Aid
Questioned
Local Arab committee challenges bank
sponsorships of Friends of the IDF dinner.
r
DON COHEN
Special to the Jewish News
"TN
1/13
2005
16
ollowing the Friends of the
Israel Defense Forces (FIDF)
dinner on Oct. 20, the
Michigan office of the American-Arab
Anti-Discrimination Committee
(ADC) challenged support of the
annual event by five banks.
Some in the Jewish community see
the challenge as another shot in the
effort to de-legitimize and reduce sup-
port for Israel.
Yet, the ADC says its complaint is
not about Israel, or even the FIDF, as
much as it is about the IDF, Israel's mil-
itary "occupation" of the West Bank
and Gaza, and a double standard that
prevents similar funding of Arab causes.
Soon after Comerica Bank, Bank
One, Huntington National Bank,
National City and Standard Federal
Bank were included among a listing of
contributors in an Oct. 22 ad from
Michigan FIDF in the Detroit Jewish
News, the Michigan ADC wrote to the
banks. It stated, "It is quite disturbing
and appalling that your institution
would financially support the armed
forces of a foreign country, especially a
country that is engaged in one of the
world's longest and most divisive con-
flicts in history." The letter asked the
banks to consider the opposition of the
Arab community to supporting the
FIDF; it urged against future support.
"I would doubt these ADC people
know what the Friends of the IDF are
all about," says Professor Amos
Guiora, a visiting law professor at
Case Western Reserve University
School of Law in Cleveland, who
served for 20 years with the IDF judge
advocate general's corps. "The Friends
was set up to do various things for sol-
diers — like recreation facilities, hitch-
hiking stations and aid to widows and
orphans of soldiers."
But Guiora also wouldn't be slit-.
prised if something more were going
on. Noting the international divest-
,
ment campaign against Israel and
companies doing business with Israel
is being considered by the Presbyterian
Church (USA), and given the
European-led boycott of Israeli aca-
demics and institutions, he believes it
may be part of the larger effort to mis-
represent and damage Israel.
While the challenge to the FIDF is
a problem, he says it is "the larger
issue [of de-legitimization of Israel]
that is more disturbing."
Allan Gale, associate director of the
Jewish Community Council of
Metropolitan Detroit, agreed. "The
Friends raises funds for the welfare of
soldiers; it does not raise funds for
fighting.
"It's a humanitarian gesture towards
Israel's young people," maintains Gale,
comparing it to supporting summer
camps in the Ukraine or for Jewish
youth in other countries. "The Friends
of the IDF is comparable to
our own USO [United
Service Organizations] that
provides support for
American soldiers."
He noted that a contribu-
tion to a foreign military
would be illegal under American law,
and that the FIDF is a registered,
legal, nonprofit organization.
they are colored by the Arab-Israeli
conflict. We want [the banks] to see it
in a more sensitive way.
"It is a thin line, a fine line you are
dealing with to the IDF through the
FIDF," says Hamad.
He adds, "Under no circumstances
is it a statement against every single
member of the IDF. We do not see the
IDF as a devil entity."
Hamad also perceives a "double-
standard" that allows support for Israel
that would not be given to Arab
groups.
"Many organizations have
approached these banks, and
were told they do not sup-
port religious or political
causes," he says. 'Also, we
put the question to the banks: 'If it
were the friends of the Jordanian,
Palestinian, Saudi, Egyptian or Yemini
Defense Forces, would they honor the
request?' They were not shy that they
would say no."
Hamad's parsing of the issues has
not been clear in news media reports
or even his organization's own e-mails
and Web postings. As recently as Dec.
29, the Michigan ADC wrote in an e-
mail message to its supporters and
community members that they were
working with banks because "of their
publicized support of the Israel
Defense Forces." ADC also has
claimed that the banks have reaffirmed
"their policies of not lending support
to any political or foreign entity,"
though Hamad told the JN that he
understands that the FIDF is neither.
ADC e-mail also claims that each
ANAL TES
Crossing The Line
Imad Hamad, Michigan director of
the ADC, admits he didn't know
much about the FIDF when he first
challenged the contributions. Now he
says the group's "cause is noble."
"Our aim is not to undermine the
noble humanitarian nature of the
cause," he said.
Nonetheless, Hamad stands by his
opposition to the banks' support of the
group. "If it wasn't the military branch
of the State of Israel, people wouldn't
have been concerned," he insists. "But
people are concerned and offended.
Any support of the military is like
endorsing the occupation and its daily
actions. When people measure things,
bank — with the exception of Bank One
— has provided assurances that partici-
pation in such matters will not recur.
Banks' View
But not one of the four banks respond-
ing to the Jewish News would say they
would no longer support the FIDF.
"No decision has been made," says
Robert Darmanin, director of corpo-
rate relations for Standard Federal,
when asked about future FIDF sup-
port. "The issue has generated a great
degree of dialogue ... and Standard
Federal is committed to considering
[the ADC's] comments if asked to
contribute again." At the same time,
he called the FIDF, "a viable charity
registered with the IRS" that meets
the requirement of the bank that
sponsorship dollars are slated solely
for humanitarian purposes."
National City spokesman Bill Eiler
declined to comment, saying, "Our
bank does not discuss contribution
decisions publicly. Our contribution
decisions are propriety."
Wayne Mielke, Comerica Bank's vice
president of corporate communica-
tions, affirmed that its "corporate
guidelines for charitable giving restrict
support to political or religious-focused
efforts." He explains that the FIDF
contribution was made by a "business
unit in response to a specific request
from a significant customer." He said
the business units have a "modest
amount" of discretion in their giving.
He would not confirm whether
Comerica sees the contribution to
FIDF as political or religion-focused.