This week’s Action Update is coming to you a bit late because there were so many things happening over the past few days that we wanted to address them in as close to real time as possible. With that out of the way, let’s dive right in.
The UN Strikes Again
Late last week, the UN’s most recent anti-Israel operation was executed. This time around, they put together a “Commission of Inquiry” (COI) which, to no one’s surprise, released its second report demonizing the Jewish state. One Jerusalem based think tank referred to the COI report as, “a masterpiece of modern antisemitism,” and we couldn’t agree more.
We won’t bore you with the details of the COI report since there’s nothing terribly new about the UN demonizing Israel. The report is filled with cherry-picked anonymous reports claiming all manner of appalling behavior by Jews, none of which is backed up with facts, and some of which is so extreme it would be laughable if it weren’t so vile.
What is perhaps most striking about the UN’s latest anti-Israel slander is how brazen they’ve become. They’re not even pretending to be unbiased or impartial. In fact, the head of the Commission supports the BDS movement and has previously accused Israel of “Apartheid.” In short, the COI’s report was put together by antisemites, for antisemites.
It’s no wonder then that a host of elected officials from both sides of the aisle have condemned the COI’s report, and we are grateful to all those who’ve spoken out against the UN’s latest attack on the world’s only Jewish state.
US, Israeli Presidents Meet
On Wednesday, Israeli President Isaac Herzog met with President Joe Biden at the White House. According to a readout of the meeting, the two discussed a wide range of issues including Iran, violence in the West Bank, and the aforementioned UN commission.
To President Biden’s credit, according to the White House, “the President reaffirmed the United States’ strong opposition to the open-ended and biased nature of the UN Commission of Inquiry established in May 2021, which continues a longstanding pattern of unfairly singling out Israel and does nothing to establish conditions for peace.”
Sadly, however, while the White House also reiterated his commitment to ensuring Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon, American policy in that context has been all talk and no action. As such, we’d like to reiterate our advice that the President consider backing up his words with deeds, ratchet up sanctions against the Islamic Republic, and close off any negotiations with a regime which Iranians from all walks of life are opposing loudly in the streets at great personal costs.
Yes, We’re Going to Say Something About Kanye
As we’re sure you’re aware, Kanye West said some antisemitic things recently. It took them longer than it should (especially given their founders’ Nazi connections) but eventually Adidas joined other brands like GAP in dropping their associations with the rapper. But this really isn’t about Kanye West, whose number of social media followers eclipses the number of Jews in the world. West’s actions are a symptom of a larger disease. We must ask ourselves: What was it that made Kanye feel like he could espouse such hatred and then go on Fox News, and in front of a host of cameras and double down on his bigotry?
From the UN COI to the student groups at UC Berkeley that have banned anyone associated with Zionism (essentially making their organizations free of Jews), antisemitism in this country is being mainstreamed. There have always been bigots in this world, but for a while society forced them into the shadows. Not anymore. From Kanye West to the neo-Nazis that travel around the country trying to provoke Jews, Christians and other people of conscience into fights, the bigots feel their moment has come.
We must respond. We cannot stand idly by. We must be larger, louder and stronger than the evil attempting to gain an even stronger foothold in this country. Whether it’s in the boardroom, the classroom, on social media, or in the halls of Congress, every antisemite must be publicly shamed and condemned. That’s what we’re going to keep doing here at the Action Fund, and we hope and pray you’ll do the same.
Sincerely,
