by
NJJN Staff Writer

In his first meeting with the organized Jewish community since assuming his United States Senate seat two months ago, Robert Menendez gave a wide-ranging talk on international affairs that touched on Iran, Hamas, and his vocal opposition to a United Arab Emirates-owned company’s bid to take over significant operations at six U.S. ports.

Menendez called the ports deal, which has now been postponed for 45 days after the company agreed to a second review of potential security risks, “the first time that any of the port operations of the United States would be sold to a foreign government.” Menendez added that it is “not acceptable” for another country to handle any part of this nation’s assets “that also involves a security component.”

Menendez also expressed his concern over Iran’s emerging nuclear threat.

“Today, Iran is a major challenge to us and to the world,” he said. Menendez said he supports diplomatic solutions, such as multilateral sanctions, rather than a military option to thwart Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

Menendez addressed representatives of 12 NJ Jewish federations, including United Jewish Communities of MetroWest NJ, and other communal agencies on Feb. 22 at the JCC on the Palisades in Tenafly. The meeting was sponsored by the New Jersey State Association of Jewish Federations in cooperation with UJA Federation of Northern New Jersey.

Also in the audience was the deputy consul general of Israel in New York, Benjamin Krasna, as well as Hispanic communal representatives.

A House International Relations committee member before becoming senator, Menendez said his guiding principle was, “What is in the national interest of the United States?” He added, “I believe in standing up for what is right” — even if that decision is not a popular one.

Menendez, 52, born to Cuban immigrants and raised in Hudson County’s hardscrabble Union City, described his rise from a high school student who did not have $200 to purchase honors program textbooks to a law school graduate who became a school board member and mayor. Before being appointed by Gov. Jon Corzine to assume the senatorial seat he was vacating, Menendez, representing the 13th District, was the third-highest ranking Democrat in Congress.

When asked about his views on Hamas’ assuming legislative control of the Palestinian Authority, Menendez said that the “terrorist organization” should never have been allowed to participate in elections unless it first renounced violence and recognized Israel. “It is clearly going to affect our relations” with the Palestinians, said Menendez, who has authored a resolution stating that the United States should not let taxpayer dollars support the Palestinian Authority as long as Hamas is in control.

Speaking briefly about the Jewish state, Menendez said that Israel — the “only democracy in a sea of autocracy” — is “the only real ally we can depend on at the end of the day.”

Turning to domestic issues, Menendez described the “listening tour” of the state he took last month and said that he recognizes the plight of families caught between taking care of their elderly family members and securing their own children’s college educations. “We face these intergenerational challenges,” said Menendez, whose own mother has Alzheimer’s disease and whose two children are in college and law school.

The Jewish community is hardly immune from these challenges. Menendez cited statistics indicating that by 2020, 25 percent of the Jewish population will be 65 and older. He supports programs that will strengthen the role of health-care givers, such as the Caregivers Assistance Act, which would provide significant tax deductions to family members who are central caregivers, tax deductions for long-term care insurance, and doubled funding for the National Family Caregiver Support Program. “This dignity that we give to our families is [also] an enormous savings to our country.”

Menendez also expressed support for Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities programs, which provide the elderly with support services to allow them to remain in their homes and in clustered communities with other retired individuals for as long as possible. Menendez’ views in this area hit home with representatives of the NJ federations, who have been pushing hard for NORC support at a time when federal earmarks for such programs have been cut out of this year’s budget.

“We’ve had a longstanding positive relationship with [Menendez],” said Elihu Davison of Morris Township, vice president of the State Association and vice chair of United Jewish Communities of MetroWest NJ’s community relations committee. Davison said that Menendez has always been a “friend” on issues relating to “support for Israel to domestic security to issues of social welfare.”

“I was grateful to hear him speak to his own experience as a member of the ‘sandwich generation,’” said Lori Price Abrams, director of the MetroWest CRC. “I believe he really understands what many in our community are experiencing in that regard.” 

State Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula (D-Dist. 17) — who took part in a federation-sponsored mission to Israel last December — also spoke to the gathering.