Sen. Inouye, Supporter of Jewish Causes, Dies at 88

Senator Daniel Inouye, the Senate’s most senior member, one of its most influential legislators, staunch supporter of Israel and steadfast friend of the Jewish people passed away Tuesday in Washington, D.C. at the age of 88.

Whether in his strong support for freeing Jews from the former Soviet Union, his advocacy on behalf of Holocaust survivors or for his recent influential role in securing funding for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system, Inouye was widely hailed for his longstanding commitment to Jewish causes.

“Senator Inouye was a unique friend of Israel and the Jewish people,” said Rabbi Levi Shemtov, director of American Friends of Lubavitch in Washington, D.C. “His keen understanding of our communal needs and staunch loyalty and dedication to our strength and well-being were a great source of support for many decades,” said Shemtov.

Inouye was a World War II hero and Medal of Honor winner who lost an arm to a German hand grenade during a battle in Italy. He became the first Japanese-American to serve in Congress, when he was elected to the House in 1959, the year Hawaii became a state. He won election to the Senate three years later and served there longer than anyone in American history except Robert Byrd of West Virginia.

The senator was known as a fighter of political corruption, and gained national prominence when he was among the first to harshly criticize President Richard Nixon during the Watergate scandal, and again for his leadership during the Iran-Contra affair. He played a key role in the congressional investigations that followed.

“Senator Inouye was a paragon of patriotism, greatness and strength,” said Shemtov, “and was at the same time a gentle, humble man who wielded great influence with quiet dignity. He was beloved and respected almost universally, and he will be sorely missed on Capitol Hill. Very few could even aspire to match his sacrifices for our country.”

Inouye at one point considered conversion to Judaism, something he recalled repeatedly at public occasions, noted Shemtov.

“He lived a full life, and was truly a luminary for our nation,” Shemtov concluded. “A great light went out in America when he died.”