Mark Moffa: A Leader in Lowering Taxes— With the Record to Prove It

Here in Bucks County, we all work hard. We should be able to earn a living and have enough left over to enjoy life.

That’s why Mark Moffa cut our property taxes two years in a row as Penndel Borough Councilor. He also bolstered local business as chair of Penndel’s Revitalization Task Force.

In his 15 years serving Bucks County, Mark has proven to be the responsible leader we need. As our state representative, he will do what it takes to keep the tax cuts coming for our seniors and families.

Mark’s Plan for Our Pocketbooks:

• Lower taxes to lessen the burden on our seniors and families

• Level the playing field for our mom-and-pop shops

• Make sure wealthy corporations pay their fair share in taxes

UNITED STATES – ISRAEL POLICY AND POSITION PAPER

IgrewupinahomewhereJewishidentitywasparamount. I attended synagogue throughout the year, read Torah, chanted Haftorah, and led services. I became a bat mitzvah at age twelve and attended Jewish day and sleepaway camps. The annual cadence of Jewish observance and ritual nourished my childhood.

I also grew up in a home engaged with Israel. Israel contributed to our Jewish identity and I traveled to the Jewish State throughout my childhood. Connecting with Israel and Zionism constituted much of my learning in Hebrew school, at camp, and in our home.

Though my relatives returned to Israel under a variety of circumstances, all sought a place of acceptance and safety. MyGreat-AuntGiseleescapedNaziGermanyas ayoungpioneerandsettledinIsrael As her parent’s options for survival in Germany narrowed, they encouraged her to make aliyah alone at age 15.

Inanothertimeandplace,toescapeantisemitisminruralPennsylvania,myAunt LaniejourneyedwithherfamilytoIsrael.She made the move after her son was assaulted on his high school bus by the driver, who shoved a rag down his throat while calling him antisemitic slurs.

The very first time my husband and I brought our children to Israel was a highly compelling and emotional visit. As Americans visiting the Jewish homeland with our children, I felt a peace and an understanding about my own identity that was a first.

ThestrongtiesbetweenAmericaandIsraelraisemylevelofappreciationfor Americaandwhatitrepresents;AmericaseesinIsraelandothercountrieswith whichitpartnersaroundtheworldasymbioticwaytoraisetheglobal consciousness.

Since making aliyah, my family in Israel has flourished, and our visits–spent celebrating simchas and touring the wonders of Israel–continue. The trips I’ve taken deepened my understanding of the conflict between the Palestinians and the Israelis, the layout of the countryside itself, and the depth of Jewish history, culture, and peoplehood encapsulated by this small–but mighty–country.

As an adult, I continue to embrace both my Jewish identity and relationship with the Jewish homeland. Professionally and as a volunteer, I’ve engaged in work supporting the Jewish community, fighting antisemitism, and supporting Israel. WhenFlorida becamethefirststatetodivestfromcompaniesparticipatinginBDS,Ichairedthe CRCatourlocalJewishFederation. I was highly involved in advocacy promoting this legislation–legislation which eventually passed.

Professionally, prosecuting hate crimes as an Assistant State Attorney, I worked with law enforcement to make sure crimes motivated by hate–including anti-Jewish hate–were properly elevated. When running the ADL statewide in Florida, I fought the BDS billboard campaign, speaking to students and adults–both Jewish and nonJewish–about antisemitism. Particularly, I focused on antisemitism masked as ideology opposing Israel’s politics. I also raised funds to promote education for high school and college-aged students, teaching them to recognize and respond to antisemitism on both the left and the right. Furthermore, working with a higher education client, I successfully promoted including religion in the diversity and inclusion department on campus, so Jewish students would no longer have to sit on the outside, marginalized from participation in social justice and campus inclusion initiatives.

Ultimately, I have come to understand Jewish identity as a product of religion, peoplehood, ethnicity, culture, heritage, and the Jewish homeland: Israel.

Commitment to lasting peace

It is my hope to serve in Congress not just as a voice, but as a leader; to do the work, today, investing in the peace process. It is my hope–beyond hope–to create an environment where peace will flourish and Israelis and Palestinians will enjoy lasting security.

I am deeply committed to the prospect of generational peace between Israelis and Palestinians. The United States plays a key role as a facilitator of a future solution.

Thetwo-statesolutionistheonlyviablepathforwardtolastingpeaceand securityforIsraelisandPalestinians

The path to a two-state solution is not an easy one. Its realization will be the work of a generation. However, we must take steps today to create an environment of trust and dialogue so that the work may be done in earnest. While we must understand that the only path to lasting peace is through direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, we must also understand the key role the United States plays.

Our credibility with both Israelis and potential Arab partners, as demonstrated by the historic Abraham Accords, makes us indispensable as a convener and moderator of future peace talks. Furthermore, the United States’ ability to create regional buy-ins for a future two-state solution lessens the burden on Israel and Western allies.

Guaranteeing Israel’s security

My family history imbued me with an unshakable commitment to ensuring Israel’s security, protecting the Israeli people, and the integrity of the Jewish State. As the last refuge for so many Jews around the world, it is imperative for us, the diaspora, to take any and all reasonable measures to ensure that Israel continues to be a thriving haven of security and prosperity for our people. The United States plays a key role in providing security assistance and taking action on the global stage to combat state sponsored terror and the ongoing attempts to deligimatize Israel.

One of the highlights of the Obama administration’s foreign affairs was the signing of the US-Israel Memorandum of Understanding, outlining $3.8 billions dollars in annual security assistance, in addition to funding for defensive installations like Iron Dome and David’s Sling. This funding has the dual purpose of both physically protecting Israel and her people from incoming threats, but also of deterring regional actors from moving against Israeli and American assets in the region. Furthermore, much of the funding is spent through American manufacturers infusing millions of dollars into workers and local economies right here at home.

I would support the continuation and expansion of the MOU and will fight to ensure security aid is never subject to conditions.

Iran

Iran’s quest for offensive nuclear capability is an existential threat to Israel and must be avoided at all costs. While we must not take any options off the table, it is incumbent upon the United States to exhaust all diplomatic pathways.

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was a transformational, if flawed, step in bringing stability to the region and working towards a non-nuclear Iran. The JCPOA established that reaching a diplomatic solution with Iran is feasible, and that doing so collaboratively with our partners and allies has the capability to extend or potentially eliminate Iran’s nuclear breakout time.

As the United States and Israel have navigated the post JCPOA world, it has become clear that any future agreement must include more assurances than the original agreement as well as larger verification programs. While no structure is perfect, there must be greater transparency, access, and accountability to international inspectors, and stronger mechanisms for punishing failure to comply. Furthermore, we must extend the runway for the compliance of centrifuges as well as sanction snapback.

If the underlying theory of the treaty is that welcoming Iran into the global economy will deemphasize Iran’s desire for nuclear weapons, we must give enough runway to make the sanctions unbearable for a future regime. The current four year timeline would not be enough to structurally reorient the Iranian economy or the expectations of the Iranian population. China and Russia have also established themselves as antagonists, meaning that we cannot rely on them to uphold a sanctions regime after the initial expiration of a deal.

Additionally, sanctions relief tied to Iran’s compliance in a future agreement must be irrespective of sanctions that manifest from Iran’s actions sponsoring terrorism around the world. The delisting of the Revolutionary Guard would allow Iran to sponsor terrorist acts with greater impunity, undercutting the larger efforts towards peace in the region.

BuildingontheAbrahamAccords

The Abraham Accords are an historic step in normalizing relations in the Middle East. Israel’s recognition by long-time antagonists in the region ushers in a new age of economic and diplomatic cooperation. Even with pandemic related restrictions, the normalizing of travel has enabled hundreds of thousands of Israelis to visit the UAE, and the Israeli and Emerati governments have already expanded their trade by nearly one billion dollars.

The United State’s played a key role in facilitating these accords, and the success of the agreements demonstrates there is more work to be done in the region. We must continue to build on the accords, bringing more nations to the table and further normalizing diplomatic and economic relationships.

Not only does expanded normalization increase Israel’s economic security standing, it also significantly further US interest. More economic cooperation between nations in the region is likely to create a more stable diplomatic situation as populations become accustomed to the increased trade and travel opportunities. A more stable Middle East would mean less risk to American assets and personnel stationed around the region, and reducing American risk exposure will further our opportunities to embrace partners while marginalizing bad actors.

CombattingBDS

The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement is a classic antisemitic movement masquerading as high-minded protest. BDS is not only a rebranding of antisemitic delegitimization of Israel, but it is also counterproductive to lasting peace. Israel cannot be expected to trust international actors as mediators of future peace if said actors are simultaneously attacking the Israeli economy under dubious circumstances. I support American efforts to combat BDS on the international stage, especially in organizations like the United Nations and International Monetary Fund.

While I also believe in combating BDS in the press and organizations here at home, I am mindful of the first amendment protections of all Americans to peacefully express themselves.

Fightinghateandantisemitism

The historic rise in antisemitic attacks has put the entire American Jewish community on edge. Hate crimes against Jews have increased at a faster rate than anytime in history, and even attacks on other communities such as the shooting in Buffalo have had their roots in antisemitic rhetoric and belief. Even in the halls of the Capitol, antisemitic rhetoric is so deeply engrained that it manifests in both parties on a regular basis. Particularly, antisemitism arises around Israel, a constant target. Working to help Israel combat antisemitism at the UN and around the world is primary for me.

I have been on the front lines in the fight against antisemitism for much of my career. I fought hate crimes as a State’s Attorney, and served as the Regional Director of the Florida ADL, working directly with survivors of attacks and at-risk communities. The fight against antisemitism is personal for me, not just because of my Jewish identity, but because my work combatting hate forced me to take significant steps to avoid becoming a victim myself. I spent years working behind bulletproof glass, had my personal information and that of my family removed from public records, and have traveled with security. I know the personal costs of fighting this kind of hate, and am prepared to continue the fight until antisemitism is pushed back into the darkest recesses of our society again.

Joe Hogan’s To-Do List Take away women’s rights

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