Jack Rosen, president of the American Jewish Congress, issued the following statement:
“The American Jewish Congress supports the decision of President Trump and the United States administration to recognize Juan Guaidó as President of Venezuela, and to condemn the actions of the now-illegitimate President Nicolás Maduro.
“Since assuming office in 2013, Nicolás Maduro has corrupted and degraded Venezuela’s system of democracy. We have seen this in his subversion of the Venezuelan people’s right to choose their leader, in his efforts to maintain power through rigged elections that have been denounced as “sham elections” by the international community, and in the continued political repression and jailing of representatives of civil society and political opponents.
“Two years ago, we called for the release of political prisoners in Venezuela, including Mayor Antonio Ledezma, one of the leaders of the opposition and former Mayor of Caracas, whom we had the pleasure to engage with and host at our International Mayors Conference in Israel. The American Jewish Congress will continue to support and stand in solidarity with the freedom-loving people of Venezuela.
“We hope that all the international community will join the United States, Canada, and other countries, as well as international bodies such as the Organization of American States (OAS), in pressing for the realization of democratic principles in Venezuela.” — From American Jewish Congress
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Hillary Clinton praises IsraAid at forum in Puerto Rico
Hillary Clinton highlighted Israeli humanitarian aid NGO IsraAID’s ongoing work in Dominica on Wednesday at the Clinton Global Initiative Action Network in San Juan, Puerto Rico. In an on-stage interview with Sawana Fabien, IsraAID Dominica Education Program Manager, the former Secretary of State discussed Fabien’s experience in Dominica in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, IsraAID’s work on the island, and the role of young leadership in the Caribbean.
Clinton asked Fabien about her experience following the storm and how she got involved in emergency response work. IsraAID, Clinton said, “has developed real expertise in responding to all kind of emergencies.”
“When I went to Roseau two weeks after Maria, I met with IsraAID…IsraAID were a small team, but doing so much. They were everywhere. I said to myself, I want to associate myself with these people,” Fabien said. “The fundamental essence of resilience is community. Social cohesion is what people need in times of crisis…IsraAID is an organization that sees the need with the help of the local partner, and they address it, they attend to it…IsraAID is committed to not just responding. It’s easy to bring medical supplies and relief. But the long-term goal of staying in the country and equipping local partners and people is what IsraAID is committed to. That’s why I’m here today, that’s the reason why I have a job as a young person.”
IsraAID’s Emergency Response team was one of the first international aid groups to reach Dominica after Hurricane Maria hit in September 2017, responding to both the physical devastation of a storm that damaged 90% of the country’s infrastructure, and the psychological and social impact of the disaster on the island’s population. From rebuilding the damaged roofs of more than 100 vulnerable families to supporting livelihood opportunities for young people, IsraAID’s Dominican, Israeli, and international team is working with Dominican communities as they recover from the disaster and build a better future. In partnership with UNICEF and the Dominican Ministry of Education, IsraAID’s team is currently working to ensure that the island’s schools are adequately prepared for future hazards. — From IsraAid
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Florida Gov. DeSantis praised for adding Airbnb to investment watch list
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his cabinet have decided to add Airbnb to the state’s list of scrutinized companies, prohibiting investment of taxpayer funds in the company as it prepares for its initial public offering later this year. The action was taken in response to a discriminatory policy announced by Airbnb in late November, refusing service to Jewish-owned listings in Israeli-controlled areas of Judea and Samaria.
Gov. DeSantis’ order follows through on a commitment he made at last month’s annual IAC National
Conference, where he assured that the state of Florida will draw a “red line” against doing business with
any party choosing to participate in commercial discrimination promoted by the anti-Semitic Boycott,
Divestment and Sanctions Movement (BDS). At the conference, DeSantis vowed to add Airbnb to a list of
companies prohibited from receiving state investment, which includes Florida’s massive state
employees pension fund. He also ordered that state officials cease all use of Airbnb while conducting
official business.
The Israeli-American Coalition for Action (IAC for Action) praises DeSantis and his cabinet for upholding
the promise he made to Israeli Americans and the broader pro-Israel community. IAC for Action
Chairman Shawn Evenhaim said:
“We extend our sincere thanks to Gov. DeSantis for his continued leadership in opposing the bigotry and
anti-Semitism of the BDS Movement. He was a champion of the issue in Congress, and now as governor
he has positioned Florida at the forefront. Governor DeSantis has set an important example at a time
when many states around the country have begun the process of evaluating Airbnb’s discriminatory new
policy.”
“As the anti-Semitic BDS Movement continues to pressure companies to adopt discriminatory practices,
officials have an urgent responsibility to protect their state’s economic and employment interests by
enforcing their anti-BDS laws. These state laws must be further bolstered by Congressional passage of
S1, which will provide the Federal government’s support for such state action. IAC for Action is
committed to doing its part in ensuring that legislation is in place to provide material protections for
Israelis, and parties doing business in Israel, from the commercial discrimination and bigotry of the BDS
Movement.” — From Israeli-American Coalition for Action
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World Council of Churches pulls ‘ecumenical accompaniers’ from Hebron
The World Council of Churches (WCC) has announced that it is pulling its “ecumenical accompaniers” from Hebron due to “security concerns.” The announcement came two days after Prime Minister Netanyahu announced that Israel would not be extending the mandate of TIPH, the Temporary International Presence in Hebron.
The WCC’s flagship project, Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI), sends activists to Israel to “monitor” and “report human rights abuses.” WCC has recently come under fire from Im Tirtzu, NGO Monitor, DMU and other pro-Israel organizations over promoting anti-Israel rhetoric and the BDS movement.
Over the past few months, members of Im Tirtzu have been continuously filming and disrupting the activities of EAPPI in Hebron. Videos uploaded to social media by Im Tirtzu have been viewed hundreds of thousands of times. According to WCC general secretary Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit, this “intensified harassment of WCC’s programme” caused it to pull the accompaniers. “The WCC accompaniers are currently prevented from fulfilling their role as peaceful protective presence for residents in Hebron,” said Tveit.
Im Tirtzu CEO Matan Peleg welcomed this announcement and vowed to continue protecting IDF soldiers. “We are pleased to see that foreign government-funded delegitimization organizations are beginning to leave Hebron,” said Peleg. “These organizations do nothing apart from fuel the fires of conflict and provoke IDF soldiers, and they are the true obstacle to peace. We are pleased that our efforts to ‘film the filmers’ succeeded, and we promise to continue working on behalf of IDF soldiers and the State of Israel.” — From Im Tirzu
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Davis introduces bill to prevent discrimination against LGBTQ potential jurors
U.S. Rep. Susan Davis (D-CA) and U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Susan Collins (R-ME) reintroduced legislation to prevent discrimination against LGBTQ citizens during the federal jury selection process. The bipartisan bills would prohibit discrimination against jurors in federal courts on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. The Jury Non-Discrimination Act was introduced in the House and the Jury ACCESS Act in the Senate
“The words above our Supreme Court say: ‘Equal Justice Under Law,’” said Rep. Susan Davis. “Yet LGBTQ Americans can be blocked from serving on a jury because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Discrimination has no place in our country, and certainly not in our judicial system.”
Prior to the start of a trial, potential jurors come to the courtroom and the judge and attorneys begin a process to select who will sit on the jury and determine the facts of a case. The purpose is to arrive at a jury panel that will be fair and impartial. This process involves asking the jurors questions about themselves and their experiences to discern whether they might harbor prejudices or hold strong opinions that would prevent an objective evaluation of the facts.
The United States Code currently prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, and economic status. However, there is no federal prohibition on discriminating against jurors based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Only eleven states prohibit exclusion from jury service in state court based on sexual orientation and just six protect against discrimination based on gender identity. The House and Senate bills would amend federal statute to include “sexual orientation” and “gender identity,” meaning that striking jurors on that basis would be prohibited under federal law for the first time.
The bills have been endorsed by numerous civil liberty groups and other organizations, including the Human Rights Campaign, Family Equality Council, National LGBT Bar Association, ACLU, Lambda Legal, Anti-Defamation League, Immigration Equality Action Fund, Alliance for Justice, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders. — From U.S. Rep. Susan Davis, D-California
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Preceding items culled from news releases. Please send yours to editor@sdjewishworld.com