Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) separately address the Israeli-American Council during a luncheon on Capitol Hill celebrating Israel’s 70th anniversary. Photo: IAC.

JNS.org – More than 60 Republican and Democratic lawmakers attended a Tuesday lunch on Capitol Hill hosted by the Israeli-American Council to mark the 70th anniversary of the State of Israel, which begins on Wednesday night.

Among the lawmakers there were House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.).

“Israeli-Americans contribute so much and serve as a critical link in our special relationship with Israel. I am proud to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Israel’s independence with my dear friends in the Israeli-American community,” said Graham.

The IAC’s leadership, including chairman Adam Milstein, CEO Shoham Nicolet and IAC for Action chairman Shawn Evenhaim, attended, as did other high-profile business and community leaders, including Dr. Miriam and Sheldon Adelson.

“The US-Israel relationship is — and must always be — rooted in bipartisanship. As we see from the incredible crowd of Democratic and Republican elected leaders here this afternoon, America’s alliance with Israel is an issue that can bring us together across party lines,” said Milstein.

In the past year, several key pro-Israel bipartisan legislation championed by IAC for Action group were passed by Congress such as the Taylor Force Act, which conditions US aid to the Palestinian Authority on ending the practice of paying the families of deceased terrorists.

Additionally, a resolution recognizing Israeli-Americans’ contributions to the United States, as well as legislation aimed at combating the BDS movement, were also passed. On the state and local level, more than a dozen states have passed anti-BDS legislation supported by IAC for Action.