By Gary M. Bretton-Granatoor, JTA World News Service NEW YORK (JTA) — The Jewish world has been shaken by the decision of the Presbyterian Church (USA) to divest from three companies that it claims “further the Israeli occupation of Palestine.” The denomination has placed itself squarely on the side ofContinue Reading
After reading the recent opinion piece by Rabbi Oren Hayon (“How much have we lost?” May 30) about the divisive BDS debate at the UW, I’m struck by the strong, thoughtful, effective leadership we enjoy and have enjoyed at our Hillel. Rabbi Hayon didn’t fully describe the important strategic roleContinue Reading
Last Friday, June 22, the Presbyterian church announced its intentions to divest from companies that do business with Israel in the West Bank. Several Jewish organizations have spoken out against the divestment, and today in Netanyahu’s address to journalists from all over the Jewish world, he gave his own response to theContinue Reading
By Janis Siegel, Jewish Sound Correspondent The Associated Students of Western Washington University’s board of directors, in an unprecedented move for a U.S. college or university, proactively and unanimously voted in June to reject all boycott, divestment, and sanctions movements at the school, a policy Israel-advocacy groups have endorsed. AimedContinue Reading
(JTA) — Jewish groups predicted a rupture with Presbyterians in the wake of a close vote favoring divestment from three companies that deal with Israel’s security forces in the West Bank. The Presbyterian Church-USA biennial General Assembly approved the measure 310-303 late last Friday evening after hours of at timesContinue Reading
I was immensely moved by both the story of triumph and loss in Rabbi Hayon’s recent piece on boycotts, divestment and sanctions (BDS), and his courage in revealing the painful sacrifice wrought by such a victory (“How much have we lost?” May 30). So many of us decry the ManicheanContinue Reading
Thank you Rabbi Hayon for an honest assessment of the risk of limiting our response to boycotts, divestment and sanctions (BDS) and all criticism of Israeli policy with the blunt and stultifying tools of the past (“How much have we lost?” May 30). While your commentary may draw the ireContinue Reading
It’s wonderful that UW students working together, with the support of Rabbi Oren Hayon, StandWithUs Northwest, and others, helped defeat the anti-Israel divestment resolution considered by the UW student senate. But I would like to respectfully disagree with Rabbi Hayon’s characterizing their victory as possibly “Pyrrhic,” so costly that itContinue Reading
How could this newspaper feature on its front cover a handwringing and unnecessarily lengthy editorial about the cost of turning back the BDS (boycott, divest and sanction) resolution at the University of Washington student senate (“How much have we lost?” May 30)? Rather than simply reporting the news on itsContinue Reading
I commend Rabbi Oren for his article in this week’s JTNews (“How much have we lost?” May 30). His argument that winning the battle against the divestment vote at UW came at a high cost of alienating many of Hillel’s students. Those who specifically were in favor of the divestmentContinue Reading
By Paula Libes Chester, Special to The Jewish Sound The Seattle Jewish community came together Wednesday night, May 28, at a packed Temple De Hirsch Sinai to hear Ari Shavit, author of “My Promised Land,” and the Reverend Kenneth Flowers, of Greater New Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church in Detroit,Continue Reading
By Emily K. Alhadeff, Associate Editor, The Jewish Sound After more than two hours of debate on May 20, the University of Washington student senate voted against resolution 20-39, for the UW to divest from certain corporations that do business with Israel, 59-8 with 11 abstentions. Jewish students opposed toContinue Reading
By Rabbi Oren Hayon, Special to The Jewish Sound In his biography of Pyrrhus of Epirus, Plutarch recounts the details of the ancient Greek general’s costly victory against Rome at Asculum in 279 BCE. According to Plutarch’s account, shortly after the battle, Pyrrhus considered the devastating losses to his MacedonianContinue Reading
University of Washington professor emeritus Edward Alexander slaps down Jewish proponents of the movement to boycott Israel and divest from companies that do business with it on university campuses. In the Algemeiner.Continue Reading
By Emily K. Alhadeff Associate Editor, The Jewish Sound On April 15, as Jewish students were celebrating the first day of Passover, a resolution was introduced to the University of Washington student senate calling on the university to divest from corporations that do business with Israel. Resolution 20-39 calls upon theContinue Reading
