In case I don't get to post again before the holiday starts, a Chag Kasher v'Sameyach (Happy and Kosher Passover) to all of you. And since there's still a little time left, let this Passover - and if not this certainly the next one - be celebrated with the paschal lamb being sacrificed in the rebuilt Third Temple in the Holy City of Jerusalem. There's plenty of room for a tent for all of you to stay in my backyard :-)
At Legal Insurrection, Miriam Elman reports that the loony Jewish Left, lead by 'Jewish' Voice for 'Peace' (JVP) has published a Haggada this year. I have my doubts that anyone who reads this blog is going to want it in their house, but....
I was curious to see what they do for the end of the seder, when we all say "Next year in [rebuilt] Jerusalem. Here's the answer.
Question 4. “Next Year in Jerusalem!”
We now end our Seder meal once again with the proclamation “Next Year in Jerusalem!” And so
we ask: what will we do to ensure that Jerusalem lives up to its name as a city of peace? How will
we respond as the Jewish state increasingly implements policies that claim this holy city in the
name of one people only? Do we dare to dream of a city divided or a city truly united for all its
inhabitants?
...and if we do believe that Jerusalem must be, once and for all, a true City of Peace, what are we
willing to do to make it so?
CLOSING
As we close tonight, go around your table and say goodnight and one thing that you are taking
away with you from this evening’s seder.
TOGETHER:
Next Year in Jerusalem! Next Year in al-Quds! Next year in a City of Peace!
Kumbaya.... Totally delusional. Either the Jews will control Jerusalem or the Arabs will make it Judenrein (Jew-free).
But as Miriam reports, the loony Jewish Left has done much more than publish a Haggada.
This week JVP activists have also been partnering with other Jewish activists affiliated with the recently founded If Not Now movement to field a “public Passover action” on April 19-21.
The effort is spread on social media through this week’s trending
hashtags #LiberationSeder and #IfNotNow (see samples below). It’s a five
city (Boston, NYC, Chicago, Bay Area, and Washington, D.C.) series of “seders in the streets”
and in various buildings that house major Jewish organizations in order
to appropriate the holiday’s rituals and texts for an anti-Israel
narrative.
The explicit goal of these publicly staged seders is to replace the
essential Passover themes—the retelling of the exodus from Egypt and the
Jewish people’s redemption in the land of Israel—with messages
concentrated on the “fight for Palestinian liberation”.
Let's go to the videotape.
Even more, it’s a bizarre program of anti-Jewish propaganda that has a
precedent. As I describe below, in the 1920s some deluded Jews in the
Soviet Union also enlisted in a campaign to eliminate the true meaning
of Passover.
It gets worse and there's a lot of it. Read the whole thing, but please don't let it ruin your Passover.
In blaming Israeli policy for the fact that on many U.S. campuses, the
classmates of Jewish students “shun them for identifying with Israel at
all,” perhaps American Jewish leaders are overlooking the failures at
home, particularly among liberal progressive diaspora Jewish leaders.
Many Jewish students are stuck entirely in an American bubble, with no
understanding of the centrality of Jewish self-determination (i.e.,
Zionism) to our survival as a people. So how can they even begin to
understand Israel, let alone give us advice?
For two decades, too many American Jews have ignored or downplayed the
gratuitous post-colonial Israel-bashing from the supposedly liberal
bastions such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, and which
are echoed in the mainstream media. When Israeli soldiers are
repeatedly and falsely accused of being child murderers and war
criminals, where is the outrage from the mainstream American Jewish
establishment? A couple of years ago, the federations finally
established a fund to fight boycotts, but this group is also largely
invisible and very timid.
Instead, fringe Israeli voices that polarize and demonize our society
under the façade of human rights, democracy and peace are given
legitimacy and resources in America, and the Jewish leadership is silent
or in some cases complicit. Much of the BDS war — and make no mistake,
the goal is the elimination of Israel — involves bogus peace NGOs that
received their initial funds and public relations boost via U.S.-based
Jewish groups who thought they knew better than the Israeli public. Such
groups include the Coalition of Women for Peace, the Israel Committee
Against House Demolitions, Breaking the Silence, Jewish Voice for Peace,
and many others.
And now, when the Israeli public finally demands an effective response
to the NGOs that lead to this demonization, the American Jewish
leadership condemns Israel, repeating liberal pieties about free speech,
but without addressing the real issues. In all of the criticisms of the
proposed new NGO funding transparency laws, I have yet to see any
serious understanding of the threat or alternative strategies. On this,
as on so many issues, criticizing Israel from a distance is far too
easy.
When crying out for an Israeli peace plan, “any plan,” your
interlocutor makes it seem so simple. Like most Israelis, I also hope
for a peace plan, but not any plan, and certainly not one that will
bring us yet another disaster when it fails. The reality that I see not
far from the windows in my Jerusalem home includes Hamas, Hezbollah,
ISIS, Assad, Iran and others. Our only “peace partners,” led by Mahmoud
Abbas and his Fatah group, are corrupt and stuck in the rejectionist
dead-end of 1948. So no, “any plan” that helps Israel’s PR among liberal
students, but makes our security situation even worse, is not better
than the status quo.
On this and many other issues, I understand why American Jewish leaders
want us in Israel to take risks, and probably think that this is for
our own good. But we do not see many American Jewish leaders taking many
risks in terms of criticizing President Obama and Secretary of State
Kerry when they put all of the blame and responsibility on Israel, and
patronizingly give the Palestinians a free pass. And where are your
tough decisions to exclude BDS groups and Israel bashers from the big
“Jewish tent?”
So it is not only “that Israel’s leadership is moving in a direction at
odds with the next generation of Americans,” but that America’s liberal
Jewish leadership is moving in a direction at odds with Israel and our
realities.
Jewish Voice for 'peace' seeks to free accessory to murder
Israel Radio reported this morning that a Jew and a 'Palestinian' - both 'peace activists' - are being held for meeting with an enemy foreign agent.
While the radio did not disclose who they are, the uber-Leftist Jew-haters at Jewish Voice for 'peace' are petitioning for his release (if you think my description of JVP is an overstatement, go here).
If you're wondering why this Jewish-born drek is being held, go here.
Surprise: Most of the 340 'rabbis' for Iran came from Iran-supported J Street
After the 98 'Hollywood Jews for Iran' letter, the Obama-Kerry junta has produced 340 'rabbis' Iran. I'm sure you'll all be shocked to see this Zionist Organization of America press release disclosing that the vast majority of them are affiliated with Iran-funded J Street (Hat Tip: Liz B).
ZOA Analysis Shows "340 Rabbis For
Iran Deal" Are From Groups Hostile to Israel,
Including J Street (Which Works With Apparent
Iranian Regime Group NIAC), BDS Group "Jewish
Voice for Peace," and Israel-Bashing "Rabbis for
Human Rights"
94% of U.S. Rabbis Did NOT Sign
Pro-Iran Deal Statement, While American Jews
Oppose Deal by 2-1, Israelis 7-1, and All
Americans by 2-1
NEW YORK, August, 18, 2015 -- The Zionist Organization
of America (ZOA)'s analysis shows that the
overwhelming majority of the "340 Rabbis for Iran
Deal" come from groups that routinely take
positions and engage in activities that are
hostile towards Israel and inimical to American
interests. The "340 Rabbis for Iran
Deal" are a small fringe group. There are
over 5,000 Rabbis in the United States. In
other words, 94% of American Rabbis did
not sign the statement
supporting the Iran deal.
J Street has financial and other ties to the
National Iranian American Council (NIAC), an
apparent arm of the Iranian regime.
Dissident journalist Hassan Daioleslam revealed
that NIAC
serves as a lobbying group for Iran, and that
NIAC's president and founder, Trita Parsi, has a
long-term close relationship with Iranian Foreign
Minister Javad Zarif. J
Street's financial filings revealed that J
Street's initial funders included NIAC board
member Genevieve Lynch. J Street's first
national conference held an Iran panel with NIAC
head Trita Parsi and Iran apologist Hillary Mann
Leverett, who insisted that no sanctions be placed
on Iran. At the J Street event, Leverett
also condemned anyone who did not trust the
Iranian regime as "reinforcing stereotypes of
Iranian duplicitousness" and asserted that such
"stereotypes" of Iran's Mullahs were
"fundamentally racist." Leverett also
compared Iran's mullahs to Israeli rabbis.
See Trouble
on J-Street, by James
Kirchick.
In addition, several months ago, J Street ran
and touted a phony poll to falsely claim that Jews
support the Iran deal. The poll asked
about a hypothetical Iran deal that would only
give Iran "modest relief from sanctions," and that
would only reduce sanctions gradually as Iran met
compliance benchmarks, in exchange for enrichment
restrictions to civilian use and full time
inspectors at Iran's nuclear facilities "to make
sure Iran is not developing nuclear
weapons." This loaded polling question
is a far cry from the actual Iran deal, which
gives hundreds of billions of dollars of sanctions
relief and economic windfalls to Iran, allows
enrichment in excess of the amounts needed for
civilian use, and delays and places all sorts of
roadblocks in the way of obtaining inspections of
Iran's undeclared nuclear activities. In
addition, no Americans are allowed to inspect
Iranian facilities, and inspectors must first be
approved by Iran officials before they can even
enter Iran.
Moreover, Ameinu (which is the group
promoting the "340 Rabbis for Iran Deal") is
closely tied to J Street. Ameinu appears to
be serving as a front group for J Street here -
since J Street has been so discredited.
Ameinu National President Kenneth Bob doubles as J
Street's Treasurer. Ameinu Vice
President and Executive Committee Chair Judith
Gelman is a member of J Street's Montgomery
County, MD steering committee. Ameinu and J
Street recently ran together on the same election
slate.
Other "340 Iran Deal Rabbis" include a board
member of Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP). JVP
is featured on the Anti-Defamation League (ADL)
list of the "Top 10 Anti-Israel Groups in
America," and actively promotes anti-Israel
boycotts, divestment and sanctions (BDS).
The Iran Deal Rabbis also include over a
dozen significant contributors to the so-called
"Rabbis for Human Rights" (RHR). RHR
participates in anti-Israel demonstrations and,
along with other anti-Israel groups, launched a
website with false
testimonies accusing Israel of human rights
violations in Gaza. ZOA members witnessed an
RHR Rabbi invent and widely publish false stories
to demonize pro-Israel young people at the Israel
Day Parade Concert in New York several years
ago.
ZOA's comparison of the names and locations
on the 340 "Rabbis for Iran Deal" list with lists
published on the websites of hostile-to-Israel
groups showed the following:
187 (the
majority) of the Iran Deal Rabbis are members of
the "J Street Rabbinic
Cabinet."
12 of
the Iran Deal Rabbis are members of the "J
Street Rabbinic Cabinet Executive
Council"
The
Iran Deal Rabbis also include 2 (out of 3) of
the J Street cabinet's
co-chairs
13 of
the Iran Deal Rabbis are significant donors to
the falsehood-purveying "Rabbis for Human
Rights."
Iran
Deal Rabbi Linda Holtzman is on the Board of
Directors of the anti-Israel BDS group, "Jewish
Voice for Peace." Rabbi
Holtzman is known as a "pioneer lesbian
Rabbi." As a homosexual, she should be the
first to condemn Iran's horrendous human rights
record, which includes Iran's brutal executions
of hundreds of innocent individuals for the sole
reason that they are gay.
Incredibly, she is fostering a deal that will
give the Iranian regime hundreds of billions of
dollars to continue its brutal oppression of
gays and minorities.
Iran
Deal Rabbi Arthur Waskow [pictured - CiJ] states that the people
at the Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR) are "people
I trust and admire and respect."
CAIR is an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy
Land Foundation case (the case against groups
that sent funding to Hamas). CAIR is also
among the top groups that ADL has frequently
condemned for its anti-Israel
activities.
ZOA
President Morton A. Klein stated:
"The Rabbis signing the Ameinu letter do not
in any way represent the viewpoint of American
Rabbis. To only be able to get 6% of U.S.
rabbis to sign this statement supporting the
catastrophic Iran deal clearly indicates that
Rabbinic leaders are deeply concerned about the
Iran nuclear deal. This is especially true
when 75% of American Jews voted for President
Obama. More importantly, reliable polls show
tremendous opposition to the Iran deal. The
Quinnipiac poll shows that Americans oppose this
dangerous deal by a margin of 2 to 1, and the
Israel Project poll shows that American Jews also
oppose the Iran deal by the same 2 to 1
margin. In addition, a poll conducted
this week by Israel's Channel 10, reported in the
liberal Israeli newspaper Haaretz, shows that
Israelis oppose the Iran deal by a margin of 7 to
1."
"Almost every major Jewish and pro-Israel
group strongly opposes this disastrous Iran
deal. These major groups opposed to the Iran
deal include: the American Israel Public Affairs
Committee (AIPAC); the Anti-Defamation League
(ADL); the Zionist Organization of America; the
American Jewish Committee; the American Jewish
Congress; B'nai Brith; Christians United for
Israel (CUFI); the Orthodox Union; over 100
organizations who are members of the
StopIranRally.org Coalition; and Jewish
Federations across the country including in Los
Angeles, Boston, Miami, Houston, Phoenix, Chicago,
New York, and many
more."
Columbia University professor Rashid Khalidi, well-known for his
anti-Israel rhetoric, slammed J Street, an organization which claims to
be pro-Israel, for failing to adequately oppose Israel's military
actions in Gaza during Operation Protective Edge.
Speaking at the "Open Hillel" conference, Khalidi said that J Street
"needs more radical critique...if it wants real change,"Jeremy Pressman wrote on Twitter. One Jewish Voice for Peace activist noted
that Khalidi stated to J Street that "if u [sic] call Israel's attacks
on Gaza 'self defense' you can't be agents of change." Khalidi's remarks
were met with strong applause.
...
According to one attendee, J Street U members in attendance huddled
together at the conclusion of the speech, were "visibly upset" and could
be overheard reassuring each other not to worry about
Khalidi's demands.
Is Obama getting ready to throw J Street under the bus?
The photo is a parody, the story unfortunately is not. The Seattle chapter of the radical leftist 'Jewish Voice for Peace' is holding a 'seder' at which wine from Israel is banned, and the Haggada is reinterpreted to turn the 'Palestinians' into the Jews.
The Seattle Chapter of the radical Israel hating Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) invites you to a very special Passover Seder. They will be using their own one of a kind Passover Haggadah. Highlights of the JVP Haggadah include many helpful tips, like a reminder not to confuse Egypt with “Egypt” or Israel with “Israel”.
You will be especially moved and inspired by the Ten Plagues of the Israeli Occupation (Page 10). With a flair for the original, JVP adds an orange and a bowl of olives to their seder plate....
The ADL notes that
“the introduction to the JVP Haggadah compares Moses’s famous
declaration to Pharoah, “Let My People Go!” to the efforts of the Gaza
Flotilla to “free” the Palestinian people by breaking Israel’s blockade
of Gaza. According
to JVP, the third cup of wine, which is traditionally consumed after
the meal portion of the Seder, represents the Boycott, Divestment and
Sanction (BDS) of the Jewish state and Seder participants are
encouraged to “make a L’Chayim” to BDS.”
“The
constant supremacy of the Palestinian cause is also startling. When the
text, for example, reaches Yachatz, the breaking of the middle matzah,
the text reminds participants to acknowledge the “break that occurred in
Palestinian life and culture with the establishment of the State of
Israel in 1948″.”
Believe it or not, JVP and its ilk are slated to march in the Salute to Israel parade in New York City in June. A protest against the prospect of groups that support BDS being allowed to march in the parade is being held on April 8 from 4:00 - 7:00 pm in front of UJA-Federation of NY, 130 East 59th Street between Lexington and Park Avenues, New York, NY.
Oh wow: Hillel President warns Swarthmore College chapter
Surprisingly, the national Hillel organization is not taking lying down a resolution passed by its Swarthmore College chapter welcoming anti-Israel organizations. Hillel director Eric Fingerhut has written a letter to Swarthmore's leadership warning that they face the threat of expulsion from the national organization.
However, unlike your email, which invites discussion and is welcome,
your resolution simply states that the students at Swarthmore Hillel
“will host and partner with any speaker at the discretion of the board,
regardless of Hillel International’s Israel guidelines.” This position
is not acceptable.
Hillel’s Israel guidelines,
which were developed carefully with a broad coalition of our
organization’s stakeholders, state: “Hillel welcomes a diversity of
student perspectives on Israel and strives to create an inclusive,
pluralistic community where students can discuss matters of interest
and/or concern about Israel and the Jewish people in a civil manner.”
Hillel is also, as the guidelines state, “steadfastly committed to the
support of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state with secure and
recognized borders as a member of the family of nations.”
In
summary, while welcoming debate on the many important and difficult
questions that Israel faces, a debate that is vigorous in Israel as
well, Hillel International does draw a line. That line is as follows:
“Hillel will not partner with, house or host organizations, groups or
speakers that as a matter of policy or practice: Deny the right of
Israel to exist as a Jewish and democratic state with secure and
recognized borders; Delegitimize, demonize or apply a double standard to
Israel; Support boycott of, divestment from, or sanctions against the
State of Israel; Exhibit a pattern of disruptive behavior towards campus
events or guest speakers or foster an atmosphere of incivility.”
I
hope you will inform your colleagues on the Student Board of Swarthmore
Hillel that Hillel International expects all campus organizations that
use the Hillel name to adhere to these guidelines. No organization that
uses the Hillel name may choose to do otherwise.
Your resolution
further includes the statement: “All are welcome to walk through our
doors and speak with our name and under our roof, be they Zionist,
anti-Zionist, post-Zionist, or non-Zionist.” This is simply not the
case. Let me be very clear – “anti-Zionists” will not be permitted to
speak using the Hillel name or under the Hillel roof, under any
circumstances.
Hillel recognizes, of course, that “organizations,
groups or speakers that as a matter of policy or practice” violate
these guidelines may well be welcomed on campus, according to the
policies of the particular college or university. The Hillel on campus,
however, may not partner with or host such groups or speakers. This is
entirely within our discretion as an organization, and we have clearly
stated our intention to make these important decisions to protect our
values and our critically important mission. Just as the university
decides who will teach classes, and what organizations it will allow on
campus, so Hillel will decide who will lead discussions in programs it
sponsors and with whom it will partner.
In one of your resolution’s clauses, you invoke “the values espoused by
our namesake, Rabbi Hillel, who was famed for encouraging debate in
contrast with Rabbi Shammai.” Rabbi Hillel was famed for his openness to
others, and his leniency in legal interpretation to advance tikkun olam
– “repairing the world.” This spirit is strong in today’s American
Jewry, and it is strong in the work of Hillel on every campus. However,
Rabbi Hillel is perhaps more famous for his saying in Pirkei Avot, “If I
am not for myself, who will be for me?”
Here's hoping that Fingerhut sticks to his guns. What a refreshing change for an American Jewish organization!
The Swarthmore chapter claims to have its own endowment, and if the result of this brush-up is that they leave the national Hillel organization, that's a good thing. To have Hillel sponsoring events with 'Jewish Voice for Peace' and other anti-Zionist organizations really grates.
Now, if only Israel's Knesset would adopt Hillel's rules....
Your federation money at work? Swarthmore Hillel allows funding for groups that deny Israel's right to exist
Defying Hillel's national rules, the Swarthmore College chapter has decided to allow funding and resources for organizations that deny Israel's right to exist as a Jewish and democratic state.
Press release: Swarthmore Hillel is an Open Hillel
Unanimously adopted by Swarthmore Hillel Student Board, December 8, 2013
Whereas Hillel International prohibits partnering with, hosting, or housing anyone who (a) denies the right of Israel to exist as a Jewish and democratic state with secure and recognized borders, (b) delegitimizes, demonizes, or applies a double standard to Israel, (c) supports boycott of, divestment from, or sanctions against the State of Israel;
And whereas this policy has resulted in the barring of speakers from organizations such as Breaking the Silence and the Israeli Knesset from speaking at Hillels without censorship, and has resulted in Jewish Voice for Peace not being welcome under the Hillel umbrella;
And whereas this policy runs counter to the values espoused by our namesake, Rabbi Hillel, who was famed for encouraging debate in contrast with Rabbi Shammai;
And whereas Hillel, while purporting to support all Jewish Campus Life, presents a monolithic face pertaining to Zionism that does not accurately reflect the diverse opinions of young American Jews;
And whereas Hillel’s statement that Israel is a core element of Jewish life and a gateway to Jewish identification for students does not allow space for others who perceive it as irrelevant to their Judaism;
And whereas Hillel International’s Israel guidelines privilege only one perspective on Zionism, and make others unwelcome;
And whereas the goals of fostering a diverse community and supporting all Jewish life on campus cannot be met when Hillel International’s guidelines are in place;
Therefore be it resolved that Swarthmore Hillel declares itself to be an Open Hillel; an organization that supports Jewish life in all its forms; an organization that is a religious and cultural group whose purpose is not to advocate for one single political view, but rather to open up space that encourages dialogue within the diverse and pluralistic Jewish student body and the larger community at Swarthmore; an organization that will host and partner with any speaker at the discretion of the board, regardless of Hillel International’s Israel guidelines; and an organization that will always strive to be in keeping with the values of open debate and discourse espoused by Rabbi Hillel.
The way to show the hypocrisy of this policy is for a Neturei Karta group to apply for membership and see if they are accepted. Unfortunately, that is unlikely to happen.
What, if anything, can the national Hillel organization do about this? According to my sources, very little. The Hillel officials claim that the term 'Hillel' is too generic to have ownership. Personally, I don't buy that (Hillel isn't exactly Kleenex or Xerox), but it means that they're unlikely to take any enforcement action to stop the Swarthmore branch from using the Hillel name.
But Hillel's national organization also claims that the Swarthmore Hillel does not receive any funds from Hillel, and that their funding all comes from the Swarthmore Endowment for Jewish Life.
Obviously Swarthmore's Hillel still enjoys many resources from Hillel.
But that doesn't mean that Hillel will act against the Swarthmore chapter. Hillel is simply too afraid to lose any Jewish students over the issue of Israel. And according to my local source, the executive director of the Philadelphia area Hillels is a fire-breathing Kahanist compared to the 'Mr. Inclusive' who will succeed him in a few months. If action is unlikely now, it's less likely later.
Jewish Voice for Peace, which is mentioned in the screed cited above, describes itself as the 'Jewish wing' of the 'Palestinian' solidarity movement. But that doesn't bother Swarthmore's Hillel or much of the rest of the American Jewish community. Multi-culturalism uber alles.
None of this will change until the American Jewish community finds leadership that isn't afraid of its shadow. Of course, to do that, they'd have to have a much stronger Jewish identity than is currently the case. Don't expect that to happen anytime soon....
Obama tries to convince Jewish groups to disregard Israel's interests
On Tuesday, President Hussein Obama sent White House national security advisor Susan Rice, her deputies Ben
Rhodes and Tony Blinken and Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman to meet with four Jewish organizations to convince them not to lobby Congress in favor of new sanctions against Iran.
The White House meeting witnessed forceful exchanges between the two sides on the merits of the sanctions package, sources tell The Jerusalem Post.
The afternoon meeting lasted over an hour and was characterized as a
"serious exchange" over strategy during this delicate diplomatic window.
One White House official called the meeting "constructive" and said no animus was expressed.
In
recent days a number of leading Jewish groups, including AIPAC, the
Jewish Council for Public Affairs and the Jewish Federations of North
America, have reiterated support for advancing through Congress new and
enhanced Iran sanctions, although the Obama administration has made
clear publicly that it would prefer Congress put off dealing with the legislation until after the next round of talks in mid-November.
If there were 'forceful exchanges' you can bet that J Street and 'Jewish' Voice for 'Peace' weren't there.
In Berkeley (where else?), they held Helen Thomas Day on Sunday.
And some unconfirmed facts about the sponsor, the 'Middle East Children's Alliance' (from a friend in the area):
While
Middle East Children’s Alliance is marginal, it is Jewish led (of
course!) by one Barbara Lubin. It raises some $4 million per year to
disburse to “children’s charities” in the Middle East, meaning mostly
Gaza. None of the money goes to Middle Eastern children who happen to
be Jewish and live in the Jewish state. MECA (an apt acronym) is one of
the Bay Area’s most active anti-Israel NGOs, having served as the
fiscal sponsor for the ISM, and I believe also the JVP.
I chose to picture a totally treife cheeseburger rather than a possibly treife hamburger, because something that is totally treife should be depicted by something that is totally treife. Learning from Hamas' terror-teaching summer camp, 'jewish voice for peace' (which still feels it deserves to be 'in the tent') has teamed up with the Quakers' American Friends Service Committee to create a summer camp that teaches BDS.
Once back on campus, these students will push
BDS (boycott, divestment and sanctions) campaigns against Israel,
employing the wider anti-Israel political warfare that stems from the 2001 Durban NGO Forum.
This sustained global demonization strategy seeks to exploit the labels
of “apartheid” and “racism” in political warfare targeting Israel,
while promoting the Palestinian narrative. The ultimate goal is
dismantling Israel as a Jewish and democratic state.
To these ends, JVP promotes divestment
campaigns on U.S. campuses, in mainline churches, and in corporate
stockholder meetings. AFSC also supports BDS, hurls demonizing “apartheid” accusations, advocates for a “right of return” and extols “popular resistance in Palestine.”
The joint JVP-AFSC BDS Summer Institute
is an implementation of the Durban strategy. It is a five day
“intensive program for campus BDS organizers – those with campaigns
already running and those hoping to get one launched in the 2013-2014
school year.” It is set to take place beginning July 28 at the bucolic
Presbyterian Church’s Stony Point Center, in New York. JVP and AFSC also
ran a BDS camp last summer.
AFSC’s funding sources
are largely transparent. Its website carries annual reports, audit
reports, lists of foundational donors, and a breakdown of where and how
its funds are spent.
In sharp contrast, JVP’s funding sources are
non-transparent. Its website carries no information on its donors.
There are no annual reports or other financial data. Limited financial
information is available through public IRS documents and other
databases. NGO Monitor has found that JVP’s budget in 2011 (the last
year such information was available) was nearly $900,000. JVP has
received funding from the Violet Jabara Charitable Trust (an Arab-American foundation that also supports the virulently anti-Israel Electronic Intifada), the Firedoll Foundation, and the Wallace Global Fund, which all contribute to numerous anti-Israel groups.
As we look forward to a new school year this
September, divestment and boycott efforts will likely begin anew on U.S.
campuses. And, it should be remembered that much of the campus BDS
drive comes from the self-described “Jewish wing” of the Palestinian
solidarity movement, the Jewish Voice for Peace.
What? No Soros?
The Arabs are financially supporting Jews who are attempting to bring about the destruction of the Jewish state. What could go wrong?
Jewish Voice for Peace goes full blown anti-Semitic
From Wrath of God:
Ok, we all knew that, despite their claims of working for a "just peace, blah blah blah" JVP was Anti-Israel, but it seems that that just wasn't self-hating enough for them. Now they have gone full throttle into classic Antisemitic themes.
"...limits to Jewish media..."
Today, they posted the following on their Facebook account and to what seems to be their own website "Muzzlewatch" (because we all know nobody is discussing the Arab-Israeli conflict. Must be those ever powerful Jewish media and bankers keeping everyone down. Wait I mean Zionist, well Jewish...ah who cares anymore. But I digress).
Just a "pro-peace and justice" Jewish organization, huh? Beyond their own title about the "Jewish media" notice all of the references to Judaism itself.
Yeahhhh proving once again that for the most part, Anti-Zionism is Antisemitism.
Passover has become a complicated holiday for me. I am still moved
and inspired by the recounting of the Exodus. But the irony of
celebrating Jewish freedom and deliverance into Israel, especially when,
in today’s Israel, it is the Palestinians who face oppression at the
hands of the Israelis, makes it painful. Yet it also renews my
commitment to pursue the kind of justice that the story of Exodus
teaches us is part of our legacy.
I bring this commitment to the Seder by including an
olive on my Seder plate. The olive tree is a universal and ancient
symbol of hope and peace. And sadly, the destruction of Palestinian
olive trees by Israeli settlers and the Israeli army is just one example
of the way that Israeli policies systematically deny Palestinians of
even their most basic rights.
Of course, her argument is a bunch of lies. But leaving an olive on your seder plate is not a bad idea. The olive reminds us of the oil in the Menorah in the Temple, of the oil used to anoint the High Priest in the Temple, and of the minimum portion of various foods that must be eaten in the Jewish tradition, including several at the seder itself.
All of which, of course demonstrates the ancient connection of the Jewish people to the land of Israel, which far predates the existence of anything called a 'Palestinian.'
Yitzhak Santis reports on the curious silence of non-governmental organizations during the massive 'Palestinian' rocket fire that led up to Operation Pillar of Defense, followed by massive screaming once Israel responded. What's worse, each rocket from the 'Palestinians' that targeted civilians was a war crime, while each precisely targeted Israeli missile (the civilian to combatant kill ratio of less than 1 to 1 is pretty much unprecedented even in modern warfare) was a legitimate response under international law.
In the weeks prior to Operation Pillar of Defense, one such group, the
Oakland-based Jewish Voice for Peace, lost its voice when Hamas and
other terror groups were bombarding southern Israel. JVP was silent as 1
million Israelis were forced into shelters, as dozens were wounded, and
children were traumatized.
Only after the Israel Defense Forces responded was JVP’s laryngitis
cured. In record time, they created a section on their website called
“Take Action for Gaza” complete with links to anti-Israel protests
around the world (at the Nov. 16 San Francisco protest promoted on this
list, “peace activists” chanted “Zionist scum, your time has come”) and a
“Gaza protest toolkit.” The “toolkit” offers downloadable graphics with
slogans like “Another Jew Against Attacks on Civilians. Stop the Bombs.
Stop the Siege. Stop the Blank Check to the Israeli Military with U.S.
Tax Dollars.”
But JVP offers no slogans protesting Hamas war crimes against Israeli civilians.
In a further display of cynically exploiting moral values, JVP’s
official press release explicitly blames the Gaza crisis on Israel. Not
until the statement’s fourth sentence, without naming Hamas or any other
terror group, does JVP “also urge the end of rocket attacks from Gaza
into civilian communities in Israel.” Their statement also holds Israel
responsible “for the well-being and safety of Palestinian civilians in
Gaza.” But JVP fails to hold Hamas responsible for the safety of Israeli
civilians. Nor does JVP’s statement demand that Hamas protect Gazans
situated near weapons depots and launch sites deliberately placed by
Hamas in populated areas.
Amnesty International, which has a history of intense anti-Israeli
ideological bias, was also silent during the weeks of Hamas rocket
attacks. Like JVP, Amnesty released a statement only after the IDF
responded, condemning Israel for placing “civilians in Gaza and southern
Israel at grave risk by re-igniting the armed conflict there.” In this
warped and immoral logic, it is not Hamas that is guilty of war crimes,
but rather the IDF and Israeli officials who are defending their
citizens.
The pattern of silence in the face of Israeli civilian suffering, and
thunderous condemnation when Israel defends its citizens, is repeated
by dozens of other NGOs (primarily funded by the EU, European
governments, and in some cases, the New Israel Fund), such as the
Alternative Information Center, Oxfam International, Physicians for
Human Rights-Israel, Gisha, Palestinian Center for Human Rights, Medical
Aid for Palestinians, BADIL, Sabeel, and many more.
This is nothing new.
...
For these NGOs, the rights of millions of Israelis to live in security
are secondary to their program of undermining Israel’s right to defend
its citizens. In this way these NGOs act, whether by design or by
accident, as the de facto soft power arm for Hamas and its ilk.
But these NGO's are more than just silent. They are anti-Semitic, even if they cynically use the word 'Jewish' in their name. Here's a video of one of their demonstrations.
In this video, a large crowd of Far Left and
Muslim extremists was hyped up into hateful frenzy by anti-Semitic
speakers. A 62-year old man got kicked karate style in the abdomen just
because he was filming the event.
Obama's Jews call on Israel to stop the operation and keep absorbing the rockets
This is simply beyond belief. Well, actually, it's not. What's beyond belief is that anyone still dares to refer to these people as 'pro-Israel' and that there are Jewish Federations in the US that are actually willing to include them. Here's a statement issued by 'Jewish Voice for Peace' on Operation Pillar of Defense (Hat Tip: Wrath of God).
As Israel launches operation “Pillar of Defense” in Gaza,
Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) calls for an immediate cessation of the air
strikes and naval bombardment into Gaza and an end to the ongoing siege
of Gaza. JVP urges Israel not to exploit its asymmetric power to
exacerbate the instability in the region. We urge President Obama to
take a stand against these attacks and to use the power of the United
States to insist that Israel pursue all diplomatic measures possible for
the sake of life, safety and security on all sides. JVP
also urges the end of rocket attacks from Gaza into civilian
communities in Israel, which we believe is never justifiable, and which
only serve to derail efforts for a just resolution to the conflict.
This operation is named in reference to a biblical passage in
which a pillar of cloud protects the Israelites as they wandered in the
desert after leaving bondage in Egypt.
And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud,
to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them
light; that they might go by day and by night.
Exodus 13:21
It is unseemly to invoke the protection afforded the
Israelites wandering in the desert when Israel is the dominant military
power in the region. JVP rejects the possibility that such a military
operation and escalation of violence will be of any protection for
Israelis or Palestinians. As Israel continues to control Gaza by air,
land and sea, Israel holds responsibility for the well-being and safety
of Palestinian civilians in Gaza who will be traumatized, injured and
killed through this escalation of violence.
JVP calls on our chapters, members, and supporters to join us in
redoubling our efforts to advocate for an end to the U.S.’s
unconditional military aid to Israel and to intensify our calls for
divestment from all companies that profit from this escalation of
violence and Israel’s ongoing siege of Gaza.
These are Obama's 'Jews.' But don't worry too much about them. At the rate they're going, they're likely to breed themselves out of existence in a generation or two via intermarriage and childlessness.
The next time the so-called 'Jewish Voice for Peace' tries to pass themselves off as a 'Zionist' organization you can show them this from their Facebook page (Hat Tip: Zev Jabotinsky).
We the undersigned, as Palestinians living in historic Palestine and the
diaspora, in the spirit of past statements, and in light of recent
controversies, write to reaffirm a key principle of our movement for
freedom, justice, and equality: The struggle for our inalienable rights
is one opposed to all forms of racism and bigotry, including, but not
limited to, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, Zionism, and other forms of
bigotry directed at anyone, and in particular people of color and
indigenous peoples everywhere.
In other words, 'Jewish Voice for Peace' agrees with Electronic Intifada's Ali Abunimah that Zionism is a form of 'racism and bigotry.'
And they call themselves a 'Zionist organization' and demand to be given a voice in the operation of Jewish Federations in the United States in which being Zionist is a prerequisite to acceptance?!?!
Desperate to shore up his flagging standing in the Jewish community, President Obama's reelection campaign released a list of 'rabbis for Obama' earlier this week. On Thursday, the Emergency Committee for Israel's William Kristol responded to the list.
The “Rabbis for Obama,” your campaign says, are “committed to re-electing” you due to your “policy agenda that represents the values of the overwhelming majority of the American Jewish community” and your “deep commitment to the security of the state of Israel.”
Though we have differed with you on many policy matters, we at the Emergency Committee for Israel have taken you at your word as to your basic commitment to Israel’s security. Thus it was particularly shocking to see that your campaign had recruited, and was touting the support of, rabbis who have no commitment to Israel’s security, and whose values are representative of a small and extreme group of anti-Israel activists – and certainly not of the pro-Israel community.
“Rabbis for Obama” includes many leaders of the Boycott, Divest, and Sanction (BDS) Movement, a movement inimical to Israel’s well-being. It includes founders of the pro-Hamas “Fast for Gaza” initiative. It even includes one person who was pleased to dine with Iranian President Ahmadinejad in 2008 and another who says the United States and Israel bring terrorism on themselves. Several members of “Rabbis for Obama” are officials of Jewish Voice for Peace, a radical group that the Anti-Defamation League featured in its list of the “Top 10 Anti-Israel Groups in America.”
Far from demonstrating a “deep commitment to the security of the state of Israel,” these figures have demonstrated a deep hostility to the state of Israel and a deep commitment to demonizing the Jewish state and undermining the U.S.-Israel alliance. We are sure that you will be distressed to discover that your own campaign has included so many of them on the list of “Rabbis for Obama.” We cannot imagine their endorsements are ones you welcome.
According to my sources, the 'rabbis for Obama' who are anti-Israel include the following:
Jewish Voice for Peace
Chava Bahle, Suttons Bay Michigan
Rachel Evelyne Barenblat, Lanesboro MA
Haim Beliak, Los Angeles
Lynn Gottlieb, Berkeley (Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb, Co-founder of Shomer Shalom Network for Jewish Nonviolence, Stony Point, NY, JVP Advisory Board”
Linda J. Holtzman, Philadelphia
Rebecca Lillian, Chicago
David Mivasair, State College
Brant Rosen, Evanston, co-founder Taanit Tzedek-Jewish Fast for Gaza
Rabbis for Human Rights
Charles M. Feinberg, Washington DC
Gerald Serotta, Chevy Chase MD
Simkha Y. Weintraub, Brooklyn
Sharon Brous, Los Angeles
Aryeh Cohen, Los Angeles
Ayelet S. Cohen, New York
Maurice D Harris, Eugene OR
Ellen Lippmann, Brooklyn
Sidney Schwarz, Rockville MD
Both Jewish Voice for Peace and Rabbis for Human Rights are demonstrably anti-Israel organizations. But Obama says he's got Israel's back. And sadly, some 60% of American Jewry still believes him.
I am an Orthodox Jew - some would even call me 'ultra-Orthodox.' Born in Boston, I was a corporate and securities attorney in New York City for seven years before making aliya to Israel in 1991 (I don't look it but I really am that old :-). I have been happily married to the same woman for thirty-five years, and we have eight children (bli ayin hara) ranging in age from 13 to 33 years and nine grandchildren. Four of our children are married! Before I started blogging I was a heavy contributor on a number of email lists and ran an email list called the Matzav from 2000-2004. You can contact me at: IsraelMatzav at gmail dot com
