US Congressman supportive of Israel and Hebron Mourned

The Jewish community of Hebron mourned long-time US Representative Alcee Hastings who passed away at the age of 84.

Rep. Hastings wrote a resolution in 2017 supporting the Jewish connection to Hebron. H.Res.433 disapproved of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Committee declaration of Hebron as a "Palestinian World Heritage Site in Danger." Rep. Hastings called it "the height of absurdity." He called Hebron and Cave of the Patriarchs "the second holiest place in the Jewish faith" and condemned the UN's World Heritage Committee resolution as biased.

“The UN does itself a great disservice when it allows these revisionist measures to move forward," Rep. Hastings wrote. "In the past year, it has pushed resolutions that have omitted Jewish identity from the Temple Mount, which is the most holy place in Judaism and named for the location of the Jewish Temple that stood more than two thousand years ago, and also chastised Israel for planting ‘fake Jewish graves’ in the vicinity. This is ridiculous and bordering on anti-Semitism."

UNESCO’s inscription of Hebron as a Palestinian World Heritage Site is the height of absurdity. It seems as if every...
Posted by Congressman Alcee L. Hastings on Tuesday, July 11, 2017

Hastings consistently supported America's relationship with Israel and the Jewish community in his home state of Florida. He opposed BDS and visited Israel at least 18 times meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the President Shimon Peres and others.

He was a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, a senior Democratic whip, served on the House Rules Committee and was Special Representative on Mediterranean Affairs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. He represented Florida's 23rd congressional district from 1993 to 2013 and Florida's 20th congressional district from 2013 until his passing.

In regards to the Boycott Divestment Sanctions movement he stated in 2017, "the BDS movement also walks a very fine line between condemning Israel, its citizens, and Jews themselves. All too frequently, these protests cross into the realm of anti-Semitism, connecting global Jewry to Israel’s political policies. In the past, BDS protests have targeted American and European synagogues, as well as religious celebrations on college campuses. These are protests of the Jewish faith itself, and must never be tolerated."

Hastings was mourned by his wife, children and his colleagues in the US government, the Israeli diplomatic mission in Miami and countless others.

NOTES:

* Full text of H.Res.433 - Disapproving of UNESCO Inscription of Hebron

* Full text of Hastings Statement on Hebron

* Hastings meets with Israeli PM Netanyahu

* List of Hastings resolutions on Israel

* Hastings: "It’s All Too Obvious BDS Doesn’t Want Peace"

* Florida Democratic congressman Alcee Hastings dies at 84

* Alcee Hastings, congressman who advocated Jewish issues, dies at 84

* UNESCO Again Calls Hebron Part of "Occupied Palestine"

* How the Hebron issue led to the US Leaving UNESCO

* Alcee Hastings, Pro-Israel Democratic Congressman Mourned