What if they had a Salute to Israel parade and no supporters of Israel showed up?
Several groups are organizing a protest rally for April 8 as part of a campaign to have the parade sponsors remove their invitations to the controversial groups. Further, unless the groups are pulled, several local rabbis, including day school and yeshiva principals, are considering boycotting the event, thereby significantly reducing the number of participants.
"Partners for Progressive Israel" lists Israeli products to boycott on its website; the New Israel Fund (NIF) has supported BDS and reportedly been encouraging Arab riots; volunteers with B'Tselem have taken part in Arab riots. NIF and B'Tselem have also been implicated in pro-BDS activities, including via subsidiaries, videos and statements. All three are currently set to march in the parade under their own banners.More on those three organizations here.
There are supposed to be 35,000 participants in this year's parade, so why let a few evildoers rain on it? Rabbi Aryeh Spero explains.
"Boycotting is an action that far exceeds disagreement. At its core, it is a public venue designed to demonize, ultimately to make something, in this case, the State of Israel, illegitimate. It is a form of anti-Semitism,” the rabbi noted.
“These BDS groups work every day to isolate Israel and make her a global pariah, announcing to the world the names of specific Jewish-owned companies operating in Judea and Samaria that they want punished," charged Rabbi Spero.
Rabbi Spero adds that "these ‘Jewish’ groups are being invited to infiltrate the Parade, either because of agreement with their tactics or as a way of affirming what the UJA-Federation calls ‘an open tent.’ UJA’s desire for an ‘open tent’ should not devolve into the destruction of the tent."
Referring to the BDS claims that they target only areas east of the 1949 Armistice line, the rabbi noted "to the world, a boycott is a boycott, east of the Green Line or west of it. Approving one leads to the other. Boycotting Israel will spur future boycotting of those ‘bad’ Jews, for example, in Brooklyn or London."
The rabbi added that the boycotting groups "never boycott Arab or Muslim businesses, despite the ubiquitous terrorism coming from PA neighborhoods and their violations of human rights. Their outrage is only against the Jewish state and its Jews."At least one rabbi has already announced that the four organizations that he controls will not march if the BDS'ers do.
Showing the widespread fallout the groups' opposition to the parade may bring about, Rabbi Elie Abadie has threatened to pull the support and float of his Edmond J. Safra Synagogue. He also represents the Moise Safra Community Synagogue, Congregation Magen David of Manhattan, and the Sephardic Academy of Manhattan.
Rabbi Abadie warned he would be “urging every rabbi and leader of every Sephardic organization—as well as many others—in our community" to boycott the parade if the BDS groups were not pulled.
The rabbi decried the BDS-supporters for harming a fellow Jew's ability to earn a livelihood, citing the Jewish legal precept from the Torah "not to stand idly by the blood of your brother."And the real reason why the BDS'ers are being allowed to march is... wait for it... money.
Jeff Wiesenfeld, a member of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) which organizes the parade, revealed the decision process that led to the groups' inclusion.
While a majority of JCRC's leadership would have opposed the "detestable" BDS groups, according to Wiesenfeld, "there was no debate. It was a decision handed down from ‘above’ because, I think, it was determined that, financially, the UJA stood to lose more from the left if the BDS groups were excluded than they would gain from the right."And you're not opposing this, Jeff? Say it isn't so! You're going to condone Tony Kushner's BDS friends marching in the Salute to Israel parade? Weren't you one of the founders of JCC Watch precisely because it was meant to call out the Manhattan JCC for supporting BDS? What a disappointment!
Silly me, it's all about money, isn't it? Have to keep supporting those Alice Walker events at the 92nd Street Y going.
Sorry but if the New York 'Jewish' Federation is going to support a boycott of Jewish businesses in Israel, it has no right to exist.
For those of you who want to do something about it, a reminder....
Organizers of the rally against the BDS groups' inclusion call on those who cannot attend the protest rally, which will be held on Tuesday, April 8, between 4:00-7:00 pm, outside the UJA-Federation headquarters at 130 E. 59th St. in Manhattan, to send protest letters to the UJA and JCRC.
Peter Kohlmann, executive producer of the parade can be reached at 212-983-4800 ext 162 (kohlmannp@jcrcny.org), while Michael Mittelman, director of the parade, can be reached at 212-983-4800 ext 487 (mittelmanm@jcrcny.org).
“Let the directors of the UJA and other Jewish organizations know of your concerns," called Rabbi Spero. "Real Jewish leaders should not be indifferent, silent, nor lend support to boycotters and others wishing to tear us down."
The rabbi added "directors of our Jewish organizations proved their fallibility during the 1930s and ‘40s, teaching us that blind obedience is foolish and leaving our destiny and safety to those who claim they ‘know best’ can be devastating. This time in history, we must not make the same mistake."And I invite all of you to send those two gentlemen links to this post.
What's left unsaid here is that the person who is really behind this is the Chairman of the New York UJA, John Ruskay. Ruskay is a long-time supporter of the anti-Israel Left, going back to the days of Breira in the 1960's and 1970's.
Ruskay's email address is ruskayJ@ujafedny.org.
UPDATE 3:14 PM
I was probably a bit too harsh on Jeff Wiesenfeld. His heart is definitely in the right place, even if I disagree with him on how to handle this. And it sounds like there wasn't even a vote on this....
Labels: B'Tselem, BDS, JCC Watch, Jeffrey Wiesenfeld, Manhattan JCC, New Israel Fund, New York Jewish Federation, progressives, Salute to Israel Day Parade
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:30 AM
8 Comments:
For those of you who really want to do something about it, pack up your suitcases and come home to Israel. Time is running out for Judaism in the United States.
Bs"d
In line with Rabbi Abadie's call, picture this scenario. Surely it paints a picture that unfortunately is quite realistic.
UJA Federation/JCRC stands firm and refuses to back down. They allow the BDS groups to march. Pro Israel and Zionist groups boycott the Israel Day Parade in Protest of BDS marchers. The only ones left are BDS marchers, the organizers UJA/Federation and JCRC, and the Neturei Karta protesters. The organizers UJA/Federation and JCRC then invite the Neturei Kara protestors under their big tent. The BDS marchers and the Neturei Karta both are anti Zionists and ideologically on the same page. The BDS marchers however, unlike Neturei Karta, pretend to be Zionists, marching in the parade etc... It's like Hamas and Fatah Lehavdil. At times they try to work things out with one another. One is honest about their true feelings towards Israel and one is deceitful about their true feelings but their anti Israel sentiment and goals are the same... Anyway the organizers, UJA/Federation and JCRC in democratic fashion, would like all to join under their umbrella. Uh oh... the Neturei Karta don't want women. But that's ok with the BDS supporters and their Muslim supporters who feel that women should not exist as per the recent declaration of the CII. The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) concluded their 192nd meeting with the ruling that women are un-Islamic and that their mere existence contradicted Sharia and the will of Allah. As the meeting concluded CII Chairman Maulana Muhammad Khan Shirani noted that women by existing defied the laws of nature, and to protect Islam and the Sharia women should be forced to stop existing as soon as possible. (bold added)http://israelagainstterror.blogspot.com/2014/04/muslim-clerics-women-should-cease-to.html
The organizers at Federation and JCRC now have a big problem because they want women under their umbrella. After all they include everyone. So they get into a fight with BDS supporters. The BDS supporters tell the Organizers, Federation and JCRC that they are "occupying" their parade and that the Parade is now called the Palestinian Day Parade and all Jews are barred and that they, UJA/Federation and JCRC are by democratic rule ousted from running the Parade. Of course UJA/Federation insist that they have been running the Parade for years and that they have legal rights to continue to run the Parade and should have complete control as per how the Parade is to be run. The new group of marchers then go to the UN and the human rights council to protest the terrible injustice they are subjected to under the totalitarian organizers, whom they call "occupying organizers" of the Palestinian Day Parade.
So much for the big tent!
considering the parade is largely a zionistic modern Orthodox convention with few "pluralistic Jews" boycotting the boycotters would kill it.
btw, its not the synagogues that produce significant marchers, its the yeshivas. some like Bruria can stretch out almost two blocks. if they boycott it'll be over.
Big mistake to call out NIF at this parade.
I personally believe J Street is anti-Israel and a wolf in sheep's clothing. It is clear it exists to erode support for Israel. Period. They have almost never (if not never) taken a pro-Israel position on Capitol Hill and quite openly fund anti-Israel senators/Congressmens' campaigns.
I don't think the case is as clear for the New Israel Fund. They seem to be misguided idealists who believe the "peace" mumbo jumbo. Yes they do fund some horrific organizations. But they also are involved in funding many important feminist and environmentalist organizations in Israel. They have also funded many important Ethiopian Jewish organizations. The New Israel Fund does not ONLY fund anti-Israel groups and they do give some positive/good funds out as well.
In any case, assuming J Street and New Israel Fund were Hitler/Hamas...does it hurt Israel and the Jewish community to let them march? I mean, unless they carry signs in the march itself that are anti-Israel (and they do not), then where is the harm in letting them march? In J Street's case, it is one of the few positive/pro-Israel activities they do all year. Does marching mean they get to get so much free good PR and can tell all their constituents they are pro-Israel because they marched in the parade? I don't think it works like that. The minimal amount of free publicity they get where they get the kosher cover of the parade is small compared to the harm it causes the PR of the Israel Parade to exclude them and seem "right wing" and "exclusionary". NIF and J Street get their life blood from pretending that they are being "silenced" and excluding them from the parade will increase their fundraising.
Meanwhile, if Richard Allen and JCC Watch never made a big deal about the New Israel Fund/J Street marching in the parade, no one would really notice or care. Instead, perhaps Richard Allen and Rabbi Abadie could have had an under-the table deal to make these groups march absolutely last, when everyone already has gone home. Would that not have been a more productive use of time?
Tulips, Jews don't march with nouveau-Kapos - period!
Your suggestion deserves nothing but scorn and disdain.
Why does it matter what the ideological viewpoint of New Israel Fund is? Are you able to articulate it?
Let's assume New Israel Fund was made up of Al Queda. Assuming they carried respectful signs of Israel and were no security risk, would this matter? If so, why, exactly? Care to articulate how their inclusion harms you?
I would be less worried about a silly little parade and far MORE worried about groups such as "Open Hillel", as well as JCRC boards with J Street included.
There is pretty much no harm to NIF marching in the Israel Day Parade and all the harm in the world by banning them.
Granting the NIF any form of legitimacy - certainly allowing them to be portrayed as an ally of Israel - is permanently damaging to Israel's causes.
Stick to your guns, fellow Jews. I say this as a former flag carrier at this very same parade when I was growing up.
And most important, stop giving money to the Federation. They are no longer what they used to be.
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