ZIONIST ORGANIZATION OF AMERICA IN THE MEDIA ZOA’s Condemnation of Black Lives Matter Defended by JNS’ Tobin: Jews Supporting BLM Empowered Antisemitism Jewish Groups, Led by Reform (Jacobs) & Conservative (Blumenthal) Leaders, Peace Now (Susskind), HIAS (Hetfield) Natl Council Jewish Women (Katz), Ameinu (Bob), Defended/Supported Israel-Hating, Jew-Hating BLM & Condemned ZOA’s Criticism of BLM Tobin Calls Jewish Leaders Who Condemned ZOA for ZOA’s Criticism of Israel-Hating, Jew-Hating BLM “Disgraceful” — And Jewish Leaders Never Apologized to ZOA or Ended Support for Black Lives Matter Group By Jonathan S. Tobin (MAY 24, 2022 / JNS) Did the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis policeman on May 25, 2020, awaken America to its sordid racial past and the need to correct present injustices? Or did the events of the summer of 2020 do more harm than good, both to racial minorities and society in general? In the days, weeks and months after Floyd’s fatal encounter with the police in Minneapolis, few were willing to raise questions about the surge of interest in addressing what some insisted was evidence of the systemic racism that was allegedly the primary characteristic of American society. American Jews and their leading organizations were very much part of this. They were, for the most part, eager to lend their voices to the chorus of those calling for addressing the problem of racism and to engage in soul-searching about the community’s alleged failure to confront prejudice in its own institutions. Major groups like the Jewish Council for Public Affairs and the Anti-Defamation League, as well as some of the major religious denominations, were also willing to lend support to a Black Lives Matter movement that had gone mainstream after spending its first years as a marginalized radical force. But what hasn’t happened is an acknowledgment by mainstream Jewish organizations that their fear of being perceived as being out of touch with liberal fashion on racial issues in the summer of 2020 wasn’t just wrongheaded. It also served to provide cover for and to undermine opposition to ideas that enabled antisemitism and helped demonize Israel and its supporters. While the idea that black lives matter was never up for debate, it was in that atmosphere that so much of the organized Jewish world felt impelled to sign on to support for the movement itself. That seemed like a cost-free gesture that allowed Jewish groups to virtue signal their opposition to racism. What they didn’t count on was the way this effort helped intersectional ideology, which falsely analogizes the Palestinian war on Israel to the struggle for civil rights in the United States, to become the guiding force behind an increasingly powerful left wing of the Democratic Party. In this way, the catechism of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) became not just pervasive on college campuses but the official policy endorsed by President Joe Biden on his first day in the White House in January 2021. Biden’s equity agenda, which is now being implemented in every government department, isn’t about promoting equality. In this context, equity means the opposite. It mandates racial discrimination while promoting the “white privilege” narrative in which Jews are transformed from a minority that is under attack from antisemites on both the Left and Right into part of an oppressor class. It allows an antisemitic BDS movement to similarly play the victim while the objects of its discriminatory campaign are treated as villainous opponents of “people of color,” despite the fact that the majority of Jewish Israelis trace their origins to the Middle East and North Africa. Those voices raised against Jews—whether in academic settings where DEI has become inextricably linked to increased antisemitism, on the floor of Congress where the left wing “Squad’s” embrace of lies about Israel has led to violence on American streets, or in the mainstream media where anti-Zionism acts as a cover for antisemitism—have grown louder and more accepted in the last two years. Legitimizing such a movement may not have been the intention of the Jewish leaders who signed declarations supporting BLM. Racism is terrible and opposing it is laudable. But by going along with the mob mentality that embraced the “1619” lies and legitimized a heretofore radical BLM movement, that’s exactly what they helped foster. Some, like the ADL, are not only unrepentant, but doubling down on their rhetoric about “white supremacy” instead of focusing their considerable influence on combating the BLM movement. That many of them also attacked and sought to treat those Jews who spoke up against it, such as the Zionist Organization of America, as beyond the pale is even more disgraceful. Read More Share This Email Share This Email Share This Email In Case You Missed It... You can find information on more of President Biden's appointments HERE. 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 | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected]