March 07, 2011

Fighting BDS ain't cheap

Many thanks to Yael Kahn for posting this Totally Jewish article out.  Apparently there has been quite a ruckus at the top of some Jewish/zionist organisations on account of someone from the Jewish Leadership Council suggesting that some of Israel's actions might not be very nice. The Jewish National Fund (UK) has actually resigned from the JLC over it:
The Israel charity's resignation was confirmed in a statement, which claimed that the Jewish Leadership Council's focus had shifted from its original remit for internal community affairs towards "foreign affairs and particularly in relation to matters of Israeli government policy".


Among "numerous concerns", JNF UK's chairman, Samuel Hayek, also charged that the actions of JLC figures would give ammunition to those pursuing a campaign of delegi-timisation against Israel.
But the JLC thinks it's about money:
But the JLC this week claimed that the reasons given by JNF for quitting were a "smokescreen for failure to pay its way" and that the organisation was informed only after making clear to JNF its policy to suspend or expel those who default on JLC membership fees.

In a strongly worded letter to Hayek, Vivian Wineman, chairman of the JLC's council of membership, wrote on Tuesday that a final demand had been issued early in February for more than 10,000 pounds owed for last year's membership. Although not covered by the final demand, Wineman also writes that the annual subscription of 5,000 pounds to the Fair Play Campaign to tackle attempts to boycott Israel had not been paid by JNF UK for the past three years.
Wow! £5k per annum to fight BDS. That's just from one group. I just looked at the JLC website and they list 19 groups as having membership. That's £95k. And check out the groups. The Union of Jewish Students is there. Is the UJS telling its members it pays £5k to fight BDS? Sad if it is, sad if it isn't.

Anyway, im these hard times it's interesting to know that students have got £5k pa to try and make sure that Israel's crimes go unpunished.

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