U.S., Israel Meet to Discuss Economic Progress

U.S. and Israeli delegations met in Jerusalem on Dec. 15 to discuss the two nations' economies, the progress of Israel's economic reforms and ways to enhance high-tech cooperation, the State Department announced. During the U.S.-Israel Joint Economic Development Group (JEDG) 2009 Mid-Year Review, the allies talked about Israel's efforts toward meeting conditions for U.S. loan guarantees in 2009 and 2010 as well as ways to use technology to promote job creation, innovation, and business-to-business collaboration. The two countries plan to meet again in Jerusalem in May or June of 2010.

U.S. Plans Missile Test for Potential Iran Attack

A senior Pentagon official on Dec. 14 said the United States plans to test its core missile defenses for the first time in January against a simulated Iranian long-range attack, Reuters reported. Army Lt. Gen. Patrick O'Reilly, head of the Missile Defense Agency, said the test would pose a greater challenge than previous simulated tests for possible attacks by North Korea. "This next test . is more of a head-on shot like you would use defending against an Iranian shot into the United States," said O'Reilly. "So that's the first time that we're now testing in a different scenario." The missile test comes as Congress considers passing new sanctions on Iran for its refusal to suspend its uranium enrichment program in defiance of the international community.

Lawmakers Warn of Growing Hizballah Threat

Thirty-one House members on December 3 sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asking what steps the Obama administration is taking to address the terrorist group Hizballah's ongoing violations of a United Nations resolution calling for its disarmament. "Given the increasing number of cross-border attacks from Lebanon into Israel and the recent Israeli seizure of Iranian weapons headed for Lebanon, we are seriously concerned by the potential for an Iranian-backed escalation of the Lebanese-Israeli border," the letter states. Spearheaded by Reps. Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Steve Israel (D-NY), the letter describes Hizballah's relentless efforts to rearm and attack Israel as well as its ties to Iran, noting that the terrorist group has virtual veto power over the Lebanese government's decisions.

Ros-Lehtinen Condemns U.N.'s Attacks on Israel

In the wake of the release of the Goldstone report, which condemns Israeli actions in Gaza as war crimes, a leading House member strongly denounced the United Nations' "relentless" bias against Israel, its condemnations of Israeli self-defense measures, and its failure to criticize terrorist groups. "Israel's freedom, democracy, and prosperity are a model for the region and the world," said Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, in a speech on the House floor on Dec. 3. "The U.N., however, has abandoned its founding principles, has been manipulated and coerced by dictatorship after dictatorship, and has been plagued by corruption and mismanagement. Nowhere has the self-destructive, misguided path of the U.N. been more evident than in its bias towards Israel." Ros-Lehtinen noted that the U.N.'s actions have stark implications for the United States, which could face charges of war crimes for its actions in Iraq and Afghanistan just as Israel has faced charges for its campaign in Gaza.