Two Progressive Groups Denied Tables At Israel Walk

Community Unity Harmed By Exclusion

T

he mission of Metro Detroit's
Walk for Israel "is to unite the
metropolitan Detroit commu-
nity to celebrate the establishment of
the modern Jewish State of Israel and
support its right to live in peace and
security." However, the Walk's organizer,
Andre Douville, and his committee have
a very strange way of implementing this
mission.
Last year, the Walk for Israel included
booths for four groups that supported
the far-right wing of the Israeli
political spectrum. There were
no representatives of any pro-
gressive Zionist organizations.
This April, Mr. Douville was
contacted by a representative
of two such organizations,
Americans for Peace Now (APN)
and Partners for Progressive
Israel (PPI), which requested
booths at the celebration.
Mr. Douville failed to respond
to numerous inquiries concern-
ing said requests. Finally, four
days prior to the event, he stated
that APN and PPI could not participate,
allegedly because they supported BDS
(Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions
against Israel). He further stated that
representation on the committee was by
invitation only. How convenient!
Neither APN nor PPI support BDS.
What they do support is a targeted boycott
of companies that are active in the occu-
pied territories. As Theodore Bikel, chair
of PPI, has stated: "Boycott the territories,
not Israel — they're not the same!" There
is a fundamental difference between what
the BDS movement supports and what
APN and PPI support.
The BDS movement seeks to de-
legitimize Israel. APN and PPI seek to
legitimize Israel while delegitimizing the
occupation. The right wing shares the
attitude of the BDS movement that there
is no difference between Israel and the
occupied territories. Thus, it is they, and
not APN or PPI, who play into the hands
of supporters of BDS.
Representatives of the Zionist
Organization of America (ZOA) actively
lobbied the committee to keep APN and
PPI from participating. That organiza-
tion, since its takeover nationally by Mort
Klein, has moved massively to the right.
Its former leader, U.S. Supreme Court
Justice Louis Brandeis, must surely be
rolling over in his grave.
What is happening with the Walk for
Israel committee is part of a pattern by
the extreme right wing of the Jewish

community led by the ZOA to delegiti-
mize Zionist voices that have a different
perspective. This is the exact opposite
of the Walk's mission as stated. This
includes ZOAs attempt to have the pro-
gressive Zionist slate disqualified from
participating in the recent World Zionist
Organization elections. The Zionist
Supreme Court rejected this attempt,
specifically holding that said slate did not
support BDS.
The local effort to bar certain Zionist
groups from the Walk is also
in keeping with the recent
unsuccessful attempt to have
the New Israel Fund and
other pro-Israel organizations
disqualified from participa-
tion in the New York City
Israel Parade.
APN and PPI fully cel-
ebrate the State of Israel and
support its right to live in
peace and security. That they
see achieving peace and secu-
rity in different ways than the
far-right should in no way
disqualify these groups from participating
in the Yom HaAtzmaut celebration.
PPI is affiliated with Israel's Meretz
Party, whose history goes back to the
Zionist group that led the Warsaw Ghetto
uprising. APN was created to support the
work of Israel's Shalom Achshav (Peace
Now) movement, started by reserve offi-
cers of the IDF. It is utterly outrageous
that their credentials are being questioned
by extreme right wingers who were
viewed as pariahs in the first 19 years of
Israel's existence.
APN and PPI believe that the com-
munity should be aware of the toxic
actions of excluding Zionist organiza-
tions being taken by the Walk for Israel
Committee. This McCarthyite behavior by
self-appointed guardians of Zionist purity
causes disunity, not unity in what should
be a true community celebration. They
have turned what should be a Walk for
Israel into a walk for the right wing.
Given that the membership of the cur-
rent committee is by "invitation only,"
there is little hope for change in this situa-
tion until the Walk for Israel committee is
completely revamped to allow a diversity
of Zionist opinion.

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Kenneth Knoppow is a native Detroiter and a

semi-retired attorney. He is a longtime support-

er of the Israeli peace movement and was the

representative of APN and PPI in the attempt

to have them included in the 2015 Walk for

Israel.

'Targeted' Boycotts Of Jews Hurt Israel

he official mission of the annual
Tzipi Livni stated that boycotts "undermine
Metropolitan Detroit Walk for
positive relations." The Israeli Supreme Court
Israel (WFI) is to "unite the met-
recently upheld Israel's anti-boycott law, and
ropolitan Detroit community to celebrate the
called BDS against Jewish and Israeli busi-
establishment of the modern Jewish State of
nesses "political terrorism."
Israel and support its right to live in peace and
PPI's and APN's argument that their boy-
security."
cotts are "targeted" against Jewish/Israeli busi-
The WFI Steering Committee is made up of nesses located past the so-called "green line"
individuals who represent a variety of differ-
does not justify their repugnant, unlawful
ent organizations that embody the more than
boycott activity. Notably, the Israeli Supreme
40 co-sponsors that help to underwrite the
Court held that anti-Jewish, anti-Israeli boy-
expenses of the Walk.
cotts are unlawful even if the boycotts "only"
We have corporate co-sponsors
target Jews/Israelis and Jewish/
(like Ford Motor Company Fund)
Israeli businesses past (beyond)
as well as advocacy organiza-
the so-called "green line." Similarly,
tion co-sponsors (like the Jewish
the state of Tennessee's recent
Community Relations Council).
resolution against BDS condemned
The committee meets as a group
BDS against Israel and territories
to discuss any particular orga-
controlled by Israel. Likewise, the
nization's application to be a co-
state of Illinois' new law forbids
sponsor. Advocacy organizations
state pension funds from investing
must meet the committee's policy
in companies that boycott Israel or
criteria in order to be listed as a
Israeli territories.
co-sponsor.
As previously mentioned, the
An d re
Our policy includes the follow-
Israeli
Supreme Court recognized
Dou ville
ing:
that boycotts — even those boy-
"Advocacy organizations may
cotts restricted to Jews and Israelis
be co-sponsors for and participate in the Walk
in eastern Jerusalem and the West Bank —
for Israel if their official position and activities
endanger and delegitimize all of Israel, and
demonstrate support for the State of Israel,
held that it is appropriate to deny benefits to
including its right to exist. Any advocacy
and penalize those seeking to undermine the
organization which advocates support for:
State of Israel using BDS. PPI's and APN's boy-
(a) terrorist organizations, (b) anti-Zionist or
cotts cause both Jews and Arabs working in or
anti-Semitic policies, (c) Boycott, Divestment
with Jewish businesses to lose their livelihoods
and Sanctions (BDS), or (d) accuses Israel of
and harms peaceful co-existence between
apartheid may not be a co-sponsor"
Arabs and Jews.
The WFI Committee makes every effort
Claims have been made that the WFI
to be inclusive. However, the committee also
Committee has been kidnapped by the
wisely understands that organizations that
extreme right and that this is causing "dis-
unity, not unity" in our community. Nothing
openly promote boycotts, divestment and/
or sanctions (BDS) against fellow Jews and
could be further from the truth. The number
Israelis undermine Israel and can do real
of attendees has grown every year with more
harm. BDS and those organizations that sup-
than 2,000 walking this year.
In summary, the WFI committee, repre-
port it are diametrically opposed to the Walk's
fundamental mission.
senting a broad cross section of the commu-
Partners for Progressive Israel (PPI) and
nity, determined that while members of PPI
Americans for Peace Now (APN) openly pro-
and APN were welcome to walk or run for
mote boycotts of Jewish and Israeli businesses
Israel, the organization's stated positions were
beyond the so-called "green line" At one time, incompatible with those of WFI and they were
PPI included a list of approximately 200 such
not eligible to become a sponsor and/or enjoy
businesses on its blog website. PPI's board
the benefits of sponsorship.
chair, Theodore Bikel, also promotes boycotts
Their boycotts harm Israel. Should these
of Jewish/Israeli performing artists and ven-
groups rescind their position on BDS, they
ues, including the performing arts center in
would be most welcome to re-apply to become
Ariel, a university community where 25,000
co-sponsors in 2016.
Jews live across the so-called "green line."
Andre Douville is CEO of the Walk for Israel.
The Israeli right and left both condemn
BDS. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
WFI committee members include Pastor John
Denson, Amy Douville, Ryan J. Fishman, Irving
Netanyahu stated that those who engage in
Ginsberg, Eugene Greenstein, Ilene Lubin, Sean
BDS against Jews and Israel "want to see the
Martin, Annette Meskin, Barbara Moretsky, Rabbi
end of the Jewish state" and are "classical anti-
Michael Moskowitz, Rev. Tim Munger, Rabbi
Semites in modern garb" Liberal opposition
leader and former Israeli Foreign Minister
Daniel A. Schwartz and Bubba Urdan.

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