NORPAC
NORPAC is a bipartisan, multi-candidate political action committee (PAC) working to strengthen the United States-Israel relationship. Its activities include fundraising for Senators and Members of the United States Congress who support this relationship, regular emails regarding the situation in the Middle East, and the annual Mission to Washington.
Organization leadership
National Officers
| Founding Chairman | Rabbi M. Genack |
| Chairman Emeritus | David Schlussel |
| President | Dr. Ben Chouake |
| Vice-President | Dr. Mort Fridman |
| Vice-President | Jerry Gontownik |
| Vice-President | Robert Gottesman |
| Vice-President | Drew Parker |
| Treasurer | Kevin Lemmer |
| Director of Membership, Mission to Washington Coordinator | Joel Davidson |
Regional Officers
| President, Riverdale chapter | Josh Landes |
| Vice-President, Riverdale chapter | Jeff Daube |
| President, Edison chapter | Jeff Weinstein |
| Vice-President, Edison chapter | Harry Bernstein |
| President, NY chapter | Jason Muss |
Supported issues
Each year, before its annual Mission to Washington, NORPAC selects 5 issues or bills it will discuss that year. Currently, NORPAC supports:
- Foreign Aid to Israel
- IFSA, the Iran Freedom Support Act (H.R.282/S.333), which imposes sanctions on Iran in response to nuclear activity.
- USIECA, the US-Israel Energy Cooperation Act (H.R.2730/S.1862), which supports joint alternative energy research.
- PATA, the Palestinian Anti-Terror Act (H.R.4861/S.2370), which restricts aid to the Hamas-dominated Palestinian Authority (while still allowing humanitarian aid) unless certain actions opposing terror are taken.
- The Saudi Arabia Accountability Act (H.R.2037/S.1171), which imposes sanctions on Saudi Arabia unless it clearly shuts down terrorist organizations within the country and ends support for such organizations outside the country.
Activities
Mission to Washington
Each year, NORPAC sends an ever-larger group of active members to meet with Senators and Members of Congress to discuss the U.S.-Israel relationship. The most recent mission, on May 20, 2009, brought approximately 900 participants to meet with more than four hundred Senators and Members of Congress.
This year's trip showed a dramatic increase in the number of participants then past years, and participation has been consistently increasing.
Political fundraising
NORPAC frequently hosts fundraisers for various political candidates who are supportive of the U.S.-Israel relationship.
NORPAC has supported candidates including Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV), Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN), Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Sen. John Sununu (R-NH), Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA), Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN), Rep. Steven Rothman (D-NJ), Rep. Harold Ford, Jr. (D-TN), Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA), Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-NV), Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-NY), and Rep. Rob Andrews (D-NJ), among many others.