By Kenneth Bandler
NEW YORK — The American Jewish Committee (AJC) welcomed a detailed reaffirmation by Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton of her opposition to BDS, the boycott, sanctions and divestment movement that has targeted Israel.
“I believe that BDS seeks to punish Israel and dictate how the Israelis and Palestinians should resolve the core issues of their conflict. This is not the path to peace,” Clinton wrote in a letter to U.S. Jewish leaders on the eve of the United Methodist Church General Conference, which takes place May 10-20, in Portland, Oregon.
“We need to make countering BDS a priority, and we need to work together—across party lines and with a diverse array of voices—to reverse this trend with information and advocacy, and fight back against further attempts to isolate and delegitimize Israel,” Clinton added.
In 2012, at the UMC’s last quadrennial meeting, the global church rejected resolutions supporting BDS against Israel. However, this year the UMC will consider at least 14 resolutions regarding Israel.
AJC, which has spearheaded global efforts to fight against BDS, is urging hundreds of delegates coming to the General Conference from around the world to do the right thing for peace and reject BDS and other anti-Israel measures. AJC routinely discusses public policy issues related to Israel and Jewish community concerns with office-holders and candidates for public office.
BDS proponents do not mention any Palestinian responsibility for the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and, most importantly, ignore the fact that the only workable path toward a sustainable peace is direct, bilateral negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
AJC is a non-partisan 501(c)(3) organization that neither supports nor opposes any candidate for public office.
In another action, AJC just concluded a two-day visit to Poland.
The trip was highlighted by a meeting with Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski. It was AJC’s second session with the Minister in the last four months.
The visit also included separate meetings with the ambassadors to Poland from the U.S., Israel, the Czech Republic, Latvia, and Lithuania; leaders of the Polish Jewish community; and the Forum for Dialogue Among the Nations, with which AJC has maintained a pioneering exchange program for more than 20 years.
The group also met with the Mayor of Warsaw, Hannah Gronkiewicz-Waltz, who signed AJC’s Mayors United Against Anti-Semitism statement, joining more than 300 U.S. and 110 European mayors who have taken a public stand against anti-Semitism.
Among the principal topics of discussion during the visit were: (i) U.S.-Polish bilateral ties, (ii) the Israeli-Polish strategic partnership; (iii) regional security concerns; and (iv) Poland’s domestic challenges. The delegation also spoke to several officials about expanding AJC’s presence in Poland and the region.
“In our various discussions in Warsaw, we heard repeated concerns about Russia’s regional aspirations, appreciation for strong ties with the U.S. and Israel, a commitment to strengthening Polish-Jewish relations, and excitement about the upcoming NATO Summit, to be held in Warsaw,” said AJC CEO David Harris.
During the visit, the group also visited the award-winning Museum of the History of Polish Jews, as they have on previous visits.
As Polish leaders affirmed, AJC has had a unique history with Poland that dates back to the early 1980s.
Among the highlights of the relationship were: AJC’s support for the Solidarity movement challenging communist rule; AJC’s partnership with the Polish government in memorializing the site of the Nazi death camp in Belzec, where 500,000 Jews were murdered; and AJC’s testimony before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee in support of the admission of Poland, as well as the Czech Republic and Hungary, to NATO. At the time, the testimony was called “tremendously effective and compelling” by Jeremy Rosner, then-Special Advisor to the President and Secretary of State for NATO Enlargement Ratification.
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Bandler is director of media relations for the American Jewish Committee.