New York, NY, August 21, 2014 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today denounced anti-Israel demonstrations that took place on both the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges on August 20 which included a display of a large banner calling for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israel.

The organizers of the rally claim to represent a collection of various groups who support the BDS movement, a fundamentally biased campaign which calls for the end of the state of Israel as the national homeland of the Jewish people. Protestors were also reportedly equating the events in Ferguson, Missouri with the conflict in Gaza.

Evan R. Bernstein, ADL New York Regional Director, issued the following statement:

We strongly condemn this effort to delegitimize Israel which was on full display on the Manhattan Bridge. The BDS movement and its supporters are not taking a legitimate stance against anything; they are simply promoting a fervently anti-Israel message which only serves as a barrier to any productive and sound discussions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Israel’s current conflict with the terror group Hamas.

Individuals have every right to express their views, however there is no place for this type of display in New York City or in any city across the country. We call on political and community leaders and public figures to unequivocally condemn the BDS message and any attempts to exploit or connect the events of the Israel-Gaza conflict to what is happening in Ferguson.

Since the start of Israel’s Operation Protective Edge to stop Hamas rockets from the Gaza Strip, several anti-Israel demonstrations have taken place in New York City at locations including the Israeli Consulate, Times Square, Union Square, and the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Many of these demonstrations have featured anti-Semitic rhetoric with comparisons made between Israel and Nazi Germany. In addition, some of these rallies featured support of Hamas and overall Palestinian “resistance.”

 

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world’s leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.  Follow us on Twitter: @ADL_NY