Jewish Federation of Cincinnati

Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC)

I’m proud of the work our JCRC is doing to stop the BDS movement, through support of legislative action, education, and advocacy. JCRC’s Associate Director, Debra Pinger, shares more about JCRC’s efforts in this article. — Sarah

Ohio has introduced legislation that, if passed, will make it the fifth state to enact legislation condemning boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against the state of Israel. Currently 26 states are considering legislation or resolutions.

House Bill 476 is expected to be debated in early April by the Ohio House of Representatives. If it passes, the bill will prohibit any state agency from contracting with a company that is boycotting or divesting from Israel.

The bill requires that any company contracting with Ohio must declare it “is not [currently] boycotting Israel or disinvesting from Israel, and [will not boycott or disinvest] for the duration of the contract.” Further, it describes a company as “disinvesting from Israel if the company is withdrawing invested funds from the government of Israel or from a company operating in Israel or in territory controlled by Israel [emphasis added] as an expression of protest against the policies of the government of Israel.

The bill was authored by Kirk Schuring, and is sponsored by Speaker Cliff Rosenberger and a bipartisan group of representatives including Fred Strahorn, Ron Amstutz, Kevin Boyce, Tim W. Brown, Nicholas J. Celebrezze, Jack Cera, Timothy Derickson, Denise Driehaus, Bill Hayes, Jeff McClain, Stephen Slesnick and Robert Sprague.

“We are extremely pleased with the language in the legislation,” said Sarah Weiss, executive director of the JCRC. “We have supported this effort through our partner, Ohio Jewish Communities in Columbus, and believe HB 476 is a great initiative. With 14 legislators from both sides of the aisle on this bill, we are hopeful we will see it passed.”

Executive Director of Ohio Jewish Communities, Howie Beigelman, believes the seed for this legislation was nurtured during a recent legislative trip to Israel which he says was accomplished with the influence and support of the JCRC and Cincinnati’s lay leader, Dick Weiland. “Of the 11 members and staff who went, nine had not previously been to Israel. Several of the members, including Denise Driehaus, then went on to sponsor this legislation.”

Beigelman also credits Cincinnati’s leadership role in forging connections in business, medicine, and education with creating a positive climate for passage of the bill. “When Cincinnati businesses and organizations, such as the United Way, the Cincinnati Chamber, and REDI Cincinnati, through the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati’s missions, establish significant relationships with their counterparts in Israel, it brings about more trust and hopefully, a real peace,” he said.

The boycott, divestment and sanctions movement will be in the news long after the legislation is debated in April. It is one part of a larger campaign to de-legitimize Israel, that some are calling the “new anti-Semitism.”

According to the Israel Action Network, the objective of BDS organizers is to challenge Israel’s right to exist as the sovereign homeland of the Jewish people. Organizers attempt to have their agenda adopted by colleges and universities, faith-based communities, labor unions, civil rights organizations and minority groups. They claim they are interested in an equitable and peaceful solution to the conflict, while they offer a distorted, intolerant, and one-sided picture of a complex situation, thereby impeding justice. They challenge Israel’s right to exist as the sovereign homeland of the Jewish people and rather than offering a peaceful solution, their efforts have resulted in shutting down Israeli companies in the West Bank that have provided jobs to Palestinians.

“Fortunately,” added Weiss, “we are seeing that BDS has little actual impact. So far, we haven’t seen companies or investments pulling out of Israel, nor have we seen any impact on Israel’s economy. On the other hand, what we are seeing are attempts to organize BDS movements on college campuses across the country, which may become a challenge for our students in the future.”

To organize a comprehensive response, the JCRC is working with community partners such as the American Jewish Committee and other Israel advocacy organizations to establish a Cincinnati Regional Task Force to monitor BDS efforts and anti-Israel activity and advocate for anti-BDS legislation, as well as promote education about the issue within and beyond the Jewish community.

“The Task Force is highly representative of the larger Jewish Community,” said Walter Spiegel, Vice President of the Jewish Community Relations Council and Chair of the Task Force. “The Cincinnati Jewish community is clearly united in strongly opposing efforts to delegitimize the State of Israel. The members of the Task Force are deeply passionate about this issue and I am reassured by our shared commitment to a safe and secure community.”