New York, NY, September 15, 2016 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today welcomed the New York City Council’s adoption of Resolution 1058-A “condemning all efforts to delegitimize the State of Israel and the global movement to boycott, divest from, and sanction (BDS) the people of Israel.”

ADL said the adoption, which was passed on September 14, is an important step by the city’s political leadership in making clear that BDS is biased, divisive, unconstructive and does nothing to promote Israeli-Palestinian reconciliation.

Evan R. Bernstein, ADL New York Regional Director, provided testimony on September 8 in support of the resolution.

“BDS is a biased and simplistic approach to the complex nature of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” Mr. Bernstein said in his remarks. “It casts a dispute over territorial and nationalist claims as the fault of only one party-Israel.”

“We all hope for a true resolution to the conflict that allows for a secure, independent and prosperous future for both Israelis and Palestinians,” Mr. Bernstein said. “The reality is that the BDS movement offers no such path to Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, reconciliation or peace.”

“We are heartened by New York City’s clear declaration that BDS is destructive, and look forward to enhancing the strong existing ties between New York City and the State of Israel,” Mr. Bernstein added.

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