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The Assault on Israel's Legitimacy

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The Assault on Israel's Legitimacy THE ASSAULT ON ISRAEL’S LEGITIMACY The Frustrating 20X Question: Why Is It Still Growing? Condition, Direction and Response January 2017 Version A 1 This document is an important step forward in confronting one of the main challenges to Israel and the Jewish people in our time. Its analysis is careful and considered, sets out well the current situation, and advances valuable proposals for a coherent global Jewish response.” Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks The correlation between the Ministry’s mode of operation and what comes out of this document is very high, and has already proven effective, I am glad to see that we share a very similar point of view regarding the challenge and desired strategy.” Sima Vaknin-Gil Director General, Ministry of Strategic Affairs 2 The Assault on Israel’s Legitimacy 3 Executive Summary principles. This report is designed to serve the principles and guidelines for a more efficient and individual program or initiative in the field. entire field of those advocating on behalf of effective response. ARC: The ADL-Reut Partnership Israel’s fundamental legitimacy. Our aim is that it Key Findings: A Competition ADL and Reut hold this report to be a ‘Version of Adaptation In January 2016, the Anti-Defamation League will complement and reinforce existing initiatives, A’, which brings together our conclusions and (ADL) and the Reut Group launched a partnership which are successful, and inspire new ones. recommendations within a coherent framework. 2010 was a turnaround year for the fight against to fight the assault on the legitimacy of the ARC was launched on the basis of extensive field Its purpose is to serve as a platform for accurate delegitimization. It was then, primarily following state of Israel. This partnership was the ‘ADL-Reut research. In total, some 150 meetings, interviews and focused professional discussion of its the so-called Gaza Flotilla, that the State of Collaboration’ (ARC). and site visits were held with governmental and observations, conclusions and recommendations. Israel and many Jewish communities around the world awakened to the scope of this challenge. ARC was launched on the foundations of both non-governmental entities in Israel and in the U.S., Feedback will be collected over the coming few This resulted in a robust global effort to combat organizations’ shared outlook, viewing delegiti- particularly in NYC, Boston, the San Francisco Bay weeks and months will be integrated into a full and delegitimization, underwritten with new resources. mization of Israel as a form of anti-Semitism in its Area and Washington DC, as well as with organiza- comprehensive ‘Version B’. Nonetheless, delegitimization persists, the singular denial of the universal right of self-deter- tions and activists from Europe. ADL and Reut are This report aims to provide the ‘big picture’ of movement that supports it has expanded and has mination to the Jewish people alone, as well as a grateful to all of them for their contribution and the condition and direction of its subject matter. increased its effectiveness and sophistication, shared commitment to the well-being and security generosity of time and spirit. Hence, while it aims to mention all key dynamics and an unfavorable “spirit of the time” (Zeitgeist) of the State of Israel and the Jewish people. related to the delegitimization of Israel, it does not Scope and ‘The 20X Question’ remains prevalent. These dynamics underlie the provide significant analysis in key related areas, Since its inception in 1913, ADL has been a conundrum of the ‘20X question’. This Strategic Framework is designed to leader in fighting anti-Semitism and all forms of which merit further investigation but fall beyond Hence, the key focus of this report is the prejudice and bigotry, and in its commitment to serve people and organizations in positions of its scope, including: authority, leadership and influence, engaged in pro-Israel network’s need to improve its own a thriving, secure, democratic and Jewish state. ▪▪ A global mapping of the delegitimization cam- combatting the delegitimization of Israel. These adaptive capacity and to out-adapt the dele- It is motivated by a long-standing commitment paign or of local dynamics and trends in specific organizations and individuals, from across the gitimization network and the delegitimization to supporting Israel including its quest for peace countries; movement. Transforming the pro-Israel network through a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian political spectrum and around the world, represent ▪▪ Complete historical context for the contempo- into a significant and sustained adaptive entity will conflict on the basis of a Two-State Solution. a multiplicity of outlooks and approaches and bring rary manifestations of delegitimization; provide the network with a sustained advantage Its commitment to fighting against the delegit- a broad range of assets and capabilities to dealing over the delegitimization movement, allowing it imization of Israel stems from its view that this with this challenge. That diversity is essential. ▪▪ Deep analysis of the dynamics of the Israeli- to accomplish successive and repeated achieve- phenomenon today serves as a potent platform The focus of this report is the ‘20X question:’ Palestinian conflict, political process or final ments and to ultimately diminish dramatically for manifestations of anti-Semitism across the How can it be that the collective investment status issues; the question regarding Israel’s right to exist world and runs counter to the goal of obtaining a of the Jewish community in dealing with this ▪▪ The status of Israel’s non-Jewish communities, from public discourse. This will require a series peace agreement in the future. challenge is estimated to be twenty-fold bigger and primarily its Arab minority; of structural investments, the upgrading of over the past six years, yet results remain The Reut Group has been committed to ▪▪Specific ‘answers’ to critics of Israel or Zionism; some operating principles, and developing new elusive? According to some rough estimates, in responding to the challenge of the assault on knowledge regarding several key aspects of 2016 the Jewish community in the U.S. alone will ▪▪ A thorough examination of Iran’s role as a Israel’s legitimacy since the fall of 2008. The the challenge. leading state instigator of delegitimization and intended effects of Reut’s work on this issue, have invested 20 times more resources in fighting anti-Semitism; as initially defined in its seminal work of January the delegitimization of Israel compared to its Structural Response 2010, Building a Political Firewall against the investment in 2010. Nonetheless, the challenge ▪▪ Broader challenges of countering violent extrem- Four structural recommendations are highlighted Delegitimization of Israel, were to be a catalyst for to the fundamental legitimacy of Israel, presented ism and the strategic threats facing Israel and in this report: among other aspects, by BDS campaigns, and the the United States from terrorism. the emergence of a pro-Israel network that turns ▪▪ There is an acute need to upgrade the collateral rise in anti-Semitism, are growing around the tables on the delegitimizers, while re-uniting As this report is meant to provide overarching information-gathering and strategy-building the world. the Jewish world around Israel. strategic coherence to all ongoing efforts, it does capabilities of the pro-Israel network, and to The keystone of ARC is this joint Strategic In order to address this question, this report not contain detailed descriptions of the specific better integrate them with field activities. This Framework for countering the assault on Israel’s identifies and highlights key gaps in the collec- initiatives, programmatic and operational, that ARC will require an effective feedback loop among legitimacy, highlighting the condition and direction tive outlook and approach in the understanding will design and launch. This report also should not information-gathering and analysis, strategizing; of this challenge and introducing response of and response to this challenge. It also offers be read as an assessment of the efficacy of any research, development and experimentation, and 4 The Assault on Israel’s Legitimacy 5 operations. ‘bystanders’. It explains how the delegitimization been marginalized by legislation, government language and tactics in the pursuit of its campaign increased its base of support by ap- policies and public discourse. This framing aims. This contributes toward a decline of the ▪▪ Against this back- naturally enhances the challenge posed by the negotiation paradigm, and also may enhance drop, cyberspace, pealing to broader audiences, and demonstrates trend of intersectionality; the coordination and feedback loop between broadly defined, how the pro-Israel network can adopt different activities around the world and within the West stands out as a strategies of engagement vis-à-vis each group. ▪▪ Breakdown of the two-state solution – The Bank. Up until now the delegitimization campaign crucially important ▪▪A united, not unified, response – The Long Tail expansion of the delegitimization movement, has been executed almost exclusively by arena (for moni- Model highlights the diversity of the groups particularly on campus and especially since Western organizations, without real PA backing. toring and counter that comprise the growing delegitimization 2014, has been fueled by the breakdown of the Unless properly addressed, this new conduct and pro-active movement. Therefore, it also highlights the political process between Israel and the Pales- of the PA could complicate many aspects of strategies) which requires more resources and essential need for a broad and diverse Jewish tinians and the perceived lack of commitment the BDS campaign and constitute a strategic attention due to its current influence, rapid and pro-Israel coalition against it, which is able by the Government of Israel to end the control surprise to Israel with meaningful national growth and growing complexity. to work together despite inevitable deep differ- over the Palestinians in the West Bank. This security implications.
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