Congressional candidate Goutam U. Jois slams Trump Administration and Congress for fanning Mideast violence

(Summit, NJ) – Democratic congressional candidate Goutam U. Jois condemned the Trump Administration’s unilateral decision to open the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, which has led to protests that have killed over 50 Palestinians and injured over 1,000 others. Jois said the embassy opening is shortsighted and compromises Israel’s long-term security.

“My family comes from India, which, like Israel, is a pluralistic democracy that faces unique security challenges in a volatile region of the world. My commitment to Israel’s safety and security is unwavering.  Yet we have an administration that is trying to win political points and sacrificing the long term peace and security for the Israeli people. The vast majorities of Americans and Israelis support a two-state solution. Our current path is untenable, and raises the prospect of more senseless violence,” Jois said.

Jois said the administration is charting a path for an unsustainable war in the Middle East, and is increasingly isolated in its approach. He said Trump has disregarded decades of precedent by both Democratic and Republican presidents when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian issue, and has ignored the advice of national security experts. He also criticized his primary election opponent, Tom Malinowki, for not doing more to calling out Trump’s destructive Middle East policies.

“Tom Malinowski has called for a ‘serious military effort today in Syria.’  An hour after President Trump’s illegal airstrikes against Syria last month, Tom wrote that he’s willing to give Trump his support on Syria.  Yet the very president that Tom says he’d support has repeatedly destabilized the Middle East, from his rejection of the Iran nuclear deal to his illegal airstrikes against Syria to his decision to move the Israeli embassy.  Tom says he’ll ‘hit the ground running’ if he goes to Washington, but his recent statements on Syria show that he’s running in the wrong direction.”

Jois has earned praise from progressives for his campaign to defeat GOP Rep. Leonard Lance in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, particularly his willingness to stand up to President Donald J. Trump and his scorched-earth policies. The Democratic primary is June 5. To learn more, visit www.jois2018.com.