New Israel Fund And Others Who Promote BDS Will March In Israel Day Parade

From JCCWatch:

Shame On UJA-Federation and John Ruskay For Ignoring Your Voices!

Dear fellow parade participants,

You have spoken up loud and clear that you do not want groups that support Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel to be included in the Celebrate Israel Parade. You have sent emails, letters and made phone calls to the UJA-Federation and the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC), telling them that you do not want to march alongside radical anti-Israel groups like New Israel Fund, B'Tselem and Rabbis for Human Rights.

New Israel Fund and its allies actively promote economic warfare against Israel through Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions, and are funded by the European Union for the express purpose of undermining Israel. Yet, despite all your brave efforts, John Ruskay and UJA-Fed refuse to listen. They insist that New Israel Fund and its allies march in the Celebrate Israel Parade on June 3rd, thereby legitimizing their radical anti-Israel views.

"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," said Richard Allen, active member of the Pro-Israel Parade Committee. "It's time the UJA Federation stop supporting radical groups that work for BDS against Israel."

We need to redouble our efforts in the next few weeks to prevent this travesty. If the BDS supporting groups are allowed to march, we will call for posters and leaflets on the day of the parade.


Let's Not Forget the Facts and Make our Voices Heard Today!

• Last year, the New Israel Fund (NIF) was allowed to march in the parade. Other groups marched with the New Israel Fund, displaying their individual banners, including B'Tselem, Partners for Progressive Israel and Rabbis for Human Rights.
  
  
• 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.
  
  
• For instance, five grantees of the New Israel Fund (Machsom Watch, Coalition of Women for Peace, Women Against Violence, Social TV, and Mossawa) signed a letter to the Norwegian Government Pension Fund, urging it to divest from Israel.
  
  
• Partners for Progressive Israel (also known as Meretz USA) prominently displays on its website, under the heading "boycott these Settlement products sold in the US, " a list of Israeli products that it wants Jews to boycott. These products include Ahava cosmetics, SodaStream products, and wine from nine Israeli vineyards.
  
  
• The chair of B'Tselem's board, Oren Yiftachel, has publically 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 the New Israel Fund's stated opposition to Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS), their continued funding of these groups shows their actions are not in line with their statements.
  

To voice your opinion and concern please contact the following:

1. John Ruskay at the UJA-Federation by calling 212-980-1000 212-980-1000 or via email at RuskayJ@UJAFedNY.org
2. The UJA-Federation President Jerry W. Levin at JWLevin@JWLevinPartners.com
3. Rabbi Michael Miller at the JCRC by calling 212-983-4800 212-983-4800 or via email at MillerM@JCRCNY.org

We thank you for your attention to this crucially important issue, and look forward to participating with you in the Celebrate Israel Parade.

Here is a banner for the protest:

Technorati Tag: Israel and BDS and Israel Day Parade.