We were right to lead the effort against BDS, Livingston councilman says

Shawn Klein op ed

Livingston councilman Shawn Klein in Israel

By Shawn R. Klein

I joined a wide-ranging and thought provoking trip to Israel earlier this month with the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, which represents many of the largest national Jewish organizations.

We visited the Israeli Knesset and met with several members who gave their views on the current electoral mess (Israel is close to its third election in a short time because of parliamentary paralysis) and prospects for the two-state solution. We met with the deputy mayor of Tel Aviv, Chen Arieli, who spoke about the challenges of running her city. We went to Israeli villages abutting the Gaza border and spoke to soldiers in the Israeli Defense Force as well as representatives of Women Wage Peace. And, of course, we went to the Western Wall, walking the tight streets of the Old City.

Of all we did, however, our trip to Ramallah and a Palestinian refugee camp in the West Bank especially caused me to reflect on recent legislative debates throughout New Jersey and the efforts of our town council in Livingston.

Al-Amari Refugee Camp

Livingston Councilman Shawn R. Klein said their Palestinian guide said many Palestinians see BDS as an effort by the “cappuccino-sipping” elite who are ignorant of the costs on the ground. Above, an entrance to Al-Amari Refugee Camp in the West Bank.

In 2016, our council was the second in New Jersey, and one of the first in the nation, to pass a municipal resolution against the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. BDS seeks to punish Israel for its annexations of territories in the West Bank, land which may be needed for Palestinians if a two-state solution is to be possible. Many BDS supporters, however, go further: instead of simply criticizing the right-wing policies of the current Israeli government, they question Israel’s very legitimacy.

As we toured the West Bank, I was surprised to hear our Palestinian guide say that he was against BDS and that many Palestinians are. They see it as an effort by the “cappuccino-sipping” elite who are ignorant of the costs on the ground. He, and those who agree with him, believe that BDS activists who seek to punish Israel by closing down Israeli factories in the West Bank do not grasp or do not care that thousands of Palestinians who work in good paying jobs will be tossed out on the street.

We heard similar sentiments from a senior advisor to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who said that he was against boycotting Israel. As a supporter of the two-state solution, he felt that BDS was counter-productive and not helpful in the effort toward creating peace. As someone who strongly desires peace and security between two states – there is no viable option – this felt reassuring to hear.

Rising anti-Semitism at home and abroad made me feel that this was a trip I had to take. I had not visited Jerusalem since my teens. I felt if I was to capably defend Israel I had to do my best to understand all of its complexities and nuance, and I needed to hear directly from policy makers in the region. Who could have imagined how surreal, and terribly ironic, it would be to follow the coverage of the murders in Jersey City, while I was in Israel. Nearly all of the Israelis we met were following New Jersey developments closely.

BDS has been a painful issue for New Jersey’s (and America’s) Jews. My experiences with both Israelis and Palestinians convinced me further that Livingston was right in leading the effort against BDS and taking a stand against anti-Semitism. Our municipal councils, state legislators and congressional delegation should make it a priority to combat BDS and thus help move toward the peace we all long for.

Dr. Shawn R. Klein is a councilman in Livingston.

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