Thursday, December 9, 2010

Take A Stand Against Boycotts this Holiday Season

This post comes from Ethan Felson is Vice President of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs

What’s old is new – and unfortunately this holiday season, wrapped in a bow, is a boycott of things Israeli and Jewish. The relics of the past boycotts – from Nuremberg to Damascus - are back. Uninterested in reconciliation, the extremist and myopic fervor that undergirds the campaign to boycott Israel should be a wakeup call for those who have hit the snooze button too many times.

Issuing the latest appeal for boycotts is the North American affiliate of the Sabeel Center, a group that wraps its disdain for the Jewish state in a cloak of Christian concern. Sabeel’s leader has said that Israel operates a “crucifixion machine” and that “security is a pagan god that Israel worships.” It wields the word “apartheid” like a cudgel. Their holiday boycott call targets a over dozen companies because they operate in Israel or their owners are guilty of the sin of being Israeli, Jewish, or affiliated with either. They manufacture goods in Israel, in the Palestinian territories, and in America. Their products include cosmetics, clothing, cell phones, and prepared foods. Most cannot be tied in any rational way to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

That gets to the heart of it. The so-called BDS movement (boycotts, divestment, and sanctions) isn’t here to help Palestinians. It’s a pernicious call to harm Israel and world Jewry. Its proponents seek to bring the Israeli-Palestinian conflict into every sphere of American life. The supporters of the boycott don’t seem to care who gets caught their snare, including tens of thousands of American workers employed by these companies. In so many ways, it is a boycott of American values.

Estee Lauder’s sin is being owned by the volunteer leader of the Jewish National Fund. Sara Lee and L’Oreal are guilty of having been praised by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Another company is guilty of being owned by a friend of former Prime Minister Ehud Barak. Also in Sabeel’s crosshairs is a California-based business building green transportation infrastructure – electric car charging stations in Denmark, Australia, Hawaii – and Israel. It’s owner was named to Time magazine’s list of Environmental Heroes. But he is Israeli so his company makes the list.

What can we do?

Build Bridges. Most Americans understand that such campaigns will not change governmental or corporate policies. Reach out to them – in their churches, civic groups, where you work, and in your neighborhood. The people calling for boycotts, divestment, and sanctions are at the margins of public debate. Their goal is to poison the well here at home. Don’t let them.

Make the Case. Israel is the national homeland of the Jewish people. It seeks to live in peace and security. BDS is a tactic aimed to delegitimize Israel. None of the groups in support of BDS support Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state.

Promote Peace. Call on churches and others being roped into the BDS drama to seek something better. Israelis and Palestinians deserve peace. Two peoples. Two states. Living side-by-side. Their peace will come when the parties are confident.

Foster Reconciliation. There are many organizations working tirelessly to bring Israelis and Palestinians, Jews, Christians and Muslims together. They deserve our support. Balanced travel experiences demonstrate the complexity of the conflict and the need for peacemakers, not bomb-throwers, rhetorical or otherwise.

Stay Civil. Avoid shouting and name calling. As tempting as it might be to call for a boycott of companies owned by Sabeel’s supporters, we need to reject ineffective and partisan virtual warfare. We are not the parties to the conflict. A zero-sum, scorched earth approach that thrives on division helps no one.

Buycott instead of Boycott. A few mudmasks and an extra container of hummus can’t hurt.

Get involved. Thankfully, the alarm has gone off and friends of Israeli-Palestinian peace are pushing back. The Israel Action Network, a partnership of the Jewish Federations of North America and the Jewish Council for Public Affairs will mobilize Jewish federations, agencies, and JCRCs across North America to respond effectively to the assault on Israel's legitimacy. Get up. Get trained. And go to work.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Beware the BDS Movement

The growing Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel is gaining widespread legitimacy and support among peace activists and trade unionists. But this video reveals the true motivation behind the organizers of the movement. Please click here to view the video and forward this message widely.


Friday, April 30, 2010

BUYcott Victory at Mountain Equipment Co-op

Supporters of Mountain Equipment Co-op’s (MEC) ethical sourcing policy and friends of Israel were pleased with the results of the recent MEC elections, released Thursday night. Canada-Israel Committee, with the support of Canadian Jewish Congress – Pacific Region and Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, called on MEC members to vote “yes” on five special resolutions that safeguard the co-op’s constitution against abuse from single-issue political activists.

“Mountain Equipment Co-op members must be commended for passing these five resolutions. These measures will prevent groups that seek to misuse MEC’s organizational structure to make controversial and divisive political statements from doing so,” stated Dr. Michael Elterman, Chair of the Canada-Israel Committee Pacific Region.

Over the last 12 months, Canada’s pro-Israel community has mobilized in defense of MEC’s ethical sourcing policy. Combined with the support of MEC members, this resulted in the rejection of a boycott proposal at last year’s AGM. The boycott effort ended up backfiring on its proponents, with MEC sales of Israeli products actually increasing by some 2000% in a single day last November, following a demonstration of solidarity by the Jewish community and MEC members.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

A Passover Message from Jewish Agency Chair, Natan Sharansky

Dear Friends,

In only a few days, we gather again around the Seder table and remind ourselves and most importantly our children, about that unique moment in the history of our people and humanity. That moment, when we simultaneously discovered our identity as a people, our freedom and our mission in this world, Tikkun olam.

A few days after Pesach, we observe Holocaust Memorial Day, Yom Hashoah. On this day, thousands of young Jews from around the world will gather at Auschwitz to participate in The March of Living. This year, as the Chairman of the Jewish Agency, I will have the privilege of leading this march.

The connecting thread between these two events, which appear at first glance to be dissimilar, is the imperative to remember. In both cases, we make a big effort to make sure that the knowledge and memory of these events will stay with the next generations of Jews.

My own life, as the life of many Soviet Jews of my generation, proves that these events can be fully erased from our collective memory. Growing up as an assimilated Jew in the Soviet Union, I knew nothing about our Jewish history, holidays and traditions, or even about the horrors of the Holocaust that occurred but a few years prior to my birth in the very place where I grew up. The relentless dictatorial Communist regime did everything it could to erase our collective memory as a nation, knowing only too well that this was the surest way to turn us into little cogs in the machinery of the Soviet regime.

It was only when we reconnected once again to our Jewish roots and history that we found the courage to challenge the Soviet regime. I vividly remember my first Seder in Moscow in 1973, how I and my fellow refuseniks and Aliyah activists struggled with the Hebrew text of the Haggadah. But each time we came to the words, "This year we are slaves, next year may we be free men"; or "In every generation enemies rise up against us seeking to destroy us" or Next Year in Jerusalem, we needed no translation. We felt that we were, in fact, reliving that Biblical exodus and like way back then, we are rediscovering the power of identity, the power of freedom, and the power of our grand mission--Tikkun olam.

Tyrannical regimes, however, are not the only threat to our collective memory. In today's Global Village when the bonds connecting many of us to our faith and to each other are weakening and when Israel finds itself under constant attack, many young Jews are becoming disconnected from their Jewish identity, their Jewish roots and from the State of Israel.

From the very beginning of its founding, the Jewish Agency had the unique mission of unifying the Jewish People in support of the Jewish state and in the historic process of the ingathering of exiles. Today, in order to continue this mission, we must do our best to bring every Jew to the "Seder table" and to let him or her experience that unique pride and belonging to our unique history, heritage and destiny. This is the crucial and imposing challenge before us -- a challenge summoning us --all of us-- to action.

Together, we can successfully meet this challenge.

Chag kasher v"sameach to you and your family.

Sincerely,

Natan

Thursday, February 25, 2010

The dark side of a yearly ritual

We are pleased to share with you this op-ed in Thursday''s Ottawa Citizen by Leonard Stern.

Beginning Monday, university campuses play host to an annual event known as Israeli Apartheid Week, where Israel is assigned the role of Jew among the nations — singled-out, cursed and harassed.
Some Jewish students at Carleton and the University of Ottawa will discreetly choose to stay home, to avoid having to answer for the Jewish state. The whiff of something medieval hangs over this March ritual.
This isn’t about Jews, say the organizers. It’s about Zionists. Problem is, the activist groups behind Israeli Apartheid Week are doing everything to erase the distinction. Read more.


On a more upbeat note, following the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, the Joint Distribution Committee swiftly coordinated relief efforts with its network of Israeli, North American, and local Haitian partners on the ground. Click here to view an inspiring video that highlights JDC's work in Haiti.

Monday, February 8, 2010

Where your Haiti relief dollars go: A report from the JDC, our partner in Haiti

It is hard to believe that more than three weeks have passed since Haiti was devastated by what is now being called the worst natural disaster of the century. For those fortunate enough to survive, the catastrophe is still unfolding. More than one million people are homeless. Water is scarce; medical teams and supplies are in short supply.
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Here is the latest news on the Joint Distribution Committee's (JDC) ongoing relief efforts:

JDC has embarked on a partnership with local Haitian NGO ProDev Foundation to place 115 water tanks in Port-au-Prince that will provide clean drinking water to hundreds of thousands of quake victims living in tent villages. JDC is also funding several water supply projects through the International Rescue Committee to provide sources of clean, potable water in Port-au-Prince and the surrounding community.

To view a full summary of JDC’s current relief efforts in Haiti, visit the Crisis Response page of our global website and view a photo slideshow of our work in Port-au-Prince.

To donate to Haiti relief through UJA of Hamilton, click here.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Israel Experience Scholarships Available

Financial support is available to Hamilton/Burlington/Oakville area students intending to participate in extended programs in Israel in 2010. The Ralph Travis Israel Experience Scholarship Fund was created to honor the life, generosity and memory of Ralph Travis; a community member who was truly devoted to Israel and to strengthening Jewish identity in our community’s children.

The scholarship is awarded as an entitlement to Jewish students from the Hamilton/Burlington/Oakville area, sixteen years or older, enrolling in recognized Israel Experience programs. Applications for other education programs in Israel may be considered on an individual basis.

The scholarship may have a value of up to $500 per student, depending on the number of applications and availability of funds. Participating families are expected to be in good standing with United Jewish Appeal.

For information regarding recognized Israel Experience Programs, please go to www.canadaisraelexperience.com.

Applications available at 905-648-0605,ext 306 or can be downloaded here. Application deadline for summer 2010 programs is April 30th.