Following the New York Times column "The Two Israels" by Nicholas Kristof, I have been moved by the massive outpouring of support from our donors who know the real truth about JNF's work with the Bedouin community in Israel and the inclusive work we do for all. Mr. Kristof's attempt to turn our beloved tree-planting program into a villainous effort is nothing short of hateful and a slander towards world Jewry. Happily, his opinion has backfired as donors have been purchasing trees by the grove to send a message to him and the New York Times that such ruminations are wrong. If you missed the response by JNF President Jeffrey Levine, you can read it here, where others including Abraham Foxman from ADL also criticized the Times' reporting and anti-Israel bias. Read our OpEd that theTimes wouldn't print.
Mr. Kristof is part of something larger than going after our tree-planting program. He is part of the battle we're seeing grow in the media and on college campuses to win over the minds of young Jews and silence their support for Israel:
• In the UK, students voted to support ISIS and reject Israel. They would not condemn ISIS on the grounds that it could be considered Islamophobic.
• A day of action against Israel was organized nationally by America Muslims for Palestine, and professors rallied with them.
• Ward Churchill, a professor at Colorado University, asserts that terrorist violence against America is morally justifiable.
•Christians are being slaughtered in the Middle East and Africa, and Jewish college students across our country have been physically, emotionally and intellectually harassed, intimated, threatened and bullied by fellow students and even professors.
Democracy cannot be allowed to be jeopardized. And make no mistake, these attacks on Jews and Israel is an attack on democracy. Our response cannot be silence. We cannot allow professors or anyone on college campuses to divest from Israel. That is the first step to divesting from democracy and then the USA. We cannot be silent. This is a battleground we cannot lose. This is the battleground for our young people, for our future. We've been getting out the positive messages about Israel on college campuses throughout the country through our Positively Israel campaign, which emphasizes the ways in which Israel is making the world a better place. Please ask me how you can get involved.
