When a major ice cream company originally founded by two Jewish entrepreneurs decides not to sell its products in the occupied territories, that isn’t antisemitism.
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The fight against antisemitism would be helped a great deal if the Israeli gov't & US Jewish leaders would stop using the term against those who draw a principled and rational distinction between commercial transactions in the State of Israel & those in the territory it occupies.
Instead of demonizing and attacking companies and individuals making principled decisions about how to interact financially with the occupation, these leaders would make a greater contribution to the fight against antisemitism by helping end the unjust and harmful occupation.
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It's over the top and counterproductive for Israel's Ambassador to the US/UN to refer to @benandjerrys' decision not to sell its products in occupied Palestinian territory as antisemitism, say it 'dehumanizes Jews' or liken it to an act of violence or hatred. 1/6
And it’s downright harmful to the US-Israel relationship when Israeli officials lobby for enforcement of constitutionally dubious laws that trample on Americans’ First Amendment rights. 2/6
Hopefully the new Israeli gov't has learned from the tremendous damage done to the US-Israel relationship by Netanyahu's active interference in US politics. There is no reason to double down on that mistake. 3/6
I’m a simple guy with simple likes and dislikes. Huge fan of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream (anything chocolate). I’ve had a lifelong love affair with Israel. And I also can’t stand the occupation #Thread🧵 1/12
My family’s from Israel. I’ve lived there. I’m proud of so much of what the country has accomplished. 2/12
But it's just not right for Israel to rule over millions of Palestinians without full rights while it moves its own citizens onto land that one day must and should become the state of the Palestinian people. 3/12
No economic plan can substitute for a political agreement addressing the core issues driving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 1/6 jstreet.org/press-releases…
No showpiece economic conference can make up for the hundreds of millions of dollars in humanitarian assistance that this White House has already cruelly cut. 2/6 bbc.com/news/world-mid…
It takes an unfathomable level of chutzpah for this administration to roll out an investment plan for Palestinians with photos of USAID programs that they themselves have recently cut. 3/6
The Jared Kushner Axios interview with @JonathanvSwan making the rounds today is exactly as amoral and delusional as everyone is saying. It’s hard to identify the *worst* part. 1/8 timesofisrael.com/kushner-doubts…
It’s astounding, for example, that someone holding themselves out to be the key negotiator in an Israeli-Palestinian 'peace' plan brushes off concerns over his one-sided approach by proudly claiming "I'm not here to be trusted." 2/8
Asked about claiming to want to improve life for the Palestinian people while cutting support for their hospitals and schools, he replies: “There’s a difference between the Palestinian leadership and the Palestinian people.”
Who does he think uses the hospitals and schools? 3/8