Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs
Encyclopedia
The Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA) is a Washington, D.C.
-based non-profit think-tank focusing on issues of United States
and Israel
in national security. JINSA's stated aim is threefold: to ensure a strong and effective U.S. national security policy; to educate American leaders on what it views as the vital strategic relationship between the United States and Israel; and to strengthen U.S. cooperation with democratic allies, including Taiwan
, Hungary
, Turkey
, India
, and NATO member nations, amongst others.
JINSA's advisory board includes such notable figures as Michael Ledeen
, Richard Perle
, and R. James Woolsey, while Vice President Dick Cheney
, former U.S. Representative to the United Nations John Bolton
, and former Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Douglas Feith
were all on JINSA's Board of Advisors before they entered the Bush administration. JINSA is officially a non-partisan organization welcoming advisors from both sides of the aisle including Democrats such as former Congressman Dave McCurdy
and current Congressman Steve Israel
.
and the U.S. Department of State, retired U.S. senior military officers to Israel and Jordan. The General and Flag Officer's program, as it is known, includes meetings with Israeli and Jordanian political and military leaders.
More than 200 retired Admirals and Generals, including Shock and Awe theorist Adm. Leon "Bud" Edney
, USN, Lt. Gen. Jay Garner
, USA, Maj. Gen. David L. Grange
, USA, Maj. Gen. Jarvis Lynch
, USMC, Maj. Gen. Sidney Shachnow
, USA, Adm. Leighton "Snuffy" Smith, USN, Adm. Carlisle Trost
, USN and Brig. Gen. Thomas E. White
, USA, have participated in the trips over the last 21 years. Participation in the program makes no requirements of the invitees to make statements, form opinions or maintain any further relationship with JINSA, yet many trip alums have participated more than once, and 50 past participants co-authored a statement on violence in the Palestinian-controlled territories that appeared in the New York Times in October 2000.
Jason Vest
, writing in left-leaning The Nation, describes the program this way:
, California
(LAPD
); Orlando
, Florida
; Minneapolis, Minnesota
; Chicago, and the Port Authority Police Department (PAPD)
of New York
and New Jersey
) have participated. The program has already led to significant changes in local law enforcement counter-terrorism tactics and training.
In addition, the Law Enforcement Exchange Program (LEEP) brings Israeli police and counter-terror officials to the United States for intensive two-day seminars that to date have trained more than 1,500 law enforcement officers and officials around the U.S. LEEP has also played a life-saving role in training members of the U.S. Marine Corps
in how to better protect civilians and soldiers, alike, against the threat of car and suicide bombers in Iraq
.
JINSA publishes U.S. policy-related publications including the semi-annual Journal of International Security Affairs as well as conference proceedings and monographs. For 22 years, JINSA published Security Affairs - a monthly newsletter. In 2004, JINSA published a reference book: Profiles in Terror
: A Guide to Middle East Terrorist Organizations by Aaron Mannes
.
Each fall, JINSA presents an annual Distinguished Service Award, named in honor of the late-Senator Henry M. "Scoop" Jackson
to U.S. government leaders (generally a senior U.S. Government or Armed Forces official, a Senator or two Members of the United States House of Representatives
) for their career dedication to U.S. national security. Past honorees have included: Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz
(2002), Senator Joe Lieberman
(1997), Senator Max Cleland
(2000), then-Defense Secretary Dick Cheney
(1991), all three Secretaries of the U.S. Armed Services (2001), Congresswoman Jane Harman
and Congressman Jim Saxton
(2003), Indiana Senator Evan Bayh
(2004), Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Peter Pace (USMC) (2005), Senator John McCain (2006), Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates (2007), Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen (2008), and (2009) all five chiefs of the U.S. Armed Forces and the Commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command (U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey, Jr.; U.S. Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James T. Conway; U.S. Navy Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Gary Roughead; Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Thad W. Allen; Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton A. Schwartz; Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command U.S. Navy Adm. Eric T. Olson.)
In addition, for the past six years beginning in 2003, JINSA has honored six enlisted representatives of the U.S. Armed Services and U.S. Special Operations Command
, each selected by their respective services, with the "Grateful Nation Award" for duty that, while exemplary, might otherwise go unrecognized.
In the late 1980s, JINSA underwent a profound repurposing of mission which, although retaining the interest in maintaining and strengthening the U.S.-Israeli defense relationship, widened its focus to general U.S. defense and foreign policy, with missions and meetings with national leaders and military officials from countries as diverse as Ethiopia
, Belgium
, South Korea
, India
, Bulgaria
, Italy
, the Republic of China
, Uzbekistan
, Costa Rica
, Spain
, Eritrea
, Jordan
, the People's Republic of China
, Hungary
, United Kingdom
and Germany
, to name a few.
JINSA, a charitable 501(c)(3) organization, maintains a staunchly non-partisan stance in its official policies and statements. According to unnamed critics, JINSA is closely associated with the neoconservative movement and U.S. Military Industrial Complex.
Republican
vice-presidential
nominee Alaska
governor Sarah Palin
from a rally protesting against the Islamic Republic of Iran. http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/jinsa-condemns-decision-presidents-conference/story.aspx?guid=%7B656A81C9-CC3E-4AF1-BD2B-F04864904FBF%7D&dist=hppr. Hoenlein's decision was based on several of the sponsors unsubstantiated claims that their nonprofit status would be jeopardized through involvement in a program that would have provided a forum to one candidate and not others, a violation of the law. Neumann and others noted that Sen. Hillary Clinton, who had agreed to speak at the rally, withdrew her participation once she learned that Gov. Palin was also invited to speak at the rally. This in point of fact eliminated concerns that the rally was a politically partisan event as representatives from both major parties had agreed to speak. Neumann's rebuke of Hoenlein was for not consulting with the constituent member organizations of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations before acting to disinvite Gov. Palin.
, writing in the liberal The Nation, alleges that JINSA, along with Frank Gaffney
's Center for Security Policy
, are "underwritten by far-right American Zionists" and both believe strongly that
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
-based non-profit think-tank focusing on issues of United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
in national security. JINSA's stated aim is threefold: to ensure a strong and effective U.S. national security policy; to educate American leaders on what it views as the vital strategic relationship between the United States and Israel; and to strengthen U.S. cooperation with democratic allies, including Taiwan
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and NATO member nations, amongst others.
JINSA's advisory board includes such notable figures as Michael Ledeen
Michael Ledeen
Michael Arthur Ledeen is an American specialist on foreign policy. His research areas have included state sponsors of terrorism, Iran, the Middle East, Europe , U.S.-China relations, intelligence, and Africa and is a leading neoconservative...
, Richard Perle
Richard Perle
Richard Norman Perle is an American political advisor, consultant, and lobbyist who began his career in government, a senior staff member to Senator Henry “Scoop” Jackson on the Senate Armed Services Committee in the 1970’s...
, and R. James Woolsey, while Vice President Dick Cheney
Dick Cheney
Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....
, former U.S. Representative to the United Nations John Bolton
John R. Bolton
John Robert Bolton is an American lawyer and diplomat who has served in several Republican presidential administrations. He served as the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations from August 2005 until December 2006 on a recess appointment...
, and former Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Douglas Feith
Douglas Feith
Douglas J. Feith served as the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy for United States President George W. Bush from July 2001 until August 2005. His official responsibilities included the formulation of defense planning guidance and forces policy, United States Department of Defense relations...
were all on JINSA's Board of Advisors before they entered the Bush administration. JINSA is officially a non-partisan organization welcoming advisors from both sides of the aisle including Democrats such as former Congressman Dave McCurdy
Dave McCurdy
David Keith McCurdy is a U.S. lawyer, politician, conservative Democrat, and a former Oklahoma Congressman from Oklahoma's 4th congressional district. He is president of the American Gas Association.-Early life and education:...
and current Congressman Steve Israel
Steve Israel
Steve J. Israel is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2001. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district is located on Long Island and includes the towns of Huntington, Babylon, Islip, and Smithtown in Suffolk County, part of the town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, and the...
.
Foreign policy positions
JINSA's policy recommendations for the U.S. government currently include:- Enhanced WMD counterproliferation programs.
- National ballistic missile defense systems.
- Curbing of regional ballistic missile development and production worldwide.
- Increased counterterrorism training and funding, prior to September 11, 2001 attacksSeptember 11, 2001 attacksThe September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
. - Increased defense cooperation with IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. - Substantially improved quality-of-life for U.S. service personnel and their families.
- Support for joint U.S.-Israeli training and weapons development programs.
- Regime changeRegime change"Regime change" is the replacement of one regime with another. Use of the term dates to at least 1925.Regime change can occur through conquest by a foreign power, revolution, coup d'état or reconstruction following the failure of a state...
in "rogue" nation-states known to provide support or knowingly harbor terrorist groups, including IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, SyriaSyriaSyria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, LebanonLebanonLebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, VenezuelaVenezuelaVenezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, CubaCubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, North KoreaNorth KoreaThe Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
, and LibyaLibyaLibya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
, and support a re-evaluation of the U.S. defense relationships with EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Saudi ArabiaSaudi ArabiaThe Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, and other Persian GulfPersian GulfThe Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
nations.
General and Flag Officer's program
One of JINSA's most important programs is to invite, with the assistance of the PentagonThe Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
and the U.S. Department of State, retired U.S. senior military officers to Israel and Jordan. The General and Flag Officer's program, as it is known, includes meetings with Israeli and Jordanian political and military leaders.
More than 200 retired Admirals and Generals, including Shock and Awe theorist Adm. Leon "Bud" Edney
Leon A. Edney
Leon Albert "Bud" Edney is a retired United States Navy officer. A native of Dedham, Massachusetts, he retired from the Navy as an admiral and served as Vice Chief of Naval Operations for the United States Navy.-Naval career:...
, USN, Lt. Gen. Jay Garner
Jay Garner
Jay Montgomery Garner is a retired United States Army lieutenant general who was appointed in 2003 as Director of the Office for Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance for Iraq following the 2003 invasion of Iraq but was soon replaced by Ambassador Paul Bremer and the ambassador's successor...
, USA, Maj. Gen. David L. Grange
David L. Grange
David L. Grange is a retired United States Army Brigadier General, son of retired Lieutenant General David E. Grange, Jr. After retiring in 1999, David L. Grange served as the executive vice president and chief operating officer of the McCormick Foundation in Chicago. In September 2005, Grange...
, USA, Maj. Gen. Jarvis Lynch
Jarvis Lynch
Major General Jarvis D. Lynch Jr., USMC, retired in 1991 as the Commanding General, Marine Corps Recruit Depot/Commanding General, Eastern Recruiting Region, Parris Island, South Carolina.-Early years:...
, USMC, Maj. Gen. Sidney Shachnow
Sidney Shachnow
Sidney Shachnow is a Holocaust survivor who attained the rank of Major General in United States Army. He retired in 1994, after 40 years of active service.-Surviving the concentration camp:...
, USA, Adm. Leighton "Snuffy" Smith, USN, Adm. Carlisle Trost
Carlisle Trost
Admiral Carlisle Albert Herman Trost, USN is a retired United States Navy officer who served as the Navy's twenty-third Chief of Naval Operations and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1 July 1986 to 29 June 1990. He oversaw the Navy during the end of the Cold War, and the preparations...
, USN and Brig. Gen. Thomas E. White
Thomas E. White
Thomas E. White, Jr. is an American businessman and former United States Army officer who served as senior executive at the now collapsed Enron and as the United States Secretary of the Army from May 31, 2001 until April 25, 2003.-Military career and education:In 1963 White graduated from Cass...
, USA, have participated in the trips over the last 21 years. Participation in the program makes no requirements of the invitees to make statements, form opinions or maintain any further relationship with JINSA, yet many trip alums have participated more than once, and 50 past participants co-authored a statement on violence in the Palestinian-controlled territories that appeared in the New York Times in October 2000.
Jason Vest
Jason Vest
Jason Vest is an investigative journalist best known for his reporting in connection with the Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse scandal. He is a Senior Correspondent for The American Prospect, and a contributor to the Boston Phoenix, Government Executive, The Nation, National Journal, Salon,...
, writing in left-leaning The Nation, describes the program this way:
"The bulk of JINSA's modest annual budget is spent on taking a bevy of retired US generals and admirals to Israel, where JINSA facilitates meetings between Israeli officials and the still-influential US flag officers, who, upon their return to the States, happily write op-eds and sign letters and advertisements championing the Likudnik line."
United States-Israeli law enforcement exchange
In 2002, JINSA initiated a program aimed at exchanging counter-terrorism experience and tactics between U.S. law enforcement agencies and their counterparts in the Israeli National Police. The primary focus of the program is to bring U.S. law enforcement executives (chiefs, sheriffs, deputies, etc.) to Israel for an intensive two week program aimed at educating U.S. law enforcement officials on the possible threats posed by the specter of domestic terrorism in the United States. Over the course of four trips, nearly 60 police chiefs and sheriffs from departments in major American metropolitan areas (including Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
(LAPD
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
); Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
; Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
; Chicago, and the Port Authority Police Department (PAPD)
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is a bi-state port district, established in 1921 through an interstate compact, that runs most of the regional transportation infrastructure, including the bridges, tunnels, airports, and seaports, within the Port of New York and New Jersey...
of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
) have participated. The program has already led to significant changes in local law enforcement counter-terrorism tactics and training.
In addition, the Law Enforcement Exchange Program (LEEP) brings Israeli police and counter-terror officials to the United States for intensive two-day seminars that to date have trained more than 1,500 law enforcement officers and officials around the U.S. LEEP has also played a life-saving role in training members of the U.S. Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
in how to better protect civilians and soldiers, alike, against the threat of car and suicide bombers in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
.
Others
Profiles in Terror
Profiles in Terror: A Guide to Middle East Terrorist Organizations is a 2004 book by Aaron Mannes. It profiles more than twenty terrorist organizations operating in the Middle East and their affiliate groups worldwide, describing their characteristics: ideology and objectives; history; leadership;...
: A Guide to Middle East Terrorist Organizations by Aaron Mannes
Aaron Mannes
Aaron Mannes is an American writer living in suburban Maryland. In addition to authoring Profiles in Terror: A Guide to Middle East Terrorist Organizations , he has written on Middle East affairs and terrorism for numerous publications including Policy Review, The Wall Street Journal Europe, The...
.
Each fall, JINSA presents an annual Distinguished Service Award, named in honor of the late-Senator Henry M. "Scoop" Jackson
Henry M. Jackson
Henry Martin "Scoop" Jackson was a U.S. Congressman and Senator from the state of Washington from 1941 until his death...
to U.S. government leaders (generally a senior U.S. Government or Armed Forces official, a Senator or two Members of the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
) for their career dedication to U.S. national security. Past honorees have included: Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz
Paul Wolfowitz
Paul Dundes Wolfowitz is a former United States Ambassador to Indonesia, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense, President of the World Bank, and former dean of the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University...
(2002), Senator Joe Lieberman
Joe Lieberman
Joseph Isadore "Joe" Lieberman is the senior United States Senator from Connecticut. A former member of the Democratic Party, he was the party's nominee for Vice President in the 2000 election. Currently an independent, he remains closely affiliated with the party.Born in Stamford, Connecticut,...
(1997), Senator Max Cleland
Max Cleland
Joseph Maxwell Cleland is an American politician from Georgia. Cleland, a Democrat, is a disabled US Army veteran of the Vietnam War, a recipient of the Silver Star and the Bronze Star for valorous action in combat, and a former U.S. Senator...
(2000), then-Defense Secretary Dick Cheney
Dick Cheney
Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....
(1991), all three Secretaries of the U.S. Armed Services (2001), Congresswoman Jane Harman
Jane Harman
Jane Margaret Lakes Harman is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1993 to 1999, and from 2001 to 2011. She is a member of the Democratic Party....
and Congressman Jim Saxton
Jim Saxton
Hugh James "Jim" Saxton is an American Republican Party politician. He was a member of the United States House of Representatives. He represented from 1984 to 1993. From 1993 to 2009, he represented .-Life:...
(2003), Indiana Senator Evan Bayh
Evan Bayh
Birch Evans "Evan" Bayh III is a lawyer, advisor and former Democratic politician who served as the junior U.S. Senator from Indiana from 1999 to 2011. He earlier served as the 46th Governor of Indiana from 1989 to 1997. Bayh is a current Fox News contributor as of March 14, 2011.Bayh first held...
(2004), Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Peter Pace (USMC) (2005), Senator John McCain (2006), Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates (2007), Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen (2008), and (2009) all five chiefs of the U.S. Armed Forces and the Commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command (U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey, Jr.; U.S. Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James T. Conway; U.S. Navy Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Gary Roughead; Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Thad W. Allen; Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton A. Schwartz; Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command U.S. Navy Adm. Eric T. Olson.)
In addition, for the past six years beginning in 2003, JINSA has honored six enlisted representatives of the U.S. Armed Services and U.S. Special Operations Command
United States Special Operations Command
The United States Special Operations Command is the Unified Combatant Command charged with overseeing the various Special Operations Commands of the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps of the United States Armed Forces. The command is part of the Department of Defense...
, each selected by their respective services, with the "Grateful Nation Award" for duty that, while exemplary, might otherwise go unrecognized.
History
Founded in 1976 as a result of the lessons learned from the 1973 Yom Kippur War, JINSA communicates with the national security establishment and the general public to explain the role Israel can and does play in bolstering American interests, as well as the link between American defense policy and the security of Israel. JINSA's founding, according to Jason Vest, was prompted by "neoconservatives concerned that the United States might not be able to provide Israel with adequate military supplies in the event of another Arab-Israeli war."In the late 1980s, JINSA underwent a profound repurposing of mission which, although retaining the interest in maintaining and strengthening the U.S.-Israeli defense relationship, widened its focus to general U.S. defense and foreign policy, with missions and meetings with national leaders and military officials from countries as diverse as Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
, Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
, Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Eritrea
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
, Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
, the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, to name a few.
JINSA, a charitable 501(c)(3) organization, maintains a staunchly non-partisan stance in its official policies and statements. According to unnamed critics, JINSA is closely associated with the neoconservative movement and U.S. Military Industrial Complex.
2008 rebuke of the Conference of Presidents
JINSA director Tom Neumann rebuked the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations leader Malcolm Hoenlein for the conference's decision to disinvite the 2008United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
vice-presidential
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
nominee Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
governor Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
from a rally protesting against the Islamic Republic of Iran. http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/jinsa-condemns-decision-presidents-conference/story.aspx?guid=%7B656A81C9-CC3E-4AF1-BD2B-F04864904FBF%7D&dist=hppr. Hoenlein's decision was based on several of the sponsors unsubstantiated claims that their nonprofit status would be jeopardized through involvement in a program that would have provided a forum to one candidate and not others, a violation of the law. Neumann and others noted that Sen. Hillary Clinton, who had agreed to speak at the rally, withdrew her participation once she learned that Gov. Palin was also invited to speak at the rally. This in point of fact eliminated concerns that the rally was a politically partisan event as representatives from both major parties had agreed to speak. Neumann's rebuke of Hoenlein was for not consulting with the constituent member organizations of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations before acting to disinvite Gov. Palin.
Criticism
Jason VestJason Vest
Jason Vest is an investigative journalist best known for his reporting in connection with the Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse scandal. He is a Senior Correspondent for The American Prospect, and a contributor to the Boston Phoenix, Government Executive, The Nation, National Journal, Salon,...
, writing in the liberal The Nation, alleges that JINSA, along with Frank Gaffney
Frank Gaffney
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr. is the founder and president of the American Center for Security Policy, columnist at the Washington Times, blogger at Big Peace and radio host on Secure Freedom Radio....
's Center for Security Policy
Center for Security Policy
The Center for Security Policy is a Washington, D.C. think tank that focuses on national security issues. The Center was founded in 1988 by Frank Gaffney, Jr....
, are "underwritten by far-right American Zionists" and both believe strongly that
"'regime changeRegime change"Regime change" is the replacement of one regime with another. Use of the term dates to at least 1925.Regime change can occur through conquest by a foreign power, revolution, coup d'état or reconstruction following the failure of a state...
' by any means necessary in IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, SyriaSyriaSyria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, Saudi ArabiaSaudi ArabiaThe Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
and the Palestinian Authority is an urgent imperative."
See also
- American Israel Public Affairs CommitteeAmerican Israel Public Affairs CommitteeThe American Israel Public Affairs Committee is a lobbying group that advocates pro-Israel policies to the Congress and Executive Branch of the United States...
- American Jewish CommitteeAmerican Jewish CommitteeThe American Jewish Committee was "founded in 1906 with the aim of rallying all sections of American Jewry to defend the rights of Jews all over the world...
- Center for Security PolicyCenter for Security PolicyThe Center for Security Policy is a Washington, D.C. think tank that focuses on national security issues. The Center was founded in 1988 by Frank Gaffney, Jr....
, Washington think tank with overlapping membership and interests - Foreign policy interest groupForeign policy interest groupA foreign policy interest group, according to Thomas Ambrosio, is a domestic advocacy group which seeks to directly or indirectly influence their government's foreign policy.-Historic development:...
- Jewish Council for Public AffairsJewish Council for Public AffairsThe Jewish Council for Public Affairs is an American Jewish non-profit organization that deals with community relations. It is a coordinating round table organization of 14 other national Jewish organizations as well as 127 local Jewish federations and community relations councils...
- Military history of Jewish AmericansMilitary history of Jewish AmericansJewish Americans have served in the United States armed forces dating back to before the colonial era, when Jews have served in militias of the Thirteen Colonies. Jewish military personnel have served in all branches of the armed forces and in every major armed conflict to which the United States...
- Saban Center for Middle East PolicySaban Center for Middle East PolicyThe Saban Center for Middle East Policy is a center within the Brookings Institution focused on the United States' involvement in the Middle East...
- The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish OrganizationsThe Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish OrganizationsThe Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations is a non-profit organization that describes itself as "a central address for key American, Israeli and other world leaders to consult on issues of critical concern to the Jewish community."Currently comprising 51 national Jewish...
. - Washington Institute for Near East PolicyWashington Institute for Near East PolicyThe Washington Institute for Near East Policy is a think tank based in Washington, D.C. focused on United States foreign policy in the Middle East. It was established by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in 1985...