Heritage Florida Jewish News - Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice

A major American Jewish organization objected Monday to Israel presenting U.S. President Joe Biden its Presidential Medal of Honor during his visit to the country Wednesday, saying that he does not deserve it.

The stated reason for giving the award is to thank Biden for being “a true friend of Israel,” his “decades-long commitment to Israel’s security,” deepening the U.S.-Israel alliance, and “his struggle against anti-Israeli and anti-Semitic hatred around the world.”

“This award makes no sense,” Zionist Organization of America National President Morton A. Klein said in a statement. “A ‘true friend of Israel’ and fighter against antisemitism would not pursue the numerous policies undermining Israel’s sovereignty and security that President Biden and his administration are pursuing, including 100s of millions of U.S. tax dollars financially aiding and abetting Palestinian Arab terror against Jews.”

On Saturday, The Washington Post published an op-ed by the president saying that his administration had “reinstated nearly $500 million in aid” to the Palestinian Authority.

The ZOA charged that this simply frees the PA to continue its policy of paying terrorists jailed in Israel. Families of terrorists killed during their attacks are also paid lifetime pensions.

The U.S. passed the Taylor Force Act in 2018 to stop American economic aid to the PA until it ceases paying these stipends. Thus, Biden is “blatantly violating and/or circumventing” this American law, the ZOA statement said.

The organization also condemned the administration’s decision to restore funding to UNRWA, which was established to aid Palestinian refugees from Israel’s 1948 War of Independence but, unlike every other refugee group, supports their descendants as well.

Pro-Israel organizations have documented the blatant antisemitism taught in UNRWA schools and identified about a hundred of its teachers who support terrorism.

Former president Donald Trump had cut off the money pipeline but last year, the White House provided the UN organization with nearly $314 million, 87 percent of its previous annual largesse.

The ZOA also castigated Biden for opposing the right of Jews to live and build in “the lawful Jewish homelands in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria” throughout his entire political career, “while saying nothing about massive illegal Arab building.”

It also criticized his support for a nuclear deal with Iran and his appointment of several harsh Israel critics to top spots in his administration.

“Giving Biden this major award will only encourage Biden to continue his hostile policies toward Israel, for it will send the message that Israel is comfortable with Biden’s wrongheaded policies,” Klein said.

President Isaac Herzog presented Biden with the prestigious award on Wednesday at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem.