MacArthur Statement on Andy Kim Accepting Endorsement from J Street

Toms River, March 2, 2018 — In light of J Street’s recent endorsement of Andy Kim, Congressman Tom MacArthur called on his opponent to make his position on Israel clear.  J Street’s views on Israel, including their support for the misguided and dangerous Iran nuclear deal, have been widely rejected by mainstream Jewish organizations.

“Whether it was advocating against the disastrous Iran Nuclear Deal, opposing the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement against Israel, or supporting moving our embassy to Jerusalem, I have proudly stood with Israel in Congress,” said Congressman Tom MacArthur.  “We must not allow hostile regimes like those in Iran and Syria to join forces against Israel, and we certainly must not allow politicians in the United States to hedge on this issue. We need to know where Andy Kim stands on Israel.”

MacArthur traveled to Israel in 2015 and is a member of the Congressional Israel Allies Caucus.

“While Andy Kim’s silence on Israel is deafening, his acceptance of endorsements from radicals who undercut America’s alliance with Israel is telling.  Andy Kim has openly touted the endorsement of a former deputy secretary of state who called the Iran Nuclear Deal a ‘very good deal’, he accepted financial support from a Member of Congress who has normalized anti-Israel positions and who was forced to apologize for offensive comments she made about a Jewish opponent, and he stood idly by while his boss worked to close military bases like Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst,” said MacArthur spokesman Chris Russell.  “Andy Kim’s website doesn’t even mention the word ‘Israel’ which is in direct contrast to Congressman MacArthur’s strong record of support for our greatest ally in the Middle East.  This is just more proof that Andy Kim isn’t a South Jersey Democrat, he’s a San Francisco liberal who couldn’t be more out of touch on every major issue facing our community including this one.”