You can’t be pro-Israel by being anti-IDF

US Jewish groups seek to expel anti-IDF group
By MATTHEW WAGNER, JPOST

The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) and Aish Hatorah have called this week to expel the Union of Progressive Zionists (UPZ) from the Israel on Campus Coalition (ICC) for supporting Breaking the Silence, an organization that is hyper-critical of the IDF’s treatment of Palestinians in Judea and Samaria.

The ZOA said that Breaking the Silence contradicts the ICC mission to “foster support for Israel,” “cultivate an Israel-friendly university environment” and “reduce anti-Israel intimidation and harassment on campus.”

On January 19, the ICC’s steering committee, which is made up of Aish Hatorah, the American Jewish Committee, the Anti-Defamation League, AIPAC, the Jewish National Fund, Hillel, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, and the Shusterman Foundation voted unanimously to keep UPZ in the ICC. Aish Hatorah later backtracked and voted to remove UPZ.

In a statement circulated to Jewish organizations, Aish Hatorah apologized for “not clearly stating our position during the official vote on the proposal. We should have known all the facts at that time. But since we didn’t, we now are stating that our official viewpoint is that programs and organizations that support such programs that demonize and cause hatred for Israel should not have a place on the Israel on Campus Coalition. For that reason, we vote to remove the UPZ from the Coalition for its support of the ‘Breaking the Silence’ program.” CONTINUE

February 1, 2007 | 1 Comment »

1 Comment / 1 Comment

  1. This is great news and full power to Morton Klein on this. And good for Aish Hatorah (what do those words mean does anybody know please?) for considering the issue with more facts.

    We should follow Morton on this very closely. He must go right through all the others, especially the ADL, and sharpen up the differences here.

    And if necessary this coalition must be either broken up totally or just defeated with an alternative organization.

    I look at what this Tammy Shapiro says

    “Tammy Shapiro, executive director of UPZ, said that her organization facilitated Breaking the Silence’s appearance on four college campuses.

    “The present generation of Jewish students is turned off by pro-Zionist organizations that present an unblemished picture of Israel,” said Shapiro, 24.

    “Students read the papers; they know what is happening in the territories as a result of the occupation. That’s why it is so important to talk about the really controversial issues in an open way. Otherwise you stifle real debate, real dialogue.”

    This Tammy I am sure is a very pretty young lady but let me tell her she is already a very old woman, except that that is doing old ladies a great disservice.

    She has got no revolutionary spirit in her whatsoever.

    She has caved in to public opinion and finds that it is “cosy” for her to be anti-Zionist.

    What a pathetic little creature is Tammy at 24!

    Morton must intensify the attack and must sharpen up all of these issues with all on this Coalition.

    And if necessary break from it with Aish Hatorah and start afresh.

    Much better than living a lie.

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