![On Dec 14 2009 At a Flatbush, Brooklyn, meeting with New York Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, Malcolm Hoenlein and Jewish officials got explanations for her anti-Israel vote, than a few weeks later she signed on to a Letter to put more pressure on Israel [Photo Credit: COLlive.com]](http://www.vinnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/clark.JPG "clark")
Brooklyn, NY – Open Letter to Constituents:
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For three millennia the land of Israel has been at the heart of the Jewish people; the Homeland from where the ancient traditions, culture and values emanated.
The state of Israel has served as a refuge for Jews the world over, a country rebuilt following the horrors of the Holocaust on the principles of freedom and democracy.
The United States and the State of Israel share a special relationship and, as a Member of Congress, I am committed to working to strengthen this relationship.
Brooklyn’s 11th Congressional District, which I have the honor to represent, has one of the largest Jewish communities outside of the State of Israel.
I understand how important the safety and security of Israel is to my constituents and the close ties that many share with the great Jewish State.
Please know that I never have nor will ever aim to undermine Israel’s security or her standing within the international community.
Recently my signature [reported by VIN News] was added to two sign-on letters that, I regret, do not reflect my record with regards to Israel.
These letters have a provocative and reactionary impact, as they do not provide a complete, and therefore accurate, picture of the situation.
They also do not offer a constructive and two-sided balanced solution to the issues facing the region.
While I do have genuine concerns about the situation within the Gaza Strip, I have also not forgotten how it developed.
Hamas, after having won democratic elections in 2006, turned Gaza into a launching pad from which to terrorize Southern Israel by firing thousands of rockets onto civilian targets.
Following the kidnapping of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in a cross-border raid and in response to continued unprovoked shelling by Hamas, Israel launched Operation Cast Lead to defend its civilian population from further attacks.
Given this framework the onus to alleviate the situation rests not only with the State of Israel or continued U.S.
involvement in the peace process, but largely with the Palestinian people, their elected leadership and Israel’s Arab neighbors, as well as Egypt.
Israel’s Arab neighbors must also use their influence and pressure Hamas to recognize Israel’s right to exist, urge it to renounce terrorism, honor all previously accepted agreements, and become a good-faith partner that strives for peace.
Israel has engaged in unilateral moves toward peace before, notably the complete evacuation and dismantling of settlements from the Gaza Strip, and was rewarded with a Hamas-dominated adjacent territory that rained rockets upon its civilian population.
No state should, or would, tolerate continued attacks and the deliberate targeting of civilians.
An improved situation within the Gaza Strip would work to reduce the likelihood that its young population will grow up in a radicalized environment that could, in turn, pose a threat to Israel, our Arab allies and the United States.
A Gaza Strip where education can thrive and an economically vibrant society can take root, providing the citizens of Gaza with an alternative to the hateful rhetoric of radicals, is in the best interest of all involved.
However to achieve this end, multiple parties must commit and work to bring about our shared goal of a lasting peace.
Currently, Israel finds itself confronted with a belligerent Iran that is not only rapidly pursuing nuclear weapons, but also rearming Hezbollah and Hamas which sit on Israel’s northern and southern borders respectively.
Given the multi-faceted security threats that Israel faces, I added my name to a letter to President Obama encouraging him to adhere to the 2007 Memorandum of Understanding signed between then-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and then-Prime Minister Ehud Olmert pledging $30 billion in security assistance over the next 10 years.
I have always believed, and continue to believe that the best way to bring about peace is through coalition building and negotiations in which all sides are brought to the table.
Unfortunately, these letters are uneven in their application of pressure and do not sufficiently present a balanced approach/path to peace.
Please know that I will continue to be the strong and unwavering supporter of the State of Israel as I have been throughout my entire public life while working with the Administration and my colleagues in Congress to ameliorate human suffering wherever it may exist.
I encourage any of my constituents to reach out to my office to share their thoughts and concerns with me throughout my tenure in the House of Representatives and look forward to continue to work with you in the future.
CONGRESSWOMAN YVETTE D. CLARKE
REPRESENTING NEW YORK’S 11th CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
New York’s 11th Congressional District representing Brownsville, Ocean Hill, Crown Heights, East Flatbush, Borough Park. Park Slope,
Kensington, Carroll Gardens, Prospect Heights, Lefferts Gardens, Grand Army Plaza, Windsor Terrace, Flatland, Midwood
Pat on the back with one hand and a slap in the face with another.
But at least it’s better than the original letter, which was just a slap. She is somewhat receptive to her constituents’ concerns.
thank you congresswoman for doing the right thing
She says that the letter which she signed does not represent a balanced approach to the situation. Then why did she sign it? it is obvious that she is being dishonest. I should also point out that she was one of only a very few Members of Congress who voted against a House resolution condemning the Goldstone Report. We should let he know that she can’t get away with being two-faced.
Who wrote this for her, her Jewish lapdogs?
Get this woman out. She defines the word chutzpah. End of story.
Clarke constantly votes against Israel and then comes up with phony letters like this. It’s time we looked for a candidate to oppose her in the Democratic primary.
so why oh why did you sign the letter instead of telling them to go to purgatory?? the answer is simple …. YOU REALLY BELIEVE WHAT THE LETTER SAYS.
I hope the voters of her district wake up and vote her O U T!!
congrautlations
nice of her
hope she dosnt make this mistake again
oh puuurrlease …ever the clever politician.do the dirty then try to cover it up…..
why does her advisor eli slavin let her sign such things????????????????
Say what you want about her or her motives, this letter is very well written and sums up the situation accurately.
Its easy to explain yourself to make you look better but bottom line she sighned it and what she meant does not state in the letter she sighned
Dear Yvette Clarke,
action speaks louder then words. you signed two letters which were extremely unfair to the state of israel. your words today are trying to sugar coat and appease what you have done. israel, has been at a state of war since the day it became a state! no other country in the world tolerates what Israel has to endure on a daily basis. if there were drug dealers at your corner selling drugs on a daily basis, how many days would you tolerate that behavior? how many times will you call 911 and have the situation resolved so the bad elements on your corner was removed? would you consider telling your neighbors “we must give them half our block to sell their drugs”, or “oh neighbors, lets not be so harsh with these guys with their guns and drugs. we must learn to live with this”. now please replace the guns with rockets, and replace the drugs with suicide bombers!
Israel on its own has given away the saini dessert, chevron, gaza and so on for the name of peace, and all of these places have become further hot beds to destroy israel and its people. not one scenerio where israel gave away land has it turned into a peaceful outcome! rescind your signatures! thank u
I think she has know idea what she is doing!! She keeps on writing letters – then apologizing for writing them! I think she is simply out to lunch.
Ms. Clarke, you cannot sit on the fence regarding Israel. You may have received a lot of emails and phone calls from your constituents regarding this topic. You have to make up your mind. You cannot play both sides against the middle!! Your constituents will not believe what you say if you fence sit!!! I do not believe a word that comes out of your mouth !! I hope VIN posts this.
she is a traiter let her fail like carter
This is like George Wallace writing an outreach letter to the NAACP in 1960. Who’s going to belive this?
I know what’s next. Jeremiah Wright will open a kosher catering hall.
She is a two facer anti semite. I dont care what your Jewish consultants write for you, if you vote against our interests, we will vote you out. I don’t care who runs against you Yvette, and I dont live in your district. But I’m pledging $1,000 to your opponent and many in our community will do the same. We will vote you out of office. We don’t need two facers.
She dose not even try to explain why she signd the letters in the first place she dosent claim it was a mistake dosent deny what thouse letters say all she is dooing is penning another letter that’s the opesite of the first two so which one is her real opinion can she please explain if this Is what she thinks or dose she take us for stupid maybe I am but stupid pepole vote as well so I’ll remeber what a typical poletican talking out of both sides and one guy even says how good she was at it wow is tipesh not strong enogh perhaps but it will have to do TIPESH
is she is advocating in this letter to negotiate with hamas???
“the best way to bring about peace is through coalition building and negotiations in which all sides are brought to the table. “
also she always does the same tricks, vots againset israel, then sends a letter to explain!
votes for the goldston report: http://collive.com/show_news.rtx?id=6127&hl=Clarke
then explained it: http://www.collive.com/show_news.rtx?id=6711
now she is doing the same thing!
foll me once sham on you, fool me twice shame on me!
Let the congress member take her name OFF of the letter. I don’t need explanations like the dog ate my homework. Let her take her name OFF. That might begin to correct her “unbalanced” record of support of Israel. I will accept your apology, excuses, explanations, etc., etc., as soon as you take your name OFF. Until then, I hope you’re looking for a new job because I ain’t voting for you ever again.
Will the real Yvette Clare, please , stand up !
She got elected by Chabad in Crown Heights. Why do they support her????
Next election I will vote against her and then send an apology letter that the voting machines did not give a accurate report about her and the other candidate and I’m so sorry she lost……
Dear fellow vin posters,
The congresswoman has done something remarkable for a politician she has actually admitted a mistake. I happen to know that almost immediatly after the letter was released a group of Askonim from across the spectrum demanded and received a meeting with her to explain what seems obvious to us but wasnt to her. Israel to the leftist establishment is a cause. To our community it is life and death. After meeting with her for the third time in the past month she actually expressed real regret at vbeing played by some on the left. To get a politician to publicly admit her regret in a press release is not something to just throw waway. We need her as a friend and the posters here are missing that. important point. What does she owe us. ? We dont control the district and we dont flock to the polls. That she has publicly stated and written her position is a real first step. Mark my words, the other 53 Congreeman will not issue such a letter. We are in Golus your words are being read. Appreciate her sentiments and watch her for her future actions. Time will tell.
Chaim Weiss
Simple. Which letter is on record in Congress? That’s the true Yvette.
Thank you and NO, thank you. Vote the liar out.
I think that Yvette Clarke was mistaken and has since corrected her ways – she has spoken out for the Jewish people and done so in a forceful way – to call her an anti semite is just wrong – as Jews we must learn, as the chosen people, not to alienate those that we need to persuade to support us. Yvette Clarke has done so.
Let’s vote her out – doesn’t mater how many she writes – she slapped the jewish vote too many times
Strike #1 She Voted for the Goldstone Report
Strike # 2 She signed a letter which seems to suggest that Hamaztan (Gaza) needs the USA’s sympathy.
Strike # 3 She releases a press release to her “local”community that she was wrong on those issues and does absolutely “nothing” to correct them. She didn’t even post this press release on her website.
This is pure chutzpah, let her send a retraction letter to Obama.
Vote this woman out!
Contact her at the following page.
http://clarke.house.gov/contact/contact-us-form.shtml
She is buckling know. When push comes to shove, she knows she needs the Jewish vote if she wants to win the next election. This is all semantics. She claims to be condemning the letters she signed on to. In that case, why did she do it in the first place? Could she be so stupid that she signed a letter without reading it? I am inclined to believe that she is an anti-semite who flaunted her true colors and who is know worrying about how she can save herself. This is a cheap, insincere ploy. Yiiden, vote a nice Republican into office, so we can save this country and this world from the clutches of Socialism and unprovoked condemnation of the Eretz Ha Kodesh.
Interesting to note that since VIN has posted their first article she has adjusted her website to ask people who wish to email her for their zip code as to deny others from other districts from complaining.
The damage has been done and done too often I might add. As the saying goes ‘once bitten twice shy’ or ‘fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me’. Yvette Clark, you’re outta here.
Sorry Yvette, you lost me. A few weeks ago, after you had that meeting by GW, I had spoke to an attendee and he explained to me all that you said there. I was a supporter then, but after this letter, never again. If the letter doesn’t represent you beliefs, why did you sign it?
Why have we not heard from her Jewish Liaison Eli Slavin?
Reply to 41 can u name one such instens where a rav wrote a haskamah on a book he dident read with out saying I haven’t read it I’m just saying this guy or this type of work is a good thing no couse u probely don’t read the haskomos which I do and they always tell u if they dident read the book
Yvette Clarke is a typical politician, full of lies !! Echud b’peh v’echud b’lev; b’lev u’b’ Kisav, Arab terrorist lover.
Q: How do you know when a politician is lying ??
A: When his or her lips are moving.
Who the dickens ie Yvette Clarke? And what possible influence can she have on either US or Israeli foreign policy. A local elected politician is judged not by their views on foreign policy or major issues any more than by which football team they support but on how well he/she serves the constituents i.e. the local residents. Most people care more about the garbage being collected on time than foreign policy.
The bottom line is; Is she doing a good job for the people who elected her (overwhelmingly NOT jewish)?
When will we as a coomunity put a stop to all the self serving frum wanna be politicians who have their personal interests in mind only and are infatuated with these soay yisroelim who laugh at us every step of the way and use us for our money and for rebbes who tell their chasisdim to vote for them…. Time to see the light
Politics is politics. Just prepare a speech, and you can get away with anything. This is two faced. As commented earlier, actions speak louder than words. Fewer press conferences, abstentions from the anti-Israel votes, and some real actions. No more political drivel.
Note to the ignorant and racist commenters on this site:
Not all Jews are Zionists. That is, not all Jews support settler-colonialism, ethnic cleansing, expansionist militarism, and institutionalized apartheid. Hopefully, most Jews in Ms. Clarke’s district will be appalled by her reversal on these letters and will urge her to resume thinking and acting like a human being, one who respects all people – not just the aggressive Zionist constituency of her district – and refuses to bow down to the threats of powerful lobbying groups.
You should all be ashamed of yourselves. Judaism is not the same thing as Zionism, to think so is blind zealotry and will do nothing to advance peace, justice, or a successful and secure resolution of the current problems in Israel and Palestine.
So how a person find the original that Clarke signed