ADL, Israeli think tank partner to fight BDS against Israel

(JTA) — The Anti-Defamation League has partnered with an Israeli think tank, the Reut Institute, to battle the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel.

The ADL-Reut Initiative “was shaped by a mutual commitment to expose the BDS movement in its efforts to single out and isolate Israel while singularly negating the right of the Jewish people to self-determination,” the ADL said in a statement Monday.

The work of the initiative will be based on research and analysis of delegitimization and BDS campaigns in the United States and around the world. The ADL said that initial findings of the study, which will be released publicly later this year, will be the basis of a comprehensive strategy for both organizations and for use by other organizations in fighting BDS.

“This joint ADL-Reut Initiative will enable us to take a new approach by first studying the entire array of factors driving the growth of international efforts, such as BDS, that seek to undermine Israel’s right to exist,” said Marvin Nathan, ADL’s national chair. “The findings of this research will inform our comprehensive strategy toward combating these efforts.

“ADL has worked on various fronts over the years, especially on campuses, to combat divisive and damaging anti-Israeli initiatives. Working with Reut, we will develop a solid framework of comprehensive action that is informed by research and data.”

ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement: “There are many excellent efforts out there aimed at combating BDS and other delegitimization. We hope our work will complement and reinforce these existing initiatives.”

He added: “Our focus on this issue will be laser-sharp – to expose this movement for what it is – an anti-Semitic campaign and a distraction from the very real issues that need to be addressed to create the conditions for a meaningful and lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinian people.”