Israel Matzav

Anti-Israel New Israel Fund says 'of course we're marching' in the Celebrate Israel Parade

Despite earlier reports that groups that support BDS would not be allowed to march in New York's Celebrate Israel Parade this year, the pro-BDS, anti-Israel New Israel Fund claims that it will be allowed to march.

However, it isn’t so clear that the New Israel Fund’s application will be rejected, based on the JCRC document defining the delegitimization of Israel.

“Regarding Israel, delegitimization includes questioning the validity of Israel’s founding, demonizing Israel and equating its policies with Nazism, apartheid and racist ideologies, holding Israel to double standards, and promoting a one-state solution (Israel’s demographic dissolution),” reads the document.

According to another Israeli watchdog, NGO Monitor, the New Israel Fund is indeed guilty of funding organizations that delegitimize Israel by approaching international human rights organizations to investigate the Jewish state for alleged crimes against humanity.

But the JCRC document leaves room for interpretation there as well, in discussing the differences between criticism and delegitimization: “Criticism is a natural function of any democracy. Its purpose is to strengthen democracy by questioning leaders and holding them accountable for their actions. In contrast, the purpose of delegitimization is to destroy a country.”

...

The New Israel Fund, for its part, said that of course it would be marching in the Celebrate Israel Parade this year.

“Im Tirtzu is, as usual, wrong. NIF looks forward to joining the parade this year since none of the guidelines excludes us. Although we and our partners sometimes strongly criticize Israeli government policy, no one except hard-right extremists thinks that equals delegitimization,” said Naomi Paiss, the spokeswoman for the New Israel Fund.

Paiss said that NIF principles state Israel is the Jewish homeland and that the parade BDS policy “exactly mirrors that of NIF — we too will not fund any organization participating in the global BDS movement,” she said.

Really? Here's an example of an organization funded by the New Israel Fund.

Making matters worse, for 'security reasons,' the parade organizers will not confirm participants until a week before the parade. In other words, they make the guidelines, they interpret them, and there will be no chance of appeal. 

Labels: BDS, JCC Watch, Manhattan JCC, New York City, Salute to Israel Day Parade

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:30 AM