isreal is located at 2200 Yamato Road, Boca Raton, Florida 33431.
Event Details:
Sunday, March 18, 2018 at 2:30 PM
CBI Members: $18
Community Guests: $30
Students & Military with ID: Free
FAU-FSMES Members: Free
Click here to register: https://login.cbiboca.org/dennis-ross
Biography:
Ambassador Dennis Ross is counselor and William Davidson Distinguished Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy in Washington, DC. Prior to returning to the Institute in 2011, he served two years as special assistant to President Obama and National Security Council senior director for the Central Region, and a year as special advisor to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.
For more than twelve years, Ambassador Ross played a leading role in shaping U.S. involvement in the Middle East peace process and dealing directly with the parties in negotiations. Ross is the author of several influential books on the peace process, most recently Doomed to Succeed: The U.S.-Israel Relationship from Truman to Obama (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, October 2015).
Full biography here: http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/experts/view/ross-dennis
Armenian Assembly Calls for Public Congressional Hearings on Turkish Interference in America’s Democratic Institutions
Reiterates Call for Members of Congress to Withdraw from the Turkish Caucus
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Amid reports that Department of Justice Special Counsel Robert Mueller will be filing new indictments after probing a potential quid pro quo scheme, whereby then National Security Adviser Michael Flynn would be paid $15 million to secretly carry out Turkey’s bidding, the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) calls for thorough public Congressional hearings to fully expose these matters. Flynn was already paid $530,000 last year for work the Justice Department says benefited the government of Turkey, and did not register as a foreign agent at the time.
The Assembly has repeatedly highlighted Turkey’s attempts to gain surreptitious influence over U.S. officials and media to the detriment of U.S. national security, and has urged investigations therein. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Member, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), in a June 2017 op-ed in The Hill titled “Did Turkey’s payments to Michael Flynn delay our military operations against ISIS?” stated that “questions regarding Turkey, however, reveal most clearly how personal considerations may have overridden our national interests.” In addition, the Assembly has also highlighted Azerbaijan’s attempts to undermine western democratic values and institutions through the billions it has spent in the “Laundromat scheme” to buy silence. Investigations are now bearing fruit. The Assembly has also urged with some success those Representatives who joined the Turkish and Azeri Caucuses to withdraw.
In Florida, Reps. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Ted Deutch (D-FL), and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) sit on the Armenian Caucus. Ros-Lehtinen, who will retire in 2018, is also on the Turkish Caucus, as are Reps. Dennis Ross (R-FL), Alcee Hastings (D-FL), Darren Soto (D-FL), Frederica Wilson (D-FL), and Ted Yolo (R-FL). Hastings is the only Florida Representative on the Azerbaijan Caucus.
“The latest news regarding secret payments to Michael Flynn to carry out Turkey’s bidding are just the tip of the iceberg,” stated Assembly Co-Chairs Anthony Barsamian and Van Krikorian. “Illegal Turkish and Azerbaijani money has been flowing into D.C. and we have an obligation to immediately stop these corrupting practices. Beyond thorough investigations and indictments, exposure through public hearings and legislative reform to increase reporting and penalties are necessary to stop officials who can be bought by the Erdogans and Aliyevs of the world from hijacking the American government,” they added. “Members ought not to associate themselves with such corrupt and authoritarian regimes. Given Turkey’s treatment of Christians, dangerously rogue behavior, denial of the Armenian Genocide and support for Azerbaijan’s ISIS-style beheadings and other attacks, it is well past time for Members of Congress to withdraw their membership from the Turkish and Azeri Congressional Caucuses.”
US House of Representatives Defeats Turkey Biased Legislation
Majority of Florida Delegation Opposed Turkey-Skewed Measure
By Taniel Koushakjian
FLArmenians Political Contributor
Washington, DC – Yesterday, the US House of Representatives voted down legislation, on a bipartisan basis, that singled out Turkey for preferential treatment to engage in economic development projects on specific Indian tribal lands in the United States. H.R. 2362, the Indian Tribal Trade and Investment Demonstration Project Act, was brought to the floor for a vote under the suspension of the rules, which requires a two-thirds majority for passage. The measure was defeated 222-160, falling short of the 255 votes needed.
Speaking in support of H. R. 2362 were Representatives Doc Hastings (R-WA), Tom Cole (R-OK), Virginia Foxx (R-NC), James Moran (D-VA), Dan Boren (D-OK) along with Delegate Eni Faleomavaega (D-AS), while Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Hellenic Caucus Co-Chair Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Congressman John Sarbanes (D-MD) led the charge against the legislation. On the day of the vote, Congressman Bilirakis, joined by his fellow Hellenic and Armenian Caucus colleagues, issued a “Dear Colleague” letter to House members, urging their opposition to H.R. 2362.
In a statement released by the Armenian Assembly of America, bill sponsor Cole noted in his remarks that the Turkish Coalition of America approached him about the bill. “According to campaign contribution records, Representative Cole has received $6,000 in Turkish PAC money this cycle while Representative Foxx received $10,000,” read the Assembly’s statement.
A majority of Representatives from the Florida delegation opposed giving preferential treatment to the Republic of Turkey. Florida representatives voting in opposition to H.R. 2362 include Reps. Sandy Adams (R-FL), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Corrine Brown (D-FL), Kathy Castor (D-FL), Ted Deutch (D-FL), Mario Diaz-Bolart (R-FL), Jeff Miller (R-FL), Rich Nugent (R-FL), David Rivera (R-FL), Tom Rooney (R-FL), Dennis Ross (R-FL), Steve Southerland (R-FL), Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL), Frederica Wilson (D-FL), C.W. Bill Young (R-FL), and Allen West (R-FL). Voting in favor of the legislation were Florida Reps. Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Ander Crenshaw (R-FL), Alcee Hastings (D-FL), John Mica (R-FL), Bill Posey (R-FL), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Daniel Webster (R-FL) and Cliff Stearns (R-FL). Congressman Connie Mack (R-FL), who is anticipated to win the Republican nomination in the Florida Senate race, was not present at yesterday’s vote.
According to the Armenian National Committee, “the measure was opposed by a broad spectrum of Hellenic and Armenian American organizations, including the American Hellenic Educational and Progressive Association (AHEPA), American Hellenic Institute (AHI), American Hellenic Council (AHC), the ANCA and the Armenian Assembly of America, all of which alerted House members about the negative repercussions of passing the controversial pro-Turkey measure.”
You can watch the debate on H.R. 2362 here.
*Updated July 26, 2012 at 11:55 AM
Florida Armenians 