Letter to U.S. Senator opposing Hagel nomination for defense secretary

Name

Address, line 1

Address, line 2  

January 7, 2013

Phone number

The Honorable Senator “your senator name”

(your U.S. Senator address – easy to find on the internet)

Dear Senator [John Doe]:

I am XX years old, living and working in state of [your state]. As a concerned resident of the state of [your state], I am writing to ask you to oppose former Senator Chuck Hagel as the next US defense secretary.

Senator Chuck Hagel has a very troubling voting record on foreign policy, especially concerning the Middle East and Israel. It is Mr. Hagel’s voting record and previous consistent actions over a period of more than a decade that reveal his true intentions and beliefs rather than anything he may profess during the confirmation process.

Mr. Hagel has voted several times against US sanctions on Iran. Moreover, he has made disparaging remarks about the influence of what he called a “Jewish lobby” in Washington. These comments were made to former US diplomat Aaron David Miller for his 2008 book, The Much Too Promised Land, in which Hagel was quoted as saying, “The Jewish lobby intimidates a lot of people up here.”

•  In October 2000 senator Hagel would not sign a letter of support for Israel during the second intifada.
•  In 2001 senator Hagel was one of only 2 senators who voted against renewing the Iran-Libya sanctions act.
•  In 2006 senator Hagel was only one of 12 senators who refused to sign a letter calling on the EU to place Hezbollah on its terrorist lists.
• In 2007 senator Hagel voted against placing the Iran Revolutionary Guards Corps on America’s list of terrorist organizations.
• In 2008 senator Hagel voted against Iran sanctions.
• In 2009, after Mr. Hagel retired from the Senate, he signed a letter urging President Obama to negotiate with Hamas.

As a concerned citizen of the state of [your state], I believe Mr. Hagel's voting record shows a consistent anti-Israel bias and position. The prospect of a nuclear armed Iran will be imminent during the term of the next defense secretary. This issue and the many more confronting the U.S. and the world require someone who embodies America’s values more than does Mr. Hagel. I urge you to vote against his confirmation.

Yours very sincerely,

[Your Name]