Focus Areas > Israel
Information about Palestinian UDI
Questions and Answers About UDI
Points to Share
Over 55,000 individuals have pledged their support to oppose the expected Palestinian Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) by signing the online petition. Help reach even higher numbers by the end of September by circulating this petition through email, Facebook and Twitter (be sure to include #Sign4Peace when doing so). The signed petition will be presented to the U.N. as part of a larger community relations and media strategy.
Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis and St. Louis Hillel Condemn Recent Boycott at Washington University
April 14, 2011 This week at Washington University, Universal Beatz held U.S.-Mideast Hip Hop Exchange Week. Student organizers brought together Middle Eastern rappers and dancers with local hip-hop artists from the St. Louis community to the Washington University campus with the purpose of cross-cultural exchange, conversation and collaboration through the artistic medium of hip-hop.
The Palestinian performers scheduled to attend decided to boycott the event because Marvin Casey, the American-Israeli performer scheduled to participate, received funding for his hip-hop troupe from the Jewish Agency for Israel. Because of the proposed boycott, student organizers “disinvited” Casey as well as the Palestinian performers
The Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis and St. Louis Hillel at Washington University condemn the proposing of a boycott of performers at Washington University. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict and peace process is complex. Boycotts over simplify the conflict to a myopic view which ignores Israeli policies and efforts to promote negotiations and improve the situation on the ground in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Boycotts stifle creative and constructive efforts to promote dialogue, peace and reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians, whichwas the goal of the U.S.-Mideast Hip Hop Exchange Week.
Batya Abramson-Goldstein, Executive Director
St. Louis Jewish Community Relations Council
Jacqueline Ulin Levey
President & CEO
St. Louis Hillel at Washington University
The JCRC educates and advocates on issues facing Israel.
The JCRC works to:
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Increase understanding within the Jewish community of the issues facing Israel today and of the historical events that shaped the present reality.
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Provide the information that members of the Jewish community require to counter negative statements and to effectively deliver pro-Israel statements.
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Strenghten solidarity of the Jewish community with Israel.
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Empower the Jewish community to advocate on behalf of Israel.
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Increase understanding of and support for Israel within other faith groups and within the broader general community.
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Provide increased understanding of Israel's advances in the areas of business and technology and create points of comnnection between the St. Louis business/technology community and the Israel business and technology community.
The following position was unanimously approved by the JCRC Council on Tuesday, April 13, 2010:
"Common Ground on Israel"
Speaking about Israel: Finding Common Ground
In hopes of nurturing and encouraging a broad community conversation about Israel, we share the following principles of common ground, and affirm our commitment to:
- The safety and security of Israel and its people.
- Full and open discussion on the range of issues concerning Israel.
- Civility in language and in behavior in dialogue about Israel, even in the face of disagreements
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