Serving the Jewish Community of Central New Jersey for Over a Century
Phone: (609) 443-4454 | Fax: (609) 443-2887 | Email: admin@bethel.net
50 Maple Stream Road, East Windsor, NJ 08520
Phone: (609) 443-4454 | Fax: (609) 443-2887 | Email: admin@bethel.net
50 Maple Stream Road, East Windsor, NJ 08520
The mission of the Beth El Synagogue Israel Affairs Committee is to provide education about the thriving economy in Israel, the various accomplishments of Israel and to address threats to the existence and security of the State of Israel. We do not have a political agenda, and our programming strives to avoid being labeled as pro-Democratic or pro-Republican, or left or right wing. Rather, we are pro-Israel Zionists.
To see our upcoming events, go to the calendar page and select “Israel Affairs Committee”” under the event category menu.
The Israel Affairs Committee welcomes new members and invites you to join us and share your knowledge and thoughts on future programming. Please contact Rita Millner at rrmillner@gmail.com.
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THE RIGHT OF RETURN: Did you know that the twisted 1950s mandate from the U.N. has perpetuated the plight of Palestinian “refugees” for generations? The mandate prohibits UNRWA (UN Relief and Work Agency) from resettling those “refugees” and finding them a permanent home, ensuring that they keep entertaining the idea that one day they will get the “right of return.” There is no parallel and no precedent, even in protracted conflict situations, for the manner in which UNRWA transfers the “registered refugee” status, automatically, through the generations, while refusing to take any actions that would end this status.
BDS is a global campaign to boycott, divest from, and sanction Israel. The purpose of BDS is not to protest Israeli policies as some claim, but to isolate and pressure Israel until it collapses as a Jewish and democratic state. Furthermore, BDS dehumanizes Israelis and actively harms peace efforts by opposing Israeli-Palestinian cooperation. https://www.standwithus.com/bds
Portraying the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement as a civil rights movement for the Middle East is not comparable. Omar Barghouti, founder and theoretician of the BDS movement, explicitly calls for the elimination of Israel. If people are interested in coexistence and peace, they should join other movements.
Background information plus quote sources are in www.AJC.org. Another excellent source is www.aipac.org.
Click Here for a September 2019 community endorsement of a congressional resolution passed by the United States House of Representatives opposing the Global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) Movement which targets Israel and which seeks to delegitimize Israel’s right to exist.
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Anti-Semitism defined:
In the spirit of the Stockholm Declaration that states: “With humanity still scarred by …antisemitism and xenophobia the international community shares a solemn responsibility to fight those evils” the committee on Antisemitism and Holocaust Denial called the IHRA Plenary in Budapest 2015 to adopt the following working definition of antisemitism. On 26 May 2016, the Plenary in Bucharest decided to:
Adopt the following non-legally binding working definition of antisemitism:
“Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”
To guide IHRA in its work, examples were provided. This list is found via a search on The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance Working Definition of Anti-Semitism.
Re “U.S. Revives Rutgers Bias Case in New Tack on Anti-Semitism” (The New York Times, front page, Sept. 12):
Assistant Secretary of Education Kenneth L. Marcus has taken action that you say “put the weight of the federal government” behind a definition of anti-Semitism. It is known as the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance Working Definition of Anti-Semitism, and 14 years ago, the American Jewish Committee played a role in drafting it.
The definition offers a clear and comprehensive description of anti-Semitism in its various forms, including hatred and discrimination against Jews, Holocaust denial and, of particular note, anti-Semitism as it can at times relate to Israel.
The American Jewish Committee considers the working definition a powerful tool for determining issues arising out of Title VI, prohibiting discrimination, and creating a welcoming educational environment for all students.
We welcome the decision to use this definition, which recognizes that some anti-Israel conduct crosses the line into anti-Semitism and is one of several factors that may be considered in determining if an act was anti-Semitic.
Our organization appreciates the Rutgers University administration’s commitment to cooperate with any review of this case by the Education Department. As a public university with one of the largest Jewish student bodies in the country, Rutgers can be a model for fighting campus anti-Semitism.
Reply written by Rabbi David Levy, NJ regional director for the American Jewish Committee.
COLLEGE STUDENTS OR INTERESTED OTHERS:
If you want to receive (at no cost) Know Your Rights: A student’s Guide to Pro-Israel Activism, please email rrmillner@gmail.com your request for this comprehensive AJC publication.
Links of Interest
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