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3 Teves 5778 - December 21, 2017 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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NEWS
News from Agudath Israel of America

by Dei'ah Vedibur Staff

Statement On President Trump Commuting Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin's Sentence

With a profound sense of appreciation, Agudath Israel of America gratefully welcomes the news of President Trump's commutation of the sentence of Sholom Rubashkin.

The injustice of Mr. Rubashkin's grossly excessive 27-year sentence was readily apparent to any fair-minded individual who reviewed the facts of the case. That is why so many Congressmembers from both sides of the political aisle, led by Senator Orrin Hatch and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and well over 100 former high ranking Justice Department officials and other legal luminaries, have been publicly calling for executive clemency.

Through today's action, President Trump has shown that he too understood that something went terribly wrong in the prosecution and sentencing of Sholom Rubashkin - and, further, that he would not allow this blot on our criminal justice system to stand uncorrected. The president deserves to be congratulated and thanked - not only by Mr. Rubashkin's family and friends, but by all who care about fairness and justice.

Agudath Israel has long advocated that Sholom Rubashkin be freed from prison and reunited with his loving family. That day has finally arrived.

Boruch Hashem.

* * *

On the Tax Reform Package Passed by Congress

From Rabbi Abba Cohen, Agudath Israel's V.P. for Federal Affairs and Washington Director

Agudath Israel of America recognizes that an omnibus tax bill such as H.R.1, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, cuts along various lines in an economically-diverse population. Its effects on the Orthodox Jewish community will, therefore, be felt differently by its different segments. However, as many Orthodox Jews fall within the moderate to low income brackets and find themselves financially strapped by the high costs of Orthodox Jewish life - including the expense of providing their children with a Jewish education - we are hopeful that the legislation will fulfill President Trump's and Congress' stated goal of easing the burden on the nation's middle class.

As a threshold matter, we are deeply disappointed about the bill's elimination of the deductibility of personal exemptions and the limitations placed on the deductibility of state and local taxes. As a high percentage of Orthodox Jews have large families, and reside in areas that are highly taxed, these changes will likely have a dramatically negative effect on large numbers of our community.

At the same time, we are pleased that some of Agudath Israel's top priorities were included in the bill:

In regard to education related matters, the expansion of "section 529 savings plans" - championed in the Senate by Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) - to include tax benefits for various elementary and secondary education costs, including private school tuition, will encourage parents to put away their own money so they can provide a Jewish education for their children. This initiative represents an important victory for educational choice.

The retention of "qualified tuition reduction" benefit will help Jewish schools continue to hire high quality teachers and staff at competitive salaries and help parents by keeping tuition costs down.

Our constituency has a great stake in the child/family tax credit. The final version of the bill enhances this credit - thanks in substantial part to the diligent work of Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) - as it will raise the credit amount and the income phase outs, and add other qualifying dependents, in a way that could bring additional relief to our families.

We are gratified that the tax bill retains the deductibility of charitable contributions. But we share the concern of the nonprofit sector as to how the doubling of the "standard deduction" might affect such giving. We are disappointed that Senator James Lankford's (R-OK) proposal, providing an above-the-line charitable deduction, did not succeed. We must continue to find ways to ensure that charitable giving grows so nonprofits can continue to step up and help address society's many needs.

Finally, we commend Congress for retaining the Johnson Amendment, which for decades has insulated religious entities and members of the clergy from the inevitable pressure and division they would face by being injected into political campaigns. Keeping partisanship away from the house of worship has been positive for the political process and has been especially beneficial for the autonomy of religious communities and institutions. We believe it should remain that way.

Action alerts sent by Agudath Israel and some of its national partners generated tens of thousands of calls and emails to Congress on these issues. We thank each and every one of our grassroots supporters for taking the time to weigh in on the tax bill.

As H.R.1 has now been passed and will be signed by the President into law, we must all continue to monitor how its provisions affect the individuals and institutions it is intended to help. Federal, state and local governments must think creatively, and adopt legislation, regulation and policies that best allow the new tax bill to live up to its stated promise.

* * *

Agudath Israel Statement on Thursday Morning's U.N. General Assembly Vote

The countries that voted Thursday December 21 in the United Nations General Assembly to demand that the U.S. rescind its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital and its plan to move its embassy there once again showed their true and ugly colors.

The General Assembly has long been a ludicrously anti-Israel forum, a grandiose soapbox where nations, including more than a few whose regimes routinely oppress, torture and murder their own citizens, wax righteously indignant at Israel's audacity in defending herself against her many bloodthirsty enemies.

Today's vote, however, forged a new low in the world body's antipathy toward Israel. Not only does the majority of the General Assembly seek to deprive Israel of the right to determine her own capital, but it seeks to prevent our own country from respecting that right.

In 1995, Congress passed a law explicitly establishing the position of the United States that "Jerusalem should be recognized as the capital of the State of Israel," and requiring that the American Embassy in Israel be moved to Jerusalem. Earlier this month, President Trump announced the implementation of that law.

We are proud of the steadfast friendship toward Israel and recognition of reality that Congress and President Trump have demonstrated. We applaud President Trump and Ambassador Haley for their courageous articulation of American values in the lion's den of the United Nations.

And we remain ever hopeful that other responsible nations will come to recognize the special status of Jerusalem not only to the state of Israel but to the Jewish people throughout the millennia.

 

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