ZIONIST ORGANIZATION OF AMERICA OP-ED ZOA’s Klein In JNS: Amb. Nides Won’t Visit Judea/Samaria as it May Agitate Arabs Even Though Refusal Agitates Jews By Morton A. Klein, ZOA National President (FEBRUARY 17, 2022 / JNS) In an interview published on Wednesday, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Thomas Nides again used his phony assertion that he is “trying not to do things to agitate people,” as a pretext for boycotting (“not visiting”) Jewish communities in the lawful and historic Jewish heartland of Judea and Samaria where more than 500,000 or almost 10% of Israel’s Jews live. The only people who are “not agitated” by Nides’ boycott are the terrorist dictatorship of the Palestinian regime, Israel-haters and Jew-haters and extremist leftists. Yet his very act of boycotting and not going to Judea and Samaria is “agitating” most Israeli Jews and millions of Jews and members of the pro-Israel community in the United States and throughout the world, refuting his alleged theme of avoiding such distress. This is his own mini-BDS movement. Shame on Nides, U.S. President Joe Biden, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Nides’ boycott also attempts to delegitimize 500,000 Jews and the Jewish people’s lawful right to rebuild in and resettle Judea and Samaria. These rights to resettle are guaranteed to the Jewish people under binding international law, including treaties to which the United States is a party. Nides also previously used the same “agitation” pretext when he first announced his discriminatory Israelophobic policy of refusing to visit Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, but being willing to travel there to meet with terror-inciters Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas and other officials. (See “U.S. Ambassador Nides Boycott of Judea/Samaria Condemned by ZOA: Mort Klein Op-Ed in JPost,” Feb. 3, 2022) In his interview, Nides also expanded his “agitation” excuse, saying that he won’t spend a day walking in the Western Wall tunnels because this would “agitate people intentionally.” By boycotting the tunnels, Nides is further attempting to delegitimize Jewish rights and agitating and insulting Israel, Jews and pro-Israel communities throughout the world. Nides’ “agitation” pretext is reminiscent of the British Mandatory government’s similar pretexts used for acting against Jewish rights and the Jewish community in the 1920s to 1940s. Following Arab riots and slaughters of Jews in Eretz Israel in the 1920s and 1930s, the British forbade Jews from blowing the shofar at the Western Wall on Yom Kippur — because it might “agitate” the Arabs, and unlawfully slammed the door shut to Jewish immigration at the very moment when Jews desperately needed a place to go to escape from being slaughtered by the Nazis — because they didn’t want to “agitate” the Arabs. Read More In Case You Missed It... You can watch recorded ZOOM With ZOA webinars on our YouTube channel here. Share This Email Share This Email Share This Email Join Us in Florida (In-Person Event!) Thursday, February 24, 2022 ZOA Florida "Heroes for Israel Gala" Featuring Amb. David Friedman, Gov. Ron DeSantis, Mayor Gabriel Groisman, Rabbi Ariel Yeshurun, and ZOA National President Morton A. Klein REGISTER NOW Founded in 1897, ZOA played a key role in the Jewish State's re-establishment. Today, ZOA is the leading major American Jewish organization courageously defending Israel and the Jewish people; fighting against all forms of antisemitism, including anti-Jewish boycotts; and promoting the Jewish people's lawful right to live in and settle historic Jewish lands. ZOA exposes that a Palestinian state would endanger Israel's existence; presents the facts about the Arab/Islamic war against Israel; and combats the anti-Israel lie that Israel is an "occupier" of her own land. ZOA spearheaded long battles to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, and apply civil rights protections to Jewish students. ZOA provides free legal assistance and programs to pro-Israel students at numerous college campuses. ZOA's bold, unapologetic voice has a significant impact on public discourse and policy. DONATE NOW Copyright © Zionist Organization of America 2022, All rights reserved. Zionist Organization of America | 633 Third Ave, 31 B, New York, NY 10017 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | About Constant Contact Sent by [email protected]