Another week, another anti-Israel program at Center for Jewish History - Ronn Torossian

by Ronn Torossian

It's hard to believe that the Center is having an event honoring someone who signed a paper accusing the Israeli government of possibly planning crimes against humanity.

It appears The Center for Jewish History (CJH) has decided to keep on hosting events which are anti-Israel. Since David N. Myers took the role as CEO – there has been a steady stream of extreme radical events held.

Next up: November 1 the American Jewish Historical Society will have an event at CJH celebrating the 20th anniversary of Meir (Miro) Gal’s acclaimed “9 Out of 400: the West and the Rest.”

Who is Meir Gal?  He is co-signer of a document which claims, “The Israeli government may be contemplating crimes against humanity”, and that Israel could use situations to “commit further crimes against the Palestinian people, up to full-fledged ethnic cleansing.” 

Mr. Gal called “upon the International Community to pay close attention to events that unfold within Israel and in the Occupied Territories, to make it absolutely clear that crimes against humanity will not be tolerated, and to take concrete measures to prevent such crimes from taking place.”

Mr. Gal has the right to claim Israel commits crimes against humanity, yet why would a Jewish institution host and thus glorify opinions that libel the Jewish nation? As we asked previously with Jewish Voices for Peace programs (which CJH eventually cancelled) why would a Jewish institution host someone with these viewpoints? Why must the Center for Jewish History continue to honor people with radical ideologies? Would they host an event with someone who claims Iran would be justified to launch a nuclear bomb?

Mr. Gal called for the freedom of Tali Fahima, an Israeli who pled guilty to charges of maintaining contacts with a foreign agent with the intention of harming state security, and admitted passing information to the enemy.  Fahima, who has been called Israel’s version of  "Taliban John" (John Walker Lindh) was indicted in December 2004, collaborating with Palestinian terrorists, and charged with "assistance to the enemy at time of war.” 

According to Mr. Gal, Ms. Fahima “is an agent of peace and solidarity on behalf of the disillusioned and sane voices in this hell created by the Israeli policy of occupation.” Mr. Gal claims that “...the Israeli government is afraid of the crack that Tali Fahima has made in the walls of apartheid and occupation; on her own, and with great courage. The Israeli government continues to operate as a police state, thinking that forcefully silencing Tali Fahima would deter and prevent other women and men from following her groundbreaking path.”

Mr. Gal has the right to support those who collaborate with the enemy and he can call Israel an apartheid state.  The Center for Jewish History is wrong to allow people with these heinous viewpoints a forum.

Meir Gal is the creator of a campaign which claims that Israel created an “apartheid wall.” As the brochure says “the Wall is an integral and large scale part of Israel’s plans to confiscate and annex Palestinian lands, isolate Palestinian communities, and deny any prospects for survival in their villages and homes. The Wall is therefore not only the negation of Palestinian national aspirations and right to self-determination, but also a tool in the creeping “transfer” of the population and the realization of the Zionist/Israeli expansionist plans. The Apartheid Wall Campaign seeks to link the issue of the Wall and the Occupation and therefore hopes to spark the interest of various people and organizations nationally, regionally, and internationally that call for an end to Israel’s illegal occupation.”

To date, there has been no refutation of the facts which have been presented surrounding David N. Myers, the President of CJH as this campaign has been covered by The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and countless other media outlets.  Myers is a radical who stands as a leader of organizations including the New Israel Fund which openly endorse a boycott against Israel. He must not lead a Jewish institution.

Donors to CJH, the American Jewish Historical Society and their boards including Bruce Slovin, Sidney Lapidus, Ira H. Jolles, Martin Karlinsky, Bernard Blum, David Dangoor, Michael Jesselson, Ed Stelzer as well as the American Sephardic Federation, Yeshiva University Museum, the Leo Baeck Institute, and YIVO Institute for Jewish Research must bring David N. Myers' term as head of the Center for Jewish History to an end.  This isn’t an issue of right-wing vs. left-wing. Its right vs. wrong. Is there no price to be paid for allowing Jewish Voices for Peace and radical anti-Israel forces at the Center for Jewish History?


Authors: George Birnbaum is an international political consultant, who formerly served as chief of staff for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Hank Sheinkopf, CEO of Sheinkopf Communications is a leading political strategist who has worked on campaigns in four continents.  His clients have included former President Bill Clinton. Ronn Torossian is CEO of a top 20 US PR Agency.

Source: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/21187

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