Over 100 leaders of the Atlanta Jewish community – including rabbis and synagogue and organizational board members – signed a letter thanking Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock for their thoughtful approach to complex issues in the US-Israel relationship.

The letter thanked the senators for their “continuous unwavering support of a strong US-Israel relationship,” noting that both had voted in favor of over $13 billion in aid to Israel this year alone, including an emergency supplemental aid package following Hamas’ October 7 attack.

The letter followed a recent vote by the senators to disapprove of sales to the Netanyahu government of specific offensive weapons implicated in mass casualty events. Signers thanked the senators for the vote, which they said represented the concerns of “a growing portion of the American Jewish community that believe that the US-Israel relationship should be grounded in our laws, national security interests and shared values.”

Surveys continue to show that majorities of Jewish, Independent and Democratic voters oppose “no strings attached” weapons transfers to the Israeli government. Contrary to claims by opponents of the vote, the Senate resolutions did not delay defensive aid nor inhibit Israel’s ability to defend itself from the very real security threats it continues to face.

In recent days the senators have had to contend with a loud, ferocious and coordinated storm of misinformation following the vote, stirred up by opponents. What groups attacking Ossoff and Warnock lack in popular support, they are trying to make up for in exaggeration and noise.

“We’re inspired by our senators’ principled leadership in this moment, continuing to support Israel’s security while taking courageous votes like this to ensure our military aid is used in line with our Jewish values,” said letter signatory Rabbi Michael Rothbaum. “This vote maintains Israel’s ability to defend itself from its enemies within the bounds of American and international law, and we are proud that both our senators remain steadfast allies of the Jewish community in Georgia and in Israel.”

“We seem to have forgotten that we have the power to influence our allies’ conduct, and that we can do so without betraying our ally,” Senator Jon Ossoff said in the Senate. “The United States will remain Israel’s closest ally. Our commitment is ironclad. But no foreign government is simply entitled as a matter of right to American weapons with no strings attached.”

“We are disappointed by those that seek to cast this vote as anything but a message of concern for the future of Israel, and for regional stability, security and peace,” the letter notes. “Their vote of disapproval was one of true allyship, and we thank them for their courage.”

You can find the letter with a list of signatories at the time of publication here.