Friend --
Bezalel Smotrich has proven himself to be one of the most extreme and dangerous politicians in Israel’s history -- and he’s scheduled to visit Washington, DC in just a few days.
A long-time settlement movement leader with a long history of bigoted and homophobic comments, Smotrich is now the Finance Minister in the far-right Netanyahu government and was recently handed significant authority over the settlements and “civilian affairs” in the West Bank.
In the wake of the recent deadly settler pogrom carried out against the West Bank Palestinian town of Huwara, Smotrich called in a public interview for the town to be “wiped out” by the Israeli state. Israeli Opposition Leader and former Prime Minister Yair Lapid may have said it best when he noted that Smotrich’s comments constitute “incitement to a war crime.” Even as violence against both Israelis and Palestinians has surged alarmingly in recent weeks, his incendiary rhetoric and annexationist policies are adding fuel to the fire.
On Sunday, March 12, Smotrich is set to address a gathering of the Israel Bonds organization in Washington, DC.
As pro-Israel, pro-peace, pro-democracy Americans, we’re going to be there to protest him and make clear that he is NOT welcome in our communities. Standing together with all of J Street’s partner organizations in the Progressive Israel Network, we’re going to say No to Smotrich, No to Hate.
Register here to join us for the protest, Sunday, March 12 at 6pm outside the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, DC (near Metro Center) >>
We know that Smotrich’s policies and rhetoric are anything but “normal” -- and that we can never treat them as such.
As a movement, we must come together to make our voices heard -- and show that those of us who feel passionately about Israel’s democratic future, Palestinian human rights and our core Jewish values make up the large majority of our community.
I hope to see you this Sunday.
Thank you,
Tamar Ariel
Director for Capital, South & Mountain West
