The Jewish community has long been a staunch ally in the fight for racial justice in our country. At the same time, the Jewish community has a strong, extensive, and profound relationship with the State, land, and people of Israel. These two positions have not been and need not be in conflict with one another.
Earlier this week, more than 50 organizations associated with the Black Lives Matter movement released a list of six platform demands and 40 policy priorities. Included in the demand entitled “Invest-Divest” is a call for an end to US military aid to Israel. The authors of the text describe the United States as complicit in a “genocide” taking place against the Palestinian people and characterize Israel as an “apartheid state.”
These incendiary terms are not only inaccurate, but serve to incite and divide rather than to unite around our shared priorities.
We therefore strongly condemn the inappropriate language in the platform demands and denounce any attempts to delegitimize the State of Israel. We will actively campaign against efforts to wage economic and cultural warfare against Israel, while advocating for a negotiated two-state solution between the parties.
Nevertheless, we will not allow this distressing terminology to detract us from our commitment to justice. We are committed to working to overcome the issues of inequality and racial injustice impacting black lives in America today, just as we are committed to working for equality for all people in all places. We will continue to mobilize the Jewish community in efforts to move our world towards a place of equal power, access, opportunities, and treatment for all people, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sex, sexuality, religion, country of origin, or any other classification used to unlawfully and immorally divide people. Our faith demands it, and our world requires it.
Jewish Federation of St. Louis
Harvey N. Wallace, Board Chair
Andrew Rehfeld, Ph.D., President & CEO
JCRC
Robert Millstone, Board President
Rori Picker Neiss, Executive Director