Jan 29
JCRC Applauds Senate Vote to Enable Sanctions Against Iran
2010 at 15:50 pm posted by admin
Minneapolis, MN – Steve Hunegs, Executive Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas (JCRC) issued the following statement today applauding the U.S. Senate, which voted yesterday to strengthen existing sanctions against Iran and impose new ones aimed at its fuel supplies:
“The JCRC applauds Senate members for approving the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act and voting to expand existing sanctions to cover a range of financial institutions and businesses, impose a broad ban on direct imports from Iran to the United States and exports from the United States to Iran (exempting food and medicines), and require the Obama administration to freeze the assets of Iranians, including Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps, who are active in weapons proliferation and terrorism.
“Thursday’s vote was a major step forward in efforts to prevent Iran from continuing its pursuit of nuclear weapons.
“A nuclear armed Iran would be a severe threat to the United States, our allies and our security interests in the region. Along with the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act that passed the House late last year, both houses of Congress have now made clear that we will not sit idly by while Iran pursues nuclear weapons and continues to stifle opposition to its current regime. The JCRC has long advocated to congressional officials that these sanctions place pressure on Iran in a peaceful manner, allowing the international community to work together to resolve this crisis. We are proud that Minnesota along with several other states, has taken the initiative to divest their pension funds from foreign companies doing business in the Iranian energy sector.
“We applaud the Senate’s vote this week and look forward to a final bill. We must continue to do all we can to ensure a nuclear free Iran. Economic pressure is one of our best means to try and peacefully thwart Iran’s dangerous nuclear ambition.”
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The JCRC… the public affairs voice of the Jewish community fighting anti-Semitism and prejudice, promoting tolerance and social justice, and representing Jews, individually and collectively, here and abroad.