Israel Action Committee
FOUNDING BELIEFS:
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Israel is the spiritual foundation of the Jewish people that serves as our focal point of prayer, festivals and generational hopes.
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Israel is the only certain refuge for Diaspora Jews suffering from persecution, hostility and exile.
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Israel is a democratic country surrounded by many hostile enemies committed to its destruction.
ETZ CHAYIM ISRAEL ACTION COMMITTEE (IAC) MISSION:
The Etz Chayim IAC is a forum and outlet for community members to incorporate pro-Israel activism into their congregational and community life. We are a congregation committed to Israel's right to exist as the Jewish homeland and a lighthouse of democracy in the Middle East, as well as to protect herself from terror attacks and other threats to her existence. We are concerned about the increasingly hostile and anti-Semitic nature of anti-Israel activists around the world. We fear for our children and future generations of Jews in a world without a free, strong and democratic Israel. While we recognize that Israel is imperfect (like all nations in the world), we fundamentally believe that Israel is unfairly vilified and held to a different standard than its Arab neighbors, or even other Western democracies.
We are committed to peace, co-existence and a two-state solution to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian Arabs. But, we are a pragmatic in our beliefs that in order to ensure Israel's security, this peace must be based upon mutual recognition and a commitment to co-existence.
We believe grassroots activism within our community can help correct misperceptions about Israel. This includes participating in letter writing campaigns, community events and demonstrations, political lobbying and other related grassroots activism.
We are not directly affiliated with any political parties or advocacy organizations, including AIPAC, J Street, New Israel Fund or Jewish Voice for Peace. We support any views and organizations that are consistent with our Mission.
ETZ CHAYIM ISRAEL ACTION COMMITTEE RESOURCE PAGE
The purpose of this page is to provide links to information that is important for the Israel Action Committee. If you are interested in becoming a member of the committee, click here.
UK Justice Minister Michael Gove: BDS Is Committing a Crime Worse Than Apartheid (VIDEO)
Invest in Peace Website (Project of the SF JCRC)
Invest in Peace is a coalition of Bay Area community activists, business owners, academics, elected officials and leaders from labor, non-profit and faith-based groups. We believe the best way to end violence in the Middle East is to create economic and people-to-people partnerships among Palestinians and Israelis. As Californians, we can also play a role in expanding economic opportunities for all of us through shared ideas, direct investment and creative non-profit, business and environmental practices.
http://investinpeace.org/about/
Antisemitism in America is rising on the Right and the Left
Israel and the Jewish people are not necessarily the ultimate objectives of the campaigns, but it's more convenient for them to start with the Jews.
http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Antisemitism-in-America-is-rising-on-the-Right-and-the-Left-470843
Bethany Mandel: Liberal reporters and columnists may not have been aware of anti-Semitism before Trump, but if they have any hope at regaining legitimacy post-election, they had better wise up.
http://thefederalist.com/2016/11/15/trump-media-suddenly-care-anti-semitism/
Articles about how to advocate for Israel
In order to speak effectively about Israel, you need to have the information to advocate and know the techniques to convey that information.
https://campaignfortruth.info/tools-for-advocacy
Responses to Common Inaccuracies About Israel
http://archive.adl.org/israel/advocacy/how_to_respond/zionism.html?xflag=1#r1
Yossi Klein Halevy, senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institue, presents a "Jewish centrist manifesto". The article presents our challenges and concerns in a nuanced and complex way. The decisions ahead are difficult but they must be made with respect for various Jewish and non-Jewish narratives.
http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-state-of-the-jewish-world-2016/
The article helps to understand the way the media covers Israel and the Arab-Israel conflict. The author is progressive politically.
Background Palestinian Human Right Issues
Where are the human rights groups? Palestinian Jihadi Child Abuse?
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9188/palestinian-jihadi-child-abuse
Kehillit Sulam Yaakov is the Reform Jewish congregation in Zichron Yaakov and the sister congregagtion of Etz Chayim.
The name Sulam Ya’akov means Jacob’s ladder which is reflected in the logo and provides a connection to Zichron Ya'akov. The community is part of the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism.
