SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS AND KEY CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS TO ADDRESS NATIONAL JEWISH LEADERSHIP ADVOCACY DAY ON IRAN
WHEN: Thursday, September 10, 2009, 10:00 a.m.

WHERE: Sixth & I Historic Synagogue
600 I Street, NW
Washington, DC

Senior Administration officials and Congressional leaders will address hundreds of leaders of national Jewish organizations and Jewish communities from across the nation at the National Jewish Leadership Advocacy Day on Iran on Thursday, September 10th. Rep. Howard L. Berman (D-CA), Chairman, House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. John A. Boehner (R-OH), House Republican Leader, and Rep. Eric I. Cantor (R-VA), House Republican Whip, have already confirmed their participation.

Reflecting support for President Obama’s position that Iran’s acquisition of nuclear arms capacity is “unacceptable,” this Advocacy Day is intended to urge implementation of strong economic and diplomatic measures directed at the Iranian regime and the expeditious adoption of key legislative initiatives now before Congress, including the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act.

National and community leaders are meeting with members of Congress because of the grave threat that a nuclear armed Iran would pose to fundamental U.S. national security interests and to world peace. They will encourage the Administration to take full advantage of the tools provided by the proposed legislation in order to advance the international effort to prevent Iran from gaining a nuclear arms capability.

According to the organizers of the Advocacy Day, a government that has so little regard for human life, truth, and human rights – as does the current Iranian regime – must not be entrusted to possess the most powerful weapons known to humankind.

Participating delegations represent most major metropolitan areas from across the country, including Los Angeles and San Diego, Calif., Miami, Fla., Atlanta, Ga., Chicago, Ill., Boston, Mass., Baltimore, Md., the Greater New York City area, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Pa., and Dallas, Tx., and the Greater Washington D.C. area.

Following morning briefing sessions, community delegations will meet with members of Congress to discuss the urgency of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, while national-agency led delegations will visit select embassies to discuss the importance of achieving international cooperation and consensus on this issue.

The National Jewish Leadership Advocacy Day is organized by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Iran, which includes the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, UJC/Federations of North America, and NCSJ: Advocates on behalf of Jews in Russia, Ukraine, the Baltic States and Eurasia, as well as numerous national Jewish organizations and friends of the community.

Media coverage of the opening session at 10:00 a.m. is invited.