AAF Statement on Unanswered Israel FOIA Request by Biden Administration

October 10, 2023

Advancing American Freedom issued the following statement on the unanswered FOIA request to the Biden administration on their remarks expressing “strong opposition” to Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, characterizing their existence as “provocative.” The FOIA request was submitted in May of 2022 and has now gone 500 days without answer from the Biden administration, and FOIA requests, by law, are required to be answered in 20 days.

“Israel just survived its darkest day after enduring a brutal attack from Hamas with more hard days to come, and Jewish communities around the world are reeling from the horrors of the past few days. Their terror has only been exacerbated by the lukewarm responses of the United States,” said AAF Executive Director Paul Teller. “The Biden administration in 2022 made remarks in “strong opposition” to Jewish communities residing in Judea and Samaria and considered them “provocative,” calls that have gone unexplained despite repeated demands. Hesitation to stand with our allies has consequences. After the barbaric attacks on Israel these past days the American people still deserve answers for these shameful remarks and whether the Administration still deems Jews living in peace in their homeland as ‘provocative.’”

Background

Advancing American Freedom has been calling out the rise of antisemitism on the Left and in this administration. See Executive Director Paul Teller’s op-ed here from August.