(Washington, D.C., Nov. 19, 2020)--B’nai B’rith International President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:

We commend the significant move today by the White House to label the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS) as anti-Semitic. The decision, announced from Israel by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, will deny U.S. government funds to any group that boycotts the State of Israel.

The goal of BDS, as stated by some of its founders, is the elimination of the Jewish state. Pompeo’s confirmation that "anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism" is an important step forward in protecting Jews and Israel.

In another strong action today demonstrating the U.S. commitment to Israel, the administration also confirmed that products made in the West Bank can carry a “made in Israel” label, as opposed to the “made in the West Bank” label they now carry. The made in the West Bank label has often been used as a basis for boycotting Israeli products.

These moves continue to reaffirm the long-standing alliance between the United States and Israel.

B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit www.bnaibrith.org.

(Washington, D.C., Nov. 16, 2020)--Global anti-Semitism, the impact of the U.S. elections on the Jewish community and changes in the Middle East peace landscape were the featured topics of B'nai B'rith International’s just-concluded annual Leadership Forum. The two-day event was held virtually this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

​Despite being unable to shake hands and connect with friends in person, the Leadership Forum offered in-depth conversations with important guests, including Israel’s Ambassador to the United States Ron Dermer, who closed out the Forum in an off-the-record discussion that included the changing peace landscape in the region.

President Charles O. Kaufman kicked things off by providing an overview of B’nai B’rith’s work around the world. Kaufman spoke about public policy and the United Nations, work in Israel, advocacy on behalf of seniors and disaster and emergency relief efforts, including the distribution of supplies in various countries affected by COVID-19, from the U.S., Panama and Uruguay to Italy.

B'nai B'rith International CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin hosted an informative conversation on global anti-Semitism with Ellie Cohanim, U.S. State Department deputy special envoy to monitor and combat anti-Semitism, and Katharina Von Schnurbein, the European Commission coordinator on combating anti-Semitism.

Von Schnurbein spoke of the European Commission's efforts to combat anti-Semitism online. She emphasized the importance of "Pause: Take Care Before You Share," a campaign started by the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to stop the spread of misinformation related to the COVID-19 pandemic. There has been no shortage of offensive and untrue conspiracy theories regarding Jews' and Israel's supposed role in spreading and creating the novel coronavirus. Von Schnurbein hopes A "Pause" strategy will help put an end to the falsehoods. "We help debunk conspiracy myths," she said. "We have seen, like in the terrorist attacks in Halle, the road from conspiracy myths to hate crimes on the street is very short."

Similarly, Cohanim commented on the unfortunate relationship between the online world and anti-Semitism. “The internet, sadly, has become a medium which allows millions and millions of people to be on the receiving end of these lies," she said.

In the day's second panel discussion, moderated by Eric Fusfield, B'nai B'rith International director of legislative affairs and deputy director of the Center for Human Rights and Public Policy, Lisa Lerer of The New York Times and Josh Kraushaar of the National Journal analyzed the outcomes of the 2020 U.S. elections and what changes Jews, Americans and those abroad, could expect to see from the new administration with regard to Israel.

Lerer, a political reporter, said that all indicators point to President-Elect Joe Biden pushing for a respectful relationship with Israel. "He comes from an older school of politics that see a relationship with Israel as a key part of foreign policy," she said.

Addressing a question about the need for bipartisan support for Israel, Kraushaar said that in what are now increasingly “tribal times,” the biggest movement is when someone in one party speaks out against someone in the same party who is not behaving in a responsible way.

Day two began with a spirited, extraordinary conversation hosted by B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem Director Alan Schneider with guest Bassem Eid, a Jerusalem-based political analyst, human rights pioneer and expert commentator on Arab and Palestinian affairs. He offered great insight into missed and possible opportunities that exist between Israel and the Palestinians.

"One of the major tragedies of the Palestinian people is their own leadership," Eid said. "We have such old leadership who only like to talk about the past, who like only to mention history. They are not looking to the future of their people and their children."

“Homeland is the place where you can find dignity, justice and freedoms,” he continued. “This is the real homeland… Arab leaders and even Arab nations are starting to realize slowly, the influence of the State of Israel in the region.”

B’nai B’rith policy specialists discussed their respective areas of expertise, with Associate Director of the Center for Senior Services Janel Doughten describing the importance of collaboration among the different housing staffs during combined training sessions. "That is one of the great things about the training sessions,” she said.  “They can come together and share best practice, learning from each other.”

Evan Carmen, legislative director for aging policy, noted the diverse issues the seniors team tackles on Capitol Hill to help older adults, including affordable housing, Social Security, Medicare and nutrition. At the end of the day, it’s all about getting as much funding for those programs as possible, he said.

Director of Latin American Affairs Eduardo Kohn spoke about the perils Latin America will continue to face as the coronavirus pandemic rages in the region. “The pandemic has created a serious drama,” Kohn said. “The near future for Latin America is an increasing one of poverty and with that an increase of social unrest.”

Eric Fusfield, joining again on day two, stressed the need for the U.N. to change its attitude toward Israel. “Change is in order when it comes to the ritual condemnation of Israel at the United Nations,” he said. “It’s really time for the U.N. to exercise some necessary leadership.”

Vice President of Programming Rhonda Love spoke about B’nai B’rith’s long commitment to helping others and, in particular, the victims of natural disasters.  “Our strength has really been to look at what we call the vulnerable population,” she said. “It’s all about the people.”

B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit bnaibrith.org.

(Washington, D.C., Nov. 16, 2020)--B’nai B’rith International President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:  

We have sent a letter to CNN expressing our dismay and concern over comments made recently by Chief International Anchor Christiane Amanpour regarding Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass (also known as the 1938 November Pogroms). Amanpour marked the 82nd anniversary of Kristallnacht by likening the acts of the Nazis to those of President Trump.  

In our condemnation letter to CNN Executive Vice President of News Standards & Practices Richard Davis, we wrote:  “Kristallnacht marked the beginning of the Holocaust which has, for far too long now, been trivialized by leading pundits, journalists, media outlets, political figures and others in their reckless analogies to political opponents and others. The genocide of more than six million Jews is not to be exploited to make a political point. Whatever criticisms one might have of their opponents, comparisons to Nazi Germany are grievously offensive.”

And we noted: “What’s more, shockingly, Amanpour does not even mention that the victims of Kristallnacht were Jews.”

Read the full letter here.

In response to our letter and criticism from other organizations, Amanpour read a statement to conclude her program on November 16. While this statement addresses her poor judgment, it fails to fully take into account the pain her comparison evokes.

Christiane Amanpour on CNN International, Monday, November 16, 2020:
 
“And finally tonight, a comment on my program at the end of last week. I observed the 82nd anniversary of Kristallnacht, as I often do – it is the event that began the horrors of the Holocaust. I also noted President Trump's attacks on history, facts, knowledge, and truth. I should not have juxtaposed the two thoughts. Hitler and his evils stand alone, of course, in history. I regret any pain my statement may have caused. My point was to say how democracy can potentially slip away, and how we must always zealously guard our democratic values.”

B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit www.bnaibrith.org.

B’nai B’rith International President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:  

We congratulate Joe Biden on his election as president of the United States. And we congratulate Kamala Harris on her historic election – as a woman and as a child of immigrants – as vice president.  Now that the presidential election season is over, we are encouraged by their call for unity and compassion toward one another.

Now is the time for the nation to come together, united in healing, unified in challenging tough issues. As a global Jewish humanitarian organization, we focus on human rights, the safety and security of Israel and the Jewish people, issues impacting older adults, and tolerance and diversity. We look forward to working with the new administration, and with Congress, on issues that are critical to the United States and Israel.

As a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, B’nai B’rith did not endorse any candidate for president.

B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit bnaibrith.org.

Dr. Timothy L. Killeen
President
The University of Illinois
Urbana-Champaign

Dear Dr. Killeen,
 
I am absolutely appalled to learn that Jewish students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have endured a shameful increase in anti-Semitism activity, including anti-Zionism. Officials there must step in immediately and halt these acts of hatred. This campus enjoys a rich history of Jewish life and has experienced a large and robust Jewish enrollment for decades. This is personal to B’nai B’rith International as we founded the very first Hillel in the world at your campus in 1923. What has happened in the last five years?
 
Swastikas found on campus? Vandalism at Jewish centers? Ritual items damaged or worse? Israel is not just a fashionable political topic, its existence subject to debate. To Jews, Israel is the undeniable eternal homeland of the Jewish people, a focus of daily prayer for millennia. The culprits behind this campaign have the same mindset of people who create false narratives around the world about Jewish connections to the Western Wall in Jerusalem and a myriad of archeological findings, which date back to well before the First and Second Temple eras, thousands of years. 
 
This matter is not one to be bounced around a conference table or debated in some political science class. Hate speech is not free speech when the result is an assault on student’s ability to pursue and excel in academic subjects or to think freely. Israel is a democracy. It is under healthy scrutiny that occurs in any democracy. This matter doesn’t end with an “accrediting organization” saying the allegations “do not indicate substantive noncompliance.” Nonsense. Take charge of this situation. We have witnessed thousands of years of lies, today’s blood libels, and vandalism. Step in and stand up to this hatred. End this sickening scapegoating. 
 
Is the University of Illinois an academic institution or simply a cluster of buildings reduced to a playground of cancel culture? Solve this problem or the light of this once great university will be dimmed like a flickering bulb.
 
Sincerely,

Charles Kaufman

President, B’nai B’rith International

(Washington, D.C., Oct. 22, 2020)—B’nai B’rith International President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:  

As the voting at the World Zionist Congress gets underway, we reaffirm our focus on the sovereignty and security of Israel. In the spirit of the unity for the Jewish people that we seek, B’nai B’rith supports the coalition agreement that has been announced at the World Zionist Congress.

We are a long-time neutral, non-partisan party at the World Zionist Organization. We send our delegates not to deal with partisan issues, but to secure a Jewish homeland. We want to make sure there is a place in the world for every Jew in the Diaspora and in our eternal and biblical homeland. Our position is to work for the unity of the parties, not to choose sides or leverage private agenda issues.  

B’nai B’rith International speaks for itself and has done so since our founding in 1843 and since we established a presence in Israel in 1888. That was nine years before Theodor Herzl convened the first Zionist Congress in Basel. B’nai B’rith established the “Midrash Abarbanel,” Israel’s first permanent public library. Our commitment, independence and overarching focus live through such early B’nai B’rith leaders and Zionist pioneers as Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, the father of the modern Hebrew language. 

It is not about partisanship or divisiveness. Neutrality is personal for us. We stand for unity in Israel.

B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit www.bnaibrith.org.

(Washington, D.C., Oct. 21, 2020)—B’nai B’rith International President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:

B'nai B'rith International condemns a dangerous choice by the University of Hawaii to host an event with convicted Palestinian terrorist Leila Khaled. We sent a letter to University President David Lassner expressing our deep concerns.

Khaled, who is no mere spokesperson for the Palestinian cause, has been banned from entering the U.S. because of her involvement in a series of plane hijackings in the 1960s and 1970s. "She was armed and clearly willing to bring down planes, and their hundreds of passengers with them," we wrote in our letter. "That both her hijackings did not result in mass causalities was sheer luck."

We continue: "We ask you, would the 9/11 hijackers be welcomed at the University of Hawaii?"  Further, we note in the letter:  "Do would-be or actual killers and assassins have anything fundamentally positive to teach students? If you are not able to draw that line, something is terribly askew in how your University sees the very basic definition of morality and the sharing of 'difficult ideas.'”

To read the letter, click here.
 
B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit www.bnaibrith.org.