Jewish activists with IfNotNow in Northern California have realized that Christians United For Israel (CUFI) is a destabilizing force against Jews and the state of Israel. We Hold These Truths has been challenging CUFI events for over 8 years. At the Lakeview Assembly Church in Stockton, CA, IfNotNow members conducted a protest at the CUFI event held there, Previously, in the past two years, WHTT conducted two vigils at the same church hosting CUFI events. (See: “Vigil at Stockton CA Church Hosting CUFI Night to Honor Israel Event” and “Christian Zionists Promote Four Blood Moons, Israel, End Times & Abhor Palestinians“) While we would not endorse their tactics of disrupting the event, we certainly understand the outrage IfNotNow members must have against CUFI.and its lobbying actions for the state of Israel and for its support of illegal Jewish settlements in the West Bank of Palestine. [Ed.-TEC]
Jewish protesters disrupt Christians United for Israel
By Max A. Cherney, June 7, 2017, jweekly.com
The Jewish anti-occupation group IfNotNow disrupted a Christians United for Israel event at a Stockton church on June 4.
When the final speaker was introduced at the Jerusalem Jubilee event, eight IfNotNow members maneuvered to the front of the stage and unfurled banners with messages condemning CUFI’s mission.
When the final speaker was introduced at the Jerusalem Jubilee event, eight IfNotNow members maneuvered to the front of the stage and unfurled banners with messages condemning CUFI’s mission.
IfNotNow activists Binya Koatz (right) and Adam Hirsch unfurl banner in front of speaker Victor Styrsky at a CUFI event in Stockton, June 2017. (Courtesy/IfNotNow)
Christians United for Israel is a conservative, pro-Israel organization with more than 3 million members across the country.
“No one should fear being shouted down, bullied and harassed inside their house of worship, be it a synagogue, church or mosque,” said Pastor Dumisani Washington, CUFI’s diversity outreach coordinator. “CUFI’s event was a gathering of a highly diverse group of Israel’s supporters, including friends from the Hispanic, Asian and African American communities. I and my church members are having a hard time distinguishing between this harassment and the appalling racist harassment we have suffered previously in our lives. We who seek to protect civil society must be careful not to let differences of opinion grow into this kind of ugly intimidation.”
To counter the protest, the closing speaker, CUFI Eastern regional coordinator Victor Styrsky, sang “Am Yisrael Chai” into the mic in an attempt to drown out the IfNotNow members before security personnel removed them from the premises.
Slogans on the banners included “Jewish Community: Stop Complicity in CUFI’s Hate” and “Young Jews Reject CUFI’s Anti-Semitism.” The action was a part of IfNotNow’s weeklong campaign to protest 50 years of Israeli presence in the Palestinian territories.
“No one should fear being shouted down, bullied and harassed inside their house of worship, be it a synagogue, church or mosque,” said Pastor Dumisani Washington, CUFI’s diversity outreach coordinator. “CUFI’s event was a gathering of a highly diverse group of Israel’s supporters, including friends from the Hispanic, Asian and African American communities. I and my church members are having a hard time distinguishing between this harassment and the appalling racist harassment we have suffered previously in our lives. We who seek to protect civil society must be careful not to let differences of opinion grow into this kind of ugly intimidation.”
To counter the protest, the closing speaker, CUFI Eastern regional coordinator Victor Styrsky, sang “Am Yisrael Chai” into the mic in an attempt to drown out the IfNotNow members before security personnel removed them from the premises.
Slogans on the banners included “Jewish Community: Stop Complicity in CUFI’s Hate” and “Young Jews Reject CUFI’s Anti-Semitism.” The action was a part of IfNotNow’s weeklong campaign to protest 50 years of Israeli presence in the Palestinian territories.
You can watch the video made by IfNotNow of their action against CUFI: https://www.facebook.com/IfNotNowOrg/videos/1391493950937569/
IfNotNow’s website for their #50Days50Years camapign to mark 50 years of Israeli occupation of Palestine: http://50days50years.com/home/
