NY Salute to Israel Parade Accepting NIF, But Not AFSI

One of the most consistently and dedicated pro-Israel groups in the United States is AFSI, Americans For A Safe Israel.  They have requested the right to march in the Salute to Israel Parade but have been rejected.

Salute to Israel Parade, 1968
Yes, I'm one of the dancers

I have a personal connection to the parade, having marched (and danced) in the first few Salute to Israel Parades with NCSY, and a couple of times, after reaching the finish line I'd backtrack and then march with Betar.  Those parades are among my greatest pre-aliyah memories, competing with the Israeli Dance Festival and NCSY conventions/shabbatonim.

Here's the letter from AFSI:

A few years ago when AFSI wanted to march in the Israel Day Parade, we were turned down because we were too "extremist" and our banners in support of a whole Israel - yisrael shlayma -were not welcome. Today we see that the New Israel Fund, which enables groups supporting boycotts, divestments, and sanctions against Israel, are welcomed as participants in the parade. Pollution has set in. Your voice must raised in protest. See the Alert below, prepared by Richard Allen of the JCC Watch. We are indebted to him for his diligence and tenacity in leading this fight.

JEWISH COMMUNITY ALERT

EXTREMIST ANTI-ISRAEL GROUPS TO MARCH ON JUNE 3 IN CELEBRATE ISRAEL PARADE

UJA-FEDERATION IS PERMITTING ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROMOTE BOYCOTTS, DIVESTMENT AND SANCTIONS AGAINST ISRAEL TO PARTICIPATE.

A coalition of community Jewish organizations urgently calls on all friends of Israel to make their voices heard. The UJA-Federation and Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) have granted permission to extremist anti-Israel organizations to march in the Celebrate Israel Parade on June 3rd in New York. These groups encourage Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel, seeking to delegitimize and economically weaken the Jewish State.

We call on all supporters of Israel to contact the UJA-Federation and JCRC and ask them to reverse their misguided decision.

THESE ARE THE FACTS:

• 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 publicly 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 New Israel Funds stated opposition to Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS), their continued funding of these groups shows their actions are not in line with their statements.

ACT NOW

We urge everyone to raise your voices and call the UJA-Federation and the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC). Urge them to stop these groups from marching in the Israel Day Parade and hijacking a pro-Israel event for their anti-Israel purposes. While the JCRC runs the Parade, the UJA-Federation has effective control over the JCRC, as they appoint Board members as a right and contribute the major portion of JCRC funding.

Richard Allen, a member of the Committee for a Pro-Israel Parade and founder of JCCWatch.org stated: "It is not surprising that the UJA-Federation is pushing these bash Israel groups to march in the June 3, 2012 Israel Parade. Published reports show that the UJA-Federation's Chief Executive Officer, John Ruskay, worked with Noam Chomsky in one of the first political bash Israel groups; CONAME (Committee On New Alternatives in The Middle East). The reports stated the group CONAME specialized in attacking Israel. John Ruskay also gave over 1 million ($1,000,000) of UJA-Federation Jewish Charity Dollars to the political George Soros funded group, Jewish Funds for Justice. The community must make its voice heard by calling and writing The UJA-Federation and demand that Jewish community charity funds not be used for these divisive purposes."

PUBLIC CAMPAIGN

CALL OR WRITE TODAY

Tell John Ruskay and Jerry Levin of the UJA-Federation of New York:

NOT ONE DIME to Legitimize the De-Legitimizers of Israel!

STOP groups that work to Delegitimize Israel from Hijacking the Israel Parade!

Call and write the Board of the UJA-Federation of New York

Tell the UJA Federation you do NOT want your Jewish Charity Dollars Going to Support John Ruskay's Political Agenda

Phone: 212-980-1000

Email the UJA-Federation CEO John Ruskay: ruskayJ@ujafedny.org

Email the UJA-Federation Board: President Jerry W. Levin: jwlevin@jwlevinpartners.com

Email the Jewish Community Relations Council board:

Rabbi Michael Miller, millerm@jcrcny.org or call 212-983-4084

Subject: YOU May be Committing a Crime Against the Jewish People
Anyone who donates to the Jewish Federation or Hillel could be supporting a program that creates anti-Israel activists! That could be YOU!

The Jewish Federation and Hillel BOTH support - financially and logistically - sending Jewish, Christian and Muslim students to Washington and Israel to meet with Muslim Brotherhood organizations like MPAC, Hamas terrorists and leaders, Hezbollah supporters and others who have pledged to annihilate Israel and kill Jews! Follow-up information finds that these programs successfullyturn pro-Israel advocates into anti-Israel pro-Arab-Palestinian activists.

Are YOU funding this?

Read about this travesty below. It is not JUST J Street and the New Israel Fund who sabotage the Jewish people. Mainstream Jewish organizations that YOU may support are guilty as well. STOP THIS

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