The
Anti-Defamation League
(ADL) today called on
California
Gov.
Jerry Brown
and
Robert McEllrath
, president of the
International Longshore and Warehouse Union
(ILWU), to exert leadership to ensure that
California
ports remain open for business to all ships, including those owned by Israeli firms.
ADL called on the ILWU to work with its local affiliate to urge demonstrators to express their views without disrupting commerce and interfering with American workers getting to their jobs.
A small band of extremist groups advocating the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) campaign against
Israel
have been promoting rallies at
California
ports to disrupt the free flow of goods being carried on ships owned or operated by ZIM, an
Israel
-based company that is one of the largest carriers in the global container shipping industry.
"The disruptive tactics of the demonstrators hurt other workers like truckers and reveal the lengths to which advocates of boycott, divestment and sanctions against
Israel
will go to promote their anti-
Israel
agenda," said
Abraham H. Foxman
, ADL National Director.
While the protestors have not attracted a broad following, they have been able to prevent ships from unloading. Therefore, ADL noted, "We believe the governor should take notice when protestors are permitted to mark the
Port of Oakland
as a place where anyone with a gripe against a country can impede the free flow of goods carried by ships from that country."
Mr. Foxman
added: "People are entitled to express their political views, but strong leadership from labor, political and civic leaders is needed to signal that demonstrators must express their opinions without halting the free-flow of commerce and the ability of American workers to get to their jobs."
In letters sent earlier today to both
Gov. Brown
and
Mr. McEllrath
, ADL noted that a number of organizations working to prevent Israeli owned ships from unloading at
U.S.
ports are well-known for their virulent and extreme anti-
Israel
positions. In some instances, their rhetoric goes beyond harsh criticism of
Israel
and calls into question
Israel's
very legitimacy. Some rhetoric has also veered into anti-Semitism
"The BDS campaign and the protesters' exclusionist rhetoric about
Oakland
being 'Zionist-free' go well beyond mere criticism of Israeli policy, some of the rhetoric veers into exclusionist, anti-Jewish sentiment." said
Mr. Foxman
. "The ILWU should publicly disassociate itself from their hateful rhetoric about Zionists and Jews and the goal of the BDS campaign that is far outside the scope of ILWU policy."
The
Anti-Defamation League
, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry. Follow us on Twitter: @ADL_News
