AJC Welcomes BDS Condemnation by Hillary Clinton on Eve of Methodist Church Conference

NEW YORK, May 10, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AJC welcomed a detailed reaffirmation by Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton of her opposition to BDS, the boycott, sanctions and divestment movement that has targeted Israel.

"I believe that BDS seeks to punish Israel and dictate how the Israelis and Palestinians should resolve the core issues of their conflict. This is not the path to peace," Clinton wrote in a letter to U.S. Jewish leaders on the eve of the United Methodist Church General Conference, which takes place May 10-20, in Portland, Oregon.

"We need to make countering BDS a priority, and we need to work together—across party lines and with a diverse array of voices—to reverse this trend with information and advocacy, and fight back against further attempts to isolate and delegitimize Israel," Clinton added.

In 2012, at the UMC's last quadrennial meeting, the global church rejected resolutions supporting BDS against Israel. However, this year the UMC will consider at least 14 resolutions regarding Israel.

AJC, which has spearheaded global efforts to fight against BDS, is urging hundreds of delegates coming to the General Conference from around the world to do the right thing for peace and reject BDS and other anti-Israel measures. AJC routinely discusses public policy issues related to Israel and Jewish community concerns with office-holders and candidates for public office.

BDS proponents do not mention any Palestinian responsibility for the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and, most importantly, ignore the fact that the only workable path toward a sustainable peace is direct, bilateral negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

AJC is a non-partisan 501(c)(3) organization that neither supports nor opposes any candidate for public office.

SOURCE American Jewish Committee

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