HERITAGE FLORIDA JEWISH NEWS, JANUARY 26, 2018 PAGE 2.A.
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By Rafael Medoff
JNS
Leaders of several major
American Jewish organiza-
tions have told JNS that they
are supporting the Israeli gov-
ernment's decision to prevent
the entry of foreign citizens
who promote boycotts of
Israel.
Israel's Ministry of Strate-
gic Affairs on Jan. 7 released
a preliminary list of 20 foreign
organizations whose "central
figures" will not be permitted
to enter Israel because they
have undertaken "significant,
ongoing and consistent harm
to Israel through advocat-
ing boycotts." There are six
American groups on the
list, including the American
Friends Service Committee,
American Muslims for Pales-
tine, Code Pink, Jewish Voice
for Peace (JVP), Students for
Justice in Palestine and the
U.S. Campaign for Palestin-
ian Rights.
JVP Executive Director
Rebecca Vilkomerson told
JNS that until now, she has
been traveling to Israel "ap-
proximately once a year, and
those trips are usually a mix of
personal visits and JVPwork."
Vilkomerson said the Israeli
government "has not been in
touch with us in terms of how
they define JVP leadership,"
so it is not clear if the ban
will apply only to JVP's senior
staff or also to its other arms,
such as its Academic Advisory
Council.
Vilkomerson said there
are "over 900 people on the
[council]," but she declined to
provide a list of their names.
In the past, JVP press releases
that mentioned the council
stated that "the full list is
available upon request."
A spokesperson for the
Israeli Ministry of Strategic
Affairs and Public Diplomacy
told JNS that the determina-
tion regarding exactly who
will be prevented from enter-
ing will be based on whether
an individual engages in
"ongoing, consistent, and sig-
nificant action to promote the
boycott, with each case being
judge on its own merits." The
spokesperson said an inter-
ministerial team is still in the
process of "formulating the
criteria for implementation
of the legislation," with a final
list of banned organizations
likely to be released in March.
JVP's Vilkomerson de-
scribed the Israeli ban as
"bullying." That character-
ization was challenged by
Malcolm Hoenlein, executive
vice chairman and CEO of the
Conference of Presidents of
Major American Jewish Orga-
nizations, who told JNS, "For
JVP to complain about'bully-
ing' is the height of hypocrisy
given their tactics." He was
referring to incidents in which
JVP activists reportedly have
harassed pro-Israel speakers.
According to a memo is-
sued by the Anti-Defamation
League (ADL), JVP members
at last year's Celebrate Israel
Parade in New York City con-
fronted a group of pro-Israel
LGBTQ marchers, "cutting
their microphones and block-
ing them from marching." The
ADL also said JVP supported
the expulsion of pro-lsrael
participants from last year's
Chicago Dyke March on the
grounds that their rainbow
flags resembled Israeli flags,
which JVP said represented
"racism and violence." Also,
according to the ADL, "JVP
members have shouted down
and interrupted campus
speeches by guests whom they
consider too Zionist."
A number of leading Jewish
organizations have expressed
support or understanding for
the Israeli government's Jan.
7 decision.
AIPAC spokesman Marshall
Wittman told JNS that while
Protesters compare President Donald Trump's proposed U.S.-Mexico border wall to
Israel's West Bank security fence at a Jewish Voice for Peace demonstration in New York
City last September.
his organization does not take
public positions on the Israeli
government's internal policy
decisions, "Every state has a
right to determine who enters
its borders, and the govern-
ment of Israel has explained
that its bar is limited to those
who plan 'material action'
against the Jewish state."
"Israel is under no obliga-
tion to hold the door open for
anyone, or any organization
that attempts to harm the
state," B'nai B'rith Interna-
tional said in a statement to
JNS. "The threatposedby BDS
supporters goes well beyond
mere policy criticism."
Betty Ehrenberg, executive
director of the World Jewish
Congress in North America,
said, "The groups on Israel's
list of BDS promoters totally
undermine any prospect for
peace by fostering hatred,
bigotry, and anti-Semitism,
which leads to violence and
the endangerment of Israeli
citizens."
When the Knesset last year
Ban on page 15A
AP/Majdi Mohammed
Palestinian leader MahmoudAbbas addresses the Palestin-
ian Central Council.
By Aryeh Savir
World Israel News
The Palestinians have an-
nounced an escalation of their
diplomatic actions against
Israel through the annulment
of the Oslo peace accords and
withdrawal of their recogni-
tion of Israel.
The Palestinian Central
Council on Monday declared
that the transitional period
stipulated in the peace agree-
ments signed in 1993 in Oslo,
Cairo andWashington, and its
obligations "no longer stand."
The PCC held a two-day
conference this week to
discuss the ramifications of
the US recognition of Jerusa-
lem as Israel's capital and new
Palestinian strategy.
In its final statement, the
PCC, a decision-making body,
called on the international
community to shoulder its
responsibilities on the basis
of the relevant United Nations
resolutions in order "to end
the Israeli occupation and
enable the State of Palestine to
achieve its independence and
to exercise its full sovereignty
over its territory, including in
East Jerusalem as its capital
and on the borders of June
4, 1967."
The Executive Committee
of the Palestine Liberation
Organization was assigned to
revoke recognition of Israel
until it "recognizes the State
of Palestine on the 1967 bor-
ders" and reverses the decision
to "annex East Jerusalem and
expand settlements."
The PCC also renewed
its decision to stop security
coordination with the IDF in
all its forms. The PCC made a
similar announcement three
years ago, but that resolution
was never acted upon.
Suspending security coor-
dination with the IDF could
endanger the Palestinian
regime, which relies on the
IDF to maintain security
and fend off attempts by
rival Palestinian factions to
overthrow it.
The PCC also demanded
that the Palestinian Authority
end its economic dependence
on Israel as stipulated in the
Paris Economic Agreement
in order to "achieve the in-
dependence of the national
economy."
Under the PEA, a mecha-
nism was set up through
which Israel collects taxes--
value-added tax and customs
fees--on behalf of the PA to
the tune of an about $100
million per month. Israel
then transfers the money to
the PA.
The PCC further affirmed
its "rejection and condemna-
tion of the Israeli apartheid,
which Israel is trying to
enforce as an alternative to
the establishment of an in-
dependent Palestinian state."
Incitement to terror
In conclusion, the PCC
essentially called for terror-
ism against Israel when it
affirmed "the determination
of the Palestinian people to
resist by all means possible
to bring the Israeli occupa-
tion and apartheid regime
down" and rejected any
suggestions for interim solu-
tions including a state with
temporary borders as well as
the recognition of Israel as a
Jewish state.
These resolutions were
voted on, with a vast majority
of 72 PCC members support-
ing the motions, two voting
against and 12 abstaining.
While these statements are
inflammatory and combative,
it is unclear how they will
translate into action and af-
fect the day-to-day life of the
average Palestinian.
On the first day of the
conference, Palestinianleader
Mahmoud Abbas delivered a
hate-filled speech in which
he denied Israel's right to
exist and wished President
Donald Trump that his "house
should be destroyed."
Abbas on Sunday rejected
Israel as a Western "colonial
project that has nothing to do
with Judaism."
$
In a letter, the State Depart-
ment notified the U.N. Relief
and Works Agency that the
U.S. is withholding $65 mil-
lion of a planned $125 million
funding installment to the
body. The letter also makes
clear that additional U.S.
donations will be contingent
on major changes by UNRWA,
which has been heavily criti-
cized by Israel.
"We would like to see
some reforms be made," said
State Department spokes-
woman Heather Nauert,
adding that changes are
needed both to the way
the agency operates and is
funded. "This is not aimed
at punishing anyone."
The State Department said
it was releasing the rest of
the installment--S60 mil-
lion-to prevent the agency
from running out of cash
by the end of the month and
closing down.
The U.S. is UNWRA's larg-
est donor, supplying nearly 30
percent of its budget.
Danon: 'Time for this
absurdity to end'
Israel's ambassador to
the U.N Danny Danon,
praised the move, arguing
that UNRWA misuses hu-
manitarian aid to support
propaganda against the Jew-
ish state and perpetuate the
Palestinians' plight.
"It is time for this absurdity
to end and for humanitarian
funds to be directed towards
their intended purpose: the
welfare of refugees," Danon
said in a statement.
The U.S. donated $355
million to UNWRA in 2016
and was set to make a similar
contribution in this year;
the first installment was to
have been sent this month.
But after a highly critical
Jan. 2 tweet from Trump on
aid to the Palestinians, the
State Department opted to
wait for a formal policy deci-
sion before sending its first
installment.
Trump's tweet expressed
frustration over the lack of
progress in his attempts to
broker peace between Israel
and the Palestinians, and he
pointed the finger at the Pal-
estinians. "We pay the Pales-
tinians hundreds of millions
of dollars a year and get no
appreciation or respect," he
said. "But with the Palestin-
ians no longer willing to talk
peace, why should we make
any of these massive future
payments to them?"
Israelis accuse the U.N.
agency of contributing to
Palestinian militancy and al-
lowing its facilities to be used
by militants. They also com-
plain that some of UNRWA's
staff are biased against Israel.
US demands more
'burden-sharing'
Nauert said the United
States believes there needs
to be more "burden-sharing,"
a regular Trump complaint
about multilateral organiza-
tions dependent on significant
contributions of U.S. cash.
"We don't believe that tak-
ing care of other nations and
other people have to be solely
the United States' responsibil-
ity," she said.
The U.S. plan to withhold
some, but not all, of the money
was backed by Secretary of
State Rex Tillerson and De-
fense Secretary James Mattis,
who offered it as a compromise
to demands for more drastic
measures by U.N. Ambassador
Nikki Haley, officials said.
Haley wanted a complete
cutoff in U.S. money until
the Palestinians resumed
peace talks with Israel that
have been frozen for years.
But Tillerson, Mattis and
others argued that ending all
assistance would exacerbate
instability in the Mideast,
notably in Jordan, a host
to hundreds of thousands
of Palestinian refugees and
a crucial U.S. strategic
partner.
Eliminating or sharply re-
ducing the U.S. contribution
could hamstring the agency
and severely curtail its work,
putting great pressure on
Jordan and Lebanon as well
as the Palestinian Authority.
Gaza would be particularly
hard hit. Some officials, in-
cluding Israelis, warn that it
might push people closer to
the militant Hamas move-
ment, which controls Gaza.
