Jews meet top Senate Dems

Jewish leaders met with Democratic senators and discussed the crises in the Middle East and a range of other issues. At the meeting Wednesday morning in the Capitol with 14 senators, Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.), the Senate majority leader, expressed concern about last week’s takeover of the Gaza Strip by the terrorist Hamas group, saying the crisis did not exist “in a vacuum” and noting instability in Iraq and Lebanon as well as Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Groups in the meeting included the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Brit Tzedek v’Shalom, the American Jewish Committee, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, NCSJ: Advocates on behalf of Jews in Russia, Ukraine, the Baltic States and Eurasia, Agudath Israel of America, National Jewish Democratic Council, American Jewish Congress, Americans for Peace Now, B’nai B’rith International, Chabad-Lubavitch, Orthodox Union, Union of Reform Judaism, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, the Anti-Defamation League, United Jewish Communities and Hillel.