A teen in Orlando has recently brought up an issue that strikes me as unsurprising, yet disappointing all the same. Apparently there have been several billboards displayed in the Orlando area promoting anti-Israel ideology over the last few months. The billboard campaign's goal is to convince people that Palestinian justice must be achieved. Local activists have displayed these billboards in order to provoke questions about the American-Israeli alliance, or so it seems. The reality of the purpose of these billboards is not to question whether America should be supporting Israel during these difficult times, rather it is to convince people that Israel should be eliminated as a state. Not only does the organization, "Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions" run this anti-semitic billboard campaign to emphasize their opinion on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but they aim "to violate the Jewish people's right to self-determination in their ancestral home" as well.
It's nearly heartbreaking to realize how determined some organizations are to break down a group of people, or an entire country for that matter. The fact that these anti-Israeli advertisements were permitted to be displayed along highways in a major well-known city makes me wonder if there is any hope in the world for peace. When a person who does not have any prior knowledge on the topic of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict see these biased billboards, the anti-Israel/pro-Palestinian ideas are then planted in their mind and may influence that person to believe what the advertisements are promoting when the truth is that they don't have all the facts and information in order to take a standpoint on the matter. On the other hand, a pro-Palestinian most definitely favors these billboards making a statement in a popular city, which makes the entire situation very controversial. Should these billboards be permitted in American cities when America is an ally of Israel? Should an organization like "Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions" be allowed to persuade people into developing a pro-Palestinian opinion on the issue? The answers to these questions seem like they would be straight forward, but they are actually anything but obvious. As a Jew, I of course disagree with the allowance of anti-Israel advertisements, but I am only one person among billions of other people. Nonetheless, it is still extremely disappointing to realize that some people feel so strongly toward such a controversial situation that they feel the need to hammer down on one side, without considering the effects that it has on the other. Maybe we will see a positive change in the near future, but one can only hope.
Hi Emily,
ReplyDeleteKol HaKavod - I appreciate your passionate advocacy for Israel and I agree. While BDS claims to only want Israel out of the "Occupied Territories" which most of the world understands as The West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza, BDS folks do really mean all of Israel. Watch any interview with Omar Barghouti, one of the founders of the worldwide BDS movment, makes clear that after we are out of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the movement will continue and then push for the full right of return for Palestinians, according to the UNWRA calculations which count every Palestinian born since 1948 as a refugee, in distinction to the UN High Commissioner for refugees, which only counts as refugees the first generation. The UNWRA count would allow 3,000,000 Palestinians to return to Israel thus rendering a Palestinian majority.
There is a challenge, however, that we have to be aware of, especially where the First Ammendment is concerned. That challenge is that there does not seem to be a basis for banning such signs, despite the lie they hold within them, since they are opinion. The question is how do we counter them?
Your writing is wonderful and I enjoy your blog.
Can I share this link with a Reform Rabbi who wants to know if we address BDS here?
Thanks again,
Rabbi Loren Sykes
I completely agree with your stance on this. The billboards are very offensive and answering your question, I think that these organizations should not be allowed to voice their opinions in such a public setting such as billboards on busy roads. I also agree that we should be seeing a positive change in the world.
ReplyDeleteI of course, being Jewish, would hope that we could ban those signs. Unfortunately, as Rabbi Sykes mentioned, in America the freedom of speech laws when it comes to propoganda advertising are pretty hard to beat. For instance, take the Westboro Baptist Church, almost no one agrees with them and many people want to stop them. However, they are, for the most part within their right to freedom of speech.
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