Earlier this summer the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) and Jewish Voices for Peace (JVP) held a
BDS camp. The BDS (Boycotts, Divestments and Sanctions) movement, which we have covered
extensively, targets Israel.
These groups claim only to seek an end to the "occupation" of East Jerusalem and the West Bank. That territory, as we've covered here many times, is
not illegally occupied.
AFSC has a
long history of demonizing Israel and seeking to delegitimize Israel under the seemingly benign Quaker movement name. AFSC is one of the most active BDS supporters,
providing support for BDS groups on and off campus:
AFSC seeks the
de facto destruction of Israel as a Jewish state by pushing for a "right of return" for all Palestinian refugees,
based on the false claim that such right of return is required under U.N. Resolution 194. In fact, as readers know, there were as many Jewish refugees from Arab countries as the other way around.
There's a very telling remark at the end of Philadelphia Jewish Exponent's
Philly-Based Quaker Group Criticized For BDS Camp:
Alexis Moore, an AFSC spokeswoman, said her group rejects “the idea that BDS is anti-Semitic. We are not targeting a country.” Instead, it is targeting specific companies like Israeli-owned Sodastream, that has its home fountain soda maker factory on the West Bank. “We see nothing anti-Semitic in the use of these non-violent tactics. Our work is rooted in human rights and equal justice for everyone.”
By mentioning SodaStream she gives away her game.
