JCC Watch is focusing attention on the partnership between the Jewish Community Center of New York City’s Upper West Side and groups the support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel.
Anti-Israel boycott symbol
The JCC of the Upper West Side, notes the watchdog group, is a beneficiary agency of the UJA-Federation. BDS was launched in 2005 by various non-governmental organizations (NGOs) which seek to demonize, delegitimize, and ultimately destroy Israel by the spread of misinformation, incitement, and promotion of various boycotts.
In a news conference held Sunday afternoon in front of the JCC offices, JCC Watch reported that the organization is partnering with a number of pro-BDS organizations.
Among those listed were the leftist organizations New Israel Fund, B’Tselem, Human Rights Watch, and J Street.
JCC Watch founder Richard Allen called on the JCC board of directors to establish public and transparent guidelines regarding BDS.
“It’s time that the board of directors of the JCC in Manhattan take action. It’s simple: all they have to do is stop supporting groups that partner with, fund, or support the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement against Israel,” Allen said.
At the news conference, each speaker expressed their horror and deep sadness at the gruesome terrorist massacre of the Fogel family last Friday in the Samaria Jewish community of Itamar.
Irwin Hochberg, former Chairman of the Board of the UJA-Federation of New York and former National Campaign Chairman of Israel Bonds spoke of “the golden days” of the United Jewish Appeal, prior to the hijacking of the organization by liberal elements of the Jewish community. He was joined by Helen Freedman, executive director of Americans For A Safe Israel.
Expressing outrage at the indifference of the agency to the suffering of Jews in Judea and Samaria, Freedman said, “The JCC should have its members out in the street protesting this massacre at Itamar. Instead, they go on with business as usual, ignoring the brutality waged against Israel and blaming Israel for the ills of the Arab world.”
She added that “by partnering with organizations like J Street, B’Tzelem, the New Israel Fund and Human Rights Watch, the JCC is exhibiting a state of moral confusion. One boycotts totalitarian regimes, like the Palestinian Authority, Hamas, Hizbullah and Iran, the sponsor of these terrorist groups.
“One does not boycott the only democracy in the Middle East.”
(IsraelNationalNews.com)
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