Yaacov Lozowick's Ruminations: The NIF Slogs On

The NIF Slogs On

Someone broke into the Jerusalem offices of the NIF. The CEO of NIF Israel, Rachel Liel, says she and Naomi Hazan are receiving threatening letters.

Assuming the burglary has anything to do with anything, these are disturbing developments, and must be unequivocally condemned, with no "ifs or buts".

Proportions, however, that's another matter. An unknown number of unidentified hoodlums, probably cowardly acting anonymously, remain unidentified and hoodlums until proven otherwise.

Daniel Sokatch, on the other hand, the CEO of NIF, is a public figure with some authority; people respect him, take him seriously, admire him for his commitment to Israel and its causes. (In America. In Israel no-one has ever heard of him). When he sends out a mass e-mail calling on America's Jews - or at least those of them identified by the NIF - to write large checks ASAP, because only the NIF can save Israel's soul, this is partly pure cynicism, and partly a demonizing of Israeli society, and largely breathtakingly arrogant, and above all a distorted falsehood.

We have our work cut out for us. Ha’aretz reported today that more than half of Jewish Israelis believe that the free speech rights of organizations like the New Israel Fund should be limited. The survey finds that a majority of respondents think there is too much freedom of expression in Israel.

Please make an urgent contribution to the New Israel Fund today. Your support will help us take a stand against extremism and protect democratic values in Israel.

This new demonstration of the decreasing commitment to bedrock democratic principles presents one of the most fundamental challenges in the long history of the New Israel Fund. We are committed to reversing this trend and we need your support to make that happen.

As profoundly disturbing as this news is, it should come as no surprise to us, in light of increasing efforts to stifle dissent within Israel. The attacks on NIF in particular have been exceptionally virulent. We continue to confront scurrilous public campaigns fueled by outright false allegations and willful misrepresentations of who we are. Our adversaries have gone so far as to call for people to pray for harm to us and our allies who dare to question government policy -- a truly despicable act.

The New Israel Fund is not standing idly by as freedom of speech and conscience are sacrificed to a dangerous political agenda. Our work in Israel is the single most important investment that you can make in democratic values and freedom and justice for every Israeli.

From a human rights march that drew thousands of ordinary Israelis to victories in the High Court ….from strengthening liberal voices in the Orthodox community to empowering Israel’s minorities to fight for their rights ….the work of the New Israel Fund family is the antidote to the creeping erosion of democratic values.

The ferocity of the attacks on NIF and the organizations we support demonstrate the fear and anger that underlie nationalist and religious extremism. Our adversaries know that we will not retreat from our vision of a Jewish and democratic Israel that actually lives up to its standing as the only democracy in the Middle East.

Thank you for your support, and please make a special contribution to allow us to build new programs to defend democracy in Israel. Together, we’ll build a Jewish and democratic Israel we can all be proud of – an Israel that rightfully keeps its place in the ranks of free and democratic societies.

Then there's this revealing little news item (only in Hebrew, obviously): The NIF's Palestinian program is calling for proposals to build programs that will reduce the level of violence in Palestinian society. Somewhere, deep down in the psyche of the NIF, someone seems to have at least some grasp on reality.

But don't expect Sokatch to be sending out e-mails about this anytime soon.

Yaacov Lozowick's Ruminations: The NIF Slogs On