On Wednesday, July 20th, ADL New York Region hosted a panel discussion with two of ADL’s esteemed experts on the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement at the request of many community members that wanted to expand their knowledge of the issue. The panel was moderated by former ADL New York Region Board Chair Gregg Mashberg, and featured Susan Heller Pinto, Associate Director of International Affairs/Director of Middle Eastern Affairs and Oren Segal, Director of the ADL Center on Extremism.
Susan and Oren began by discussing the origin ideology and tactics of the BDS movement. They explained how the movement represents an unjust, and at times anti-Semitic, effort to isolate and delegitimize the Jewish state.
After Gregg noted that most BDS campaigns have failed or have not inflicted damage on Israel, Susan and Oren argued that activists are playing “the long game” and do not necessarily care about the outcomes of individual campaigns, but are working to change attitudes towards Israel long-term.
Oren spoke of the possibility that the Jewish community may not be adequately educating their children about Israel. He expressed his concern that the younger generation is often times presented with a one-sided, exclusively positive perception of Israel as the land of “milk and honey.” This, he explained, can actually be a disservice by the time young people get to campus and are exposed to the complexities and nuances of Israel and the conflict for the first time.
During the question and answer portion, one audience member presented their idea that the pro-Israel community must have only one voice and message, in order to mirror the homogeneous nature of the anti-Israel narrative. Susan asserted that “there is no one way” to support Israel. “Our community needs to have room for different views about Israel and its policies while still strongly remaining under the pro-Israel umbrella,” Susan added.
As the conversation continued we touched upon many relevant and important issues, including how individuals can do their part to diminish the spread of pro-BDS messages.
If you were unable to attend the event and would like to learn more about BDS, we invite you to call Stephanie Merkrebs, Assistant Regional Director, ADL New York Region, at 212.885.7736 or email at smerkrebs@adl.org
For in-depth information about ADL’s position on BDS and our work to combat the movement, click here.