American Jewry's gutless 'leadership' is afraid to say 'NO' to the 'New Israel Fund'
You
thought that the 'New Israel Fund' and its constituent organizations would be banned from the Celebrate Israel Parade in New York City because of their support for BDS (boycott, divest, sanction actions against Israel) and for organizations that
hurt Israel. Then you
hoped that their claim that 'of course' they would be at the parade would be proven false. Now, Ronn Torossian reports on the behind the scenes pressure being exerted on by the opponents of BDS by
American Jewry's gutless 'leadership' to drop their opposition to the 'New Israel Fund' participating.
Since writing an article in the Observer urging the New York Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) and the UJA-Federation to refuse the New Israel Fund (NIF) participation
to the annual “Celebrate Israel Parade,” I have been inundated with
calls and e-mails from people supporting – and attacking – my position.
So much panic has been caused that Israel’s Former Ambassador Danny Ayalon – who was aware of and supported my position before I wrote of it
– received calls in the last 48 hours from Michael Miller, the head of
the JCRC; Eric Goldstein, President of UJA; and Jerry Levin, UJA’s past
President pressuring him to silence the voices condemning the NIF. They
have a Monday meeting set to discuss this issue.
Clearly, mass concern remains over the parade’s decision on allowing the the participation of the extremist New Israel Fund (NIF), a group that hurts the Jewish State, funds legal efforts that seek to place the rights of the terrorists over victims who were killed while praying in Jerusalem, and has called Israel “racist” and “murderous.”
In response to my op-ed, the JCRC crafted a statement, which reads
“JCRC-NY has for years required that all Parade groups must identify
with Israel as a Jewish and democratic state. This year, JCRC-NY, for
clarification purposes, added a new rule that ‘all groups must oppose,
not fund, nor advocate for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions
movement (BDS) against Israel, which seeks to delegitimize the State of
Israel by not recognizing it as a Jewish state.”
However the JCRC will not address the fact that on NIF’s own website
the group clearly supports BDS. Even though the NIF states that it ”
will not fund global BDS activities against Israel” a paragraph later it
apologizes for exactly those activities, stating “NIF will thus not
exclude support for organizations that discourage the purchase of goods
or use of services from settlements.”
...
Instead of owning up to their mistake, the JCRC is digging its heels
in and calling in favors to quiet pressure. Wealthy donors and Jewish
leaders have called on former Israeli Ambassador Danny Ayalon to try and
stop those of us nay-sayers. Ayalon is active against NIF, yet they
have summoned him for a Monday meeting to appeal to his sense of the
“importance of the parade.”
This is not an issue of the right versus the left; it is an issue of the right versus the wrong.
In private appeals, the most senior executives from these Jewish
organizations, whom I know and like personally, talk about their
families in Israel, their love for Israel, and of course, how long and
hard they have worked for the Jewish people. They had a prominent JCRC
board member and professional colleague ask me to stop writing. While
many of these people tell me privately they abhor NIF, they will not
speak out publicly.
The Talmud says that every generation
gets the leadership that it deserves - for better or for worse. Clearly, we have some soul-searching to do about why we have merited such gutless 'Jewish leaders.'
Read the whole thing.
Labels: American Jewish leadership, BDS, Danny Ayalon, JCC Watch, Manhattan JCC, New York City, Salute to Israel Day Parade
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
100 shofars to be blown in Manhattan
Received via email:
100 Shofars to be blown in Manhattan
A Demonstration/Rally
April 29, 2014
UJA-Federation Building
130 East 59 Street (Between Park & Lex)
New York City, 5pm to 7pm : Shofars to be blown at 5:30 pm
The largest number of Shofars ever blown in Unison to take place
in Manhattan by a Coalition of Jewish groups; to protest the inclusion
of Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions against Israel in the Israel Day
Parade.
Join Us and Bring Your Shofars!
I will not be in New York on the 29th, but if you will be, you know what to do.
Labels: B'Tselem, BDS, JCC Watch, Jeffrey Wiesenfeld, Manhattan JCC, New Israel Fund, New York Jewish Federation, progressives, Salute to Israel Day Parade
Rally at UJA-Federation headquarters takes BDS issue to the door of the American Jewish establishment
There was a rally outside the UJA-Federation offices in New York on Tuesday to protest the scheduled presence of groups supporting the BDS (Boycott Divest Sanction) movement in the Salute to Israel Day Parade on June 1.
Here's a press release I received about the rally.
NEW YORK, April 8, 2014 – A rally held today at the headquarters of the UJA-Federation spoke truth to Jewish power in no uncertain terms.
Speaker after speaker called on the UJA and JCRC to disallow three BDS-supporting Jewish organizations to march in the upcoming Celebrate Israel Parade, and brought forth compelling evidence that the three offending organizations deserve not only to be barred from marching in the parade, but also deserve to be kept out of the “big tent” of Jewish communal life.
Organized by JCC Watch, National Conference on Jewish Affairs, and Americans for a Safe Israel, the days leading up to the event sparked discussion and controversy that has spread from New York to Los Angeles, London and Tel Aviv. Helen Freedman of Americans for a Safe Israel introduced many of the speakers.
She spoke about the fact that all of the protesters respect and admire the humanitarian and social service work of the UJA and JCRC, but that it is also vital to Israel's survival and the well-being of the Jewish People that the BDS issue -- including Jewish support for BDS -- be addressed publicly.
Mark Langfan spoke of his respect and admiration for the protesters who came out to the rally. He discussed many of the security concerns of Israel, and how the BDS movement harms the Jewish State and puts Jews in jeopardy.
Rabbi David Algaze spoke at length about the skewed values of those in the Jewish community supporting anti-Israel activities and the Hamas-backed BDS movement, and also strongly took to task those in major Jewish organizations who are not vocal enough to speak out publicly and clearly against the BDS movement. "The decision by the JCRC and UJA is neither democratic nor Jewish. It is not democratic because the organizers in allowing these boycotters to March they are ignoring the feelings of the predominant majority of those who participate and attend the Parade. It is not Jewish because Judaism has many values but suicide and self hatred are not among them."
Beth Gilinsky, president of Jewish Action Alliance and founder of the National Conference on Jewish Affairs, an umbrella of pro-Israel, pro-America Jewish leaders, gave a rousing speech about not just the parade controversy, but also about the BDS movement in general. She addressed the real-life impact of BDS here in the United States and England on college campuses, across Europe where Jews are being targeted in violent attacks, and in Israel.
She asserted that while some people believe BDS is just a grassroots effort of a few Arab activists who desire a Palestinian Arab state, in reality it is linked to and driven by radical Islamist organizations such as Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood that are bent on Israel’s destruction. After asserting that BDS attempts to denigrate and demonize Israel and is, in fact an anti-Semitic movement aimed at dehumanizing Jews, she addressed establishment accusations that opposition to Jewish BDS groups in the parade was pitting Jew vs. Jew, firing back with: “Jewish participation in the Hamas-backed BDS movement is the epitome of Jew vs. Jew! “
Responding to assertions that criticizing the establishment organizations creates “disunity” in the community and hurts Israel, Gilinsky stated: “In the name of unity, we are being asked to allow destructive forces to threaten our fellow Jews. NO, we are Jews FOR Jews. We are here to proclaim that we stand in solidarity with Israel, and that includes Judea and Samaria, and we are here to fight FOR the victims being targeted by BDS aggression.”
A Member of the Israeli Knesset was present, MK Nissim Zeev, and he spoke with full support for all of Yehuda and Shomron and spoke of the Yehuda and Shomron being the heart of the Jewish people and Eretz Yisrael.
Richard Allen, founder of JCC Watch, took on the UJA directly, calling out “DO NOT SUPPORT BDS!” to UJA-Federation employees and leaders as they left the building, and saving particular criticism for John Ruskay. “Under John Ruskay’s leadership of the UJA-Federation, the Celebrate Israel Day Parade has invited groups to march that actively call for a Boycott of Israeli Companies. Under front names like Partners for Progressive Israel, New Israel Fund and B'Tselem these groups organize and work against the Jewish State.
"It is shameful that the UJA Federation and the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) are supporting the New Israel Fund in their efforts to delegitimize and fund Boycotts, Divestment, and Sanctions against Israel," continued Allen, an active member of the Pro-Israel Parade Committee. "It's time the UJA Federation stop supporting radical groups that work for BDS against Israel. If the BDS supporting groups are allowed to march, we will call for posters and leaflets on the day of the parade.”
Coalition for Israel founder Howard Weber, spoke eloquently about BDS and the peace process. “For those passers by asking what "BDS" stands for, it means "Blind, Deaf and Stupid’--"Blind to the fact that the reason Mr. Kerry can't obtain a peace agreement has nothing to do with the Jews living on less than 3% of the West Bank, but rather, as Mr. Abbas bluntly put it, the non-recognition of Israel as a Jewish State. "Deaf" to the pleadings of the Palestinian Authority and Mr. Abbas who urge BDS not to boycott Israeli goods since the factories producing them employ West Bank Arabs who enjoy much higher wages and standard of living than their Arab brothers. And finally, "Stupid" because they have decided the best way to put forth their political ideology is by economically crippling Israel.
He continued: “Is this the ‘Celebrate Israel Parade’? or is it the ‘Denigrate Israel Parade’? ”
Dr. Paul Brody of the Great Neck-based Jewish Political Education Foundation (JPEF), said that there is a difference between "opinions and destruction." "Our group is opposed to Israel's relinquishing sovereignty over any of our Biblical Land. But, in terms of marching in the parade, there are individuals and groups who support all sorts of solutions with which we disagree. However, calling for boycotts, divestments and sanctions should be a redline."
Buddy Macy, a founder of Never Again is Now, spoke of his family’s involvement with raising funds for Federation, and stated, “It is called the Celebrate Israel Parade. However, 364 days a year, Partners for Progressive Israel, B’Tselem and the New Israel Fund not only do not celebrate Israel, they lambast and work against her by promoting the boycott of products produced by Israeli companies and/or fund organizations that boycott Israeli products. In other words, these three organizations embrace the narrative created by Israel’s enemies, who are intent on destroying the Jewish State.
What is equally absurd and potentially more dangerous, is that the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, under the watchful eye of the UJA-Federation of New York, provides a platform for those organizations to gain respect and esteem among the hundreds of thousands of parade goers. Make no mistake about it: we will not permit enemies of Israel to become role models for the Jewish people…especially, for our youth.
Julian Rapaport, from the Russian Jewish community, stated: “We are joining the voices of protest against the participation of BDS-connected groups in the Celebrate Israel Parade. We know from history that the Nazi Holocaust began with the boycotting of Jewish stores. Our group sticks tightly to the principle: NEVER AGAIN! We are calling on the UJA to modify and clarify its controversial policy and guidelines to make sure that participation in the Israel Day Parade, as expected, means to strengthen the State of Israel and the Jewish community, not weaken them.”
Rabbi Aryeh Spero, whose two hard-hitting articles in Jewish newspapers created a stir this past week, stated today in response to the rally: “Promoters of BDS do not love Israel, and through their boycotts wish to harm Israel and its people. And the acceptance by the establishment Jewish community of these groups reflects a perverse form of Jewish suicide. “
The rally organizers expressed special thanks to the National Council of Young Israel for their endorsement of the rally. A representative of Endowment for Middle East Truth addressed the crowd, emphasizing the importance of continued activism and pressure on the UJA and JCRC to do the right thing, as well as the importance of bringing the community’s attention to the truths about BDS in America and abroad.
Endorsing organizations of this rally were: JCC Watch, Jewish Action Alliance, AFSI, Z Street, National Conference on Jewish Affairs, Endowment for Middle East Truth, Americans for Peace and Tolerance, Ha-Emet, Coalition for Israel, National Council of Young Israel, International Committee for the Land of Israel, Jewish Political Education Foundation, IsraelLives.org, Amcha Initiative, and Never Again is Now.
I could not agree more.
Labels: B'Tselem, BDS, JCC Watch, Jeffrey Wiesenfeld, Manhattan JCC, New Israel Fund, New York Jewish Federation, progressives, Salute to Israel Day Parade
Get thee to the Federation building
A reminder to those of you in the New York area to please show up at the demonstration against allowing BDS groups to march in the Salute to Israel parade from 4:00 to 7:00 pm on Tuesday. More details
here.
Labels: Americans for a Safe Israel, BDS, JCC Watch, Manhattan JCC, New York Jewish Federation, Z Street
A chance to make history in New York City on Tuesday, April 8
On April
1, 1933, 81 years ago ,
the Nazis
carried out their first nationwide, coordinated action against the Jews: a
boycott of Jewish businesses.
On
April 1, 2014, JEWISH organizations are supporting the Arab boycott
of Jewish businesses and products made in the Land of Israel.
Incredibly, the
UJA-Federation and JCRC have given their permission for these organizations to
march in the Salute to Israel Parade!
JOIN US TO
TELL UJA-FEDERATION:
DO NOT
PERMIT BDS SUPPORTERS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PARADE
Rally Tuesday, April 8th, 2014
We will
gather 4 PM to distribute flyers, speakers at 5:30-7 PM.
UJA-Federation Building,
130 East 59 St., bet. Lexington & Park Avenues.
BRING
SIGNS, PLEASE and spread the word!
Sponsored
by JCC Watch, AFSI, Z Street, National Conference on Jewish Affairs, Endowment
for Middle East Truth, Americans for Peace and Tolerance, Ha-Emet, and other
organizations. For more information, or if you would like your
organization signed on as an endorser: StopBDSNow@gmail.com
For those of
you who are UJA-Federation and/or JCRC supporters, please use the contact
information below to let them know of your disgust over this issue. Please
seriously reconsider which pro-Israel groups you support – we all have to
allocate our resources and I hope you all reconsider whether UJA-Federation and
JCRC are groups to which you wish to allocate yours if they do not change course
here.
Email the
UJA-Federation Leadership:
Email the
Jewish Community Relations Council Board:
Labels: Americans for a Safe Israel, BDS, JCC Watch, Manhattan JCC, New York Jewish Federation, Z Street
What if they had a Salute to Israel parade and no supporters of Israel showed up?
The New York 'Jewish' Federation - apparently dismayed by the number of real Jews who participate in the Salute to Israel parade - has decided to allow the
Jew-hating BDS'ers to join the parade, thereby leading the real Jews to
consider boycotting.
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
'Make a l'Chayim to BDS'?
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″.”
Read the whole thing.
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.
Labels: BDS, JCC Watch, Jewish Voice for Peace, Manhattan JCC, New York Jewish Federation, Pesach, Pesach seder, Salute to Israel Day Parade
El Al cancels Roger Waters promotion
El Al Israel Airlines has canceled its promotion of a concert by Roger Waters in Budapest that was on its web site after learning that Waters is a
prominent BDS'er.
“This matter was
brought to my attention yesterday afternoon,” Sheryl Stein, an advertising/public
relations/social media manager for El Al, wrote in an email to JNS.org on Thursday. “Our Head Office
received my email this morning and I am pleased to say this issue was resolved
in a timely manner. On a regular basis, EL AL offers passengers packages to
cultural events around the world. As soon as this sensitive issue was brought
to our attention, the package was canceled.”
Waters accused Israel of “ethnic cleansing,”
“apartheid” and “international crimes” in a November 2012 address at the United
Nations, and last fall was also at the forefront of efforts to boycott an
Israel Philharmonic Orchestra performance at New York’s Carnegie Hall.
Does El Al live in cave? Roger Waters' BDS activities have been in every media source in Israel. How could they have scheduled him in the first place?
Richard Allen,
head of JCC Watch, an organization that is calling for the establishment of new
guidelines to prevent Jewish funding of activity that gives BDS a platform,
said he was “very pleased” by El Al’s quick removal of the Waters package. JCC
Watch is organizing monthly protests until it sees new Jewish community
guidelines on BDS, in response to the recent scheduling of events with Waters
and “The Color Purple” author Alice Walker, another high-profile BDS activist.
The Waters event that was scheduled for this spring was ultimately canceled,
but Walker appeared at the Y—which receives $900,000 in funding per year from
the UJA-Federation of New York—in late May.
Unfortunately, outside of Israel, there's a lot of indifference and misunderstanding about what BDS is and that it's as anti-Israel as they come. But at least in Israel we should understand the issue.
Labels: BDS, JCC Watch, Manhattan JCC, Roger Waters
National Council of Young Israel blasts 92nd Street Y for featuring anti-Israel speakers
The National Council of Young Israel has released a letter blasting Manhattan's 92nd Street Y for
featuring anti-Israel speakers.
The
letter, which was signed by Young Israel President Farley Weiss,
Chairman of the Board Robert Levi and 1st Vice President Yosef Poplack,
referred to a number of instances over the past several months in which
the 92nd Street Y chose to showcase individuals who have publically
denigrated the State of Israel, including Roger Waters, a lead member of
the band Pink Floyd and a noted critic of Israel, and Alice Walker, a
celebrated author who regularly demonizes Israel.
"Your
decision to showcase personalities who openly denounce Israel and who
unabashedly malign the Jewish State in the public arena is particularly
troubling and antithetical to your core mission, and contrary to the
deep interests of your primary constituency," said the letter.
"While
we admire your longstanding effort to promote Jewish culture, we are
deeply concerned over your ill-considered programmatic decisions that
run counter to the interests of your own constituency. Extending an
invitation to noted anti-Israel personalities is counterproductive and
runs afoul of your desire to affirm a commitment to the State of Israel
and world Jewry. Individuals who denigrate the Jewish State should not
be welcomed with open arms at any venue that is associated with a Jewish
group or organization."
"We
respectfully request that greater care be given in the future to the
selection of featured speakers at the 92nd Street Y and ask that you
invite those who stand for and with Israel instead of those who call for
boycotting Israel."
Read the whole thing.
Labels: BDS, JCC Watch, Jewish communal organizations, Manhattan, Manhattan JCC, Roger Waters
Alicia Keys defies BDS'ers, will come to Israel
Rhythm and Blues singer Alicia Keys has decided to defy the BDS'ers and
show up for her concert in Israel on July 4.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center congratulates R&B singer Alicia Keyes for her courageous decision today to go ahead with her July 4th, Tel Aviv
concert and refusing to bow to people like Pulitzer Prize-winning author
and activist Alice Walker and Pink Floyd member, Roger Waters.
Walker's appeal to Keyes stated, "It would grieve me to know you are
putting yourself in danger (soul danger) by performing in an apartheid
country ... ."
Waters also asked the singer not to perform, as her
appearance would, “... give legitimacy to the Israeli government
policies of illegal, apartheid, occupation of the homelands of the
indigenous people of Palestine.”
"When Ms. Keyes sings in Israel
on July 4th, she will be singing in the only free country in the entire
Middle East, where women enjoy equal rights with men and Israeli Arabs
have more rights than any of their brothers and sisters in the Arab
world,” said Rabbi Marvin Hier, SWC Founder and Dean.
Equating
Israel with apartheid South Africa is a sinister distortion of the
truth,” Rabbi Hier said, adding, “Just look at what is happening in
Iran, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt."
“Israel has said countless times
that it is willing to sit down with the Palestinians without
pre-conditions. But Israel cannot be expected to make peace with Hamas, a
terrorist organization committed to Israel's destruction, just as
African-Americans cannot make peace with the KKK," Hier concluded.
Last year Walker refused to authorize a new Hebrew translation of her acclaimed novel “The Color Purple.”
Meanwhile, the Jewish founded and funded (with communal money no less) 92nd Street Y
hosted the anti-Semitic Alice Walker last week.
If the mission statement of the 92nd Street Y is "to serve the Jewish people" by promoting "individual and family development and participation in civic life within the context of Jewish values and American pluralism" how does Walker's anti-Israel and anti-American stance encourage this?
And in fulfilling its mission, the 92nd Street Y claims that "it will provide a setting in which Jews cultivate and strengthen their Jewish identity; [as well as] affirm its commitment to the State of Israel and to world Jewry." Then the "Y" really needs to delineate very clearly how inviting Walker to speak affirms this commitment?
In 2009 the 92nd Street Y "formed a partnership with Ramat HaSharon, 92Y's sister city in Israel." Also the 92nd Street Y Passport NYC residential camp brings teens from around the world to learn about the film, theater, culinary, and fashion businesses of New York City. Passport NYC joins Havaya, a joint Israel-American summer experience for teens from both countries which was begun in 2008.
How do the Y's leaders rationalize to these Israeli teens that Federation money is used to bring in speakers like Walker? How does Beverly Greenfield, Director of Public and Media Relations at the 92nd Street Y clarify to these Israeli teens that they should not take things personally as their country is bashed by "the color of anti-Semitism?" How does one justify promoting someone like Walker who believes that America "has done a disservice to Israel in not stopping its many war crimes and abuses of humanity?"
Is Walker aware of the health care that Israeli hospitals give to Palestinian children? In fact, the Palestinian newspaper Al Hayat Al Jadida recently explained that "[Israeli] Hospital director Weiss said: 'We relate to patients without regard to nationality and religion. We treat Muslims, Christians, Jews, and other nationalities without bias, and 30% of the patients are Palestinians.'" Where is the abuse of humanity, Ms. Walker?
How does the 92nd Street Y explain Walker's assertion during a Yom Kippur service that "Israeli soldiers raped Palestinian women" yet she could offer absolutely not a shred of evidence for this claim?
Walker has written that "Martin Luther King was a leader, a person of conviction" who would find it "difficult to comprehend, as I do, why Obama is incapable of standing up to Israel [.]" Citing Obama, who openly supports the terrorist group the Muslim Brotherhood and has in the past "join[ed] forces with race hustler Al Sharpton, truly dishonors the memory of Dr. King who wrote that
The response of some of the so-called young militants does not represent the position of the vast majority of Negroes. There are some who are color-consumed and they see a kind of mystique in blackness or in being colored, and anything non-colored is condemned. We do not follow that course.... Peace for Israel means security, and we must stand with all our might to protect her right to exist, its territorial integrity and the right to use whatever sea lanes it needs. Israel is one of the great outposts of democracy in the world, and a marvelous example of what can be done, how desert land can be transformed into an oasis of brotherhood and democracy. Peace for Israel means security, and that security must be a reality.
Moreover, when approached by a student who attacked Zionism, Dr. King responded that "when people criticize Zionists, they mean Jews. You're talking anti-Semitism."
If the 92nd Street Y were true to its mission, it would be inviting Alicia Keys to speak and not Alice Walker.
Labels: BDS, JCC Watch, Manhattan JCC
Why Roger Waters' appearance at the 92nd Street Y was cancelled
In an earlier post, I reported that Roger Waters' scheduled appearance at New York's 92nd Street Y had been
cancelled.
Anyone who knows how it happened isn't saying, but Lori Lowenthal Marcus manages to piece together enough to give us some idea
how it happened.
The Jewish Press ran a story
on March 25 about Waters’ scheduled appearance at the 92nd Street Y,
noting that the Y had begun nearly 140 years earlier as the Young Men’s
Hebrew Association, and how ironic it was that it was going to host one
of the biggest haters of Israel west of the Middle East.
And then things became a little strange at the 92nd Street Y website.
On March 26th, the Waters event at the Y was listed on the website as
“postponed.” Then, sometime during the first days of Passover, all
mention of the Waters concert was removed from the Y’s website,
including from its calendar listing. However, curious callers to the
box office were told that the concert was going on as planned. By late
in the evening of March 28, the event once again was listed on the
website.
On March 29, the box office staff told curious callers that they
should keep their tickets and they would be called with information
about a new date, but later that same day a new date for the Waters’
concert – June 19th – was posted on a British website.
The turmoil continued for the 92nd Street Y management, scheduling
office, and webmaster, as the public outcry continued, reaching a
crescendo on April 3.
Emails were sent to Adler at the Y and to John Ruskay, the chair of
New York City’s United Jewish Appeal – Federation, asking how they could
provide a forum at the Y to someone with such a visceral hatred for
Israel, someone who has publicly stated his commitment to do everything
within his power to destroy Israel’s efforts to protect its citizens
from terrorism.
Read the whole thing.
The real questions are, which moron(s) made the decision to put this event on in the first place, why they still have a job and why the New York City Jewish Federation and the Y consistently have issues like this.
Labels: anti-Semitism, BDS, JCC Watch, Manhattan JCC, Nazis, New York Jewish Federation, Roger Waters
Anti-Israel groups to March in the Salute to Israel parade
I received this on Friday afternoon:
March 16, 2012
EXTREMIST ANTI-ISRAEL GROUPS TO MARCH ON JUNE 3 IN CELEBRATE ISRAEL PARADE
UJA-FEDERATION IS PERMITTING ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROMOTE BOYCOTTS, DIVESTMENT AND SANCTIONS AGAINST ISRAEL TO PARTICIPATE.
A coalition of community Jewish organizations urgently calls on all friends of Israel to make their voices heard. The UJA-Federation and Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) have granted permission to extremist anti-Israel organizations to march in the Celebrate Israel Parade on June 3rd in New York. These groups encourage Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel, seeking to delegitimize and economically weaken the Jewish State.
We call on all supporters of Israel to contact the UJA-Federation and JCRC and ask them to reverse their misguided decision.
THESE ARE THE FACTS:
- This year, New Israel fund is slated to march again, and we expect B'Tselem and the other groups will once again join NIF, displaying their banners.
- New Israel Fund finances numerous Israeli NGOs (non-governmental organizations), some of which promote Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel.
- The chair of B'Tselem's board, Oren Yiftachel, has publicly called for "effective sanctions" against Israel. B'Tselem is a major grantee of the New Israel Fund.
- B'Tselem produced the Video that was shown at the infamous "Israel Apartheid 2012" events held at Universities and Colleges worldwide.
- Despite New Israel Funds stated opposition to Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS), their continued funding of these groups shows their actions are not in line with their statements.
ACT NOW
We urge everyone to raise your voices and call the UJA-Federation and the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC). Urge them to stop these groups from marching in the Israel Day Parade and hijacking a pro-Israel event for their anti-Israel purposes. While the JCRC runs the Parade, the UJA-Federation has effective control over the JCRC, as they appoint Board members as a right and contribute the major portion of JCRC funding.
Richard Allen, a member of the Committee for a Pro-Israel Parade and founder of JCCWatch.org stated: "It is not surprising that the UJA-Federation is pushing these bash Israel groups to march in the June 3, 2012 Israel Parade. Published reports show that the UJA-Federation's Chief Executive Officer, John Ruskay, worked with Noam Chomsky in one of the first political bash Israel groups; CONAME (Committee On New Alternatives in The Middle East). The reports stated the group CONAME specialized in attacking Israel. John Ruskay also gave over 1 million ($1,000,000) of UJA-Federation Jewish Charity Dollars to the political George Soros funded group, Jewish Funds for Justice. The community must make its voice heard by calling and writing The UJA-Federation and demand that Jewish community charity funds not be used for these divisive purposes."
PUBLIC CAMPAIGN
CALL OR WRITE TODAY
Tell John Ruskay and Jerry Levin of the UJA-Federation of New York:
NOT ONE DIME to Legitimize the De-Legitimizers of Israel!
STOP groups that work to Delegitimize Israel from Hijacking the Israel Parade!
Call and write the Board of the UJA-Federation of New York
Tell the UJA Federation you do NOT want your Jewish Charity Dollars Going to Support John Ruskay's Political Agenda
Phone: 212-980-1000
Email the UJA-Federation CEO John Ruskay: ruskayJ@ujafedny.org
Email the UJA-Federation Board: President Jerry W. Levin: jwlevin@jwlevinpartners.com
Email the Jewish Community Relations Council board:
Rabbi Michael Miller, millerm@jcrcny.org or call 212-983-4084
Pro-Israel Parade Committee 62 William Street, NY NY 10005, 917-434-3480Labels: JCC Watch, Jewish Community Relations Council, Manhattan JCC, New York Jewish Federation
JCC Watch.org: 'We get results'
JCCWatch.org reports on improvements at the Manhattan JCC (received via email):
MEDIA ADVISORY
March 5, 2012
Important JCC in Manhattan Up-Date
We are pleased to see, and share with you, that the JCC in Manhattan has apparently made serious changes to its programming lineup to avoid lending legitimacy to organizations that attempt to delegitimize Israel. As an example, the program series sponsored by the New Israel Fund, "Love, Hate & the Jewish State 4.0 Airing The Dirty Laundry", hosted last year by the JCC, will not be hosted at the JCC in 2012. In addition, Mr. Ido Aharoni, Consul General of Israel, has been invited by the JCC to speak at a Birthright alumni event. Most amazingly, some of the films shown at the JCC can almost be described as fair and balanced!
We welcome the recent changes at the JCC in Manhattan and hope this new positive trend continues and becomes permanent. We will, of course, continue to monitor their programming and alert the community if the JCC in Manhattan should again embrace such biased and slanted political groups as BTselem, as they did in 2011. The group BTselem has a history of anti-Israel propaganda and they provided the video recently shown at the vicious and fraudulent "Israel Apartheid 2012" events held throughout colleges and Universities worldwide.
JCCWatch.org applauds the apparent shift in the JCC in Manhattan's direction. The embrace of groups that fund and support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions strategy against Israel, or otherwise propagate anti-Israel propaganda, is not a proper function of the JCC in Manhattan, and does not further the Jewish community's interest. We look forward to the JCC in Manhattan's continuing recognition of this fact in all their programs.
I am pleased to be able to report good news for a change.
Labels: JCC Watch, Manhattan JCC
Jewish Agency co-sponsors anti-Israel event with New Israel Fund... for the last three years
Once again there are suspicious goings on at the
JCC in Manhattan in cahoots with the radical Leftists, anti-Israel New Israel Fund. But this time the Jewish Agency is a co-sponsor, and the program has been going on for three years. Here's a press release I received from my friends at JCC Watch.
July 5, 2011
For more information, contact JCCWatch.org at (917) 434-3480.
________________________________________
DENIAL FALLS APART:
THE JEWISH AGENCY (MAKOM)
PARTNERED WITH AND SPONSORED
ANTI-ISRAEL EVENT WITH NEW ISRAEL FUND
FOR PAST THREE YEARS
JCCWatch.org's founder, Richard Allen, calling "Love Hate and the Jewish State 4.0: Airing the Dirty Laundry" a "bash-Israel event," stated that it "trains the younger Jewish generation to hate the Jewish state. There is nothing at all positive being taught at these political bash-Israel sessions. In fact, the program might be better called 'Love to Hate the Jewish State 4.0.'" He went on to condemn the JCC in Manhattan, a beneficiary of the UJA-Federation of New York, for hosting yet another event put on by groups that fund and support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. "There are clearly elements within the American arm of the Jewish Agency (MAKOM) that have established links to these nefarious organizations."
"The Jewish Agency (MAKOM) and the JCC in Manhattan should not be utilized as a sponsor or a gathering place for those who work to delegitimize Israel," Allen continued.
"NGO-Monitor has proven that, for some time now, the New Israel Fund has directly funded groups that support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel. J Street, the George Soros-funded group, has also partnered with efforts to further the insidious BDS movement.
"We once again call on the JCC in Manhattan's board of directors to establish firm and serious guidelines to prevent the JCC in Manhattan from becoming a hotbed of bash Israel activities. The Jewish Agency must also supervise their American arm, MAKOM, and establish better oversight to prevent sponsorships of anti-Israel activities."
For more information, contact
Hmmm.
Labels: Haviv Rettig Gur, J Street, JCC Watch, Jewish Agency for Israel, Manhattan JCC, New Israel Fund
