Shofars blow against aid to BDS groups

A rally sponsored was staged in front of the UJA-Federation building in Manhattan on Monday evening to protest support reputedly given to a pro-BDS group by UJA-Federation President Alisa Doctroff and reports that UJA-Federation has facilitated the participation of groups friendly to the BDS movement in the Celebrate Israel Parade on May 31.

Richard Allen, founder of JCCWatch.org, said Doctoroff “is a major funder of the New Israel Fund, a group that finances the BDS movement against Israel on a worldwide basis.”

The BDS movement was recently described by Justice Hanan Meltzer of the Israeli Supreme Court as “political terrorism,” in a ruling that said Israel’s Finance Minister can impose fines and withhold funding from Israeli NGOs that support the call for boycotts of businesses in any part of Israel, the rally’s organizers said.

The event — billed as the “101 Shofar Rally” —was organized by the Hear O’Israel Coalition, consisting of JCC Watch, AFSI, ZOA, JPEF, Endowment for Middle East Truth, the International Committee for the Land of Israel, Jewish Action Alliance, the National Conference on Jewish Affairs, Americans for Peace and Tolerance, and others.

Shofars were sounded to awaken leaders of UJA-Federation to the issue at hand.

Speakers included ZOA President Morton Klein, JCC Watch’s Allen, Rabbi Allen Schwartz of Congregation Ohab Zedek, Rabbi David Algaze of Havurat Yisrael in Forest Hills, Americans for a Safe Israel Executive Director Helen Freedman, Dr. Paul Brody of Jewish Political Action Foundation, and Lauri Regan.

The New Israel Fund finances organizations that promote BDS against Israel. Five NIF grantees which signed a letter to the Norwegian Government Pension Fund urging it to divest from Israel were Machsom Watch, Coalition of Women for Peace, Women Against Violence , Social TV, and Mossawa.

Other NIF-sponsored organizations including Gush Shalom, Adalah–the Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, and the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI).

Originally published at: https://www.thejewishstar.com/stories/Shofars-blow-against-aid-to-BDS-groups,6024?content_source=&category_id=&search_filter=&event_mode=&event_ts_from=&list_type=&order_by=&order_sort=&content_class=&sub_type=&town_id=