Am Echad, an Orthodox American pro-Israel advocacy organization released a statement on Wednesday, criticizing protesters in the US against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the judicial reform his government is promoting.
The organization's co-chairmen, Dr. Irving Lebovics and Shlomo Werdiger, voiced their concerns about the protests during Netanyahu's visit to the US. They emphasized, "We cannot remain silent when the security of Israel’s 9 million citizens is being undermined on United States soil."
They pointed out the anti-Israel and antisemitic sentiments they believe are being fueled by protest installations such as the "Welcome Bibi" projection on Alcatraz and "Don’t Believe Crime Minister Netanyahu" on the United Nations building in New York. The co-chairmen also stressed, "Nothing can undermine the Israeli efforts against the Iranian nuclear threat like a sign on the United Nations" building, calling the delegates not to believe Netanyahu’s messages on Iran."
Come out against damaging rhetoric
They further urged responsible American Jewish organizations to 'come out forcefully against such harmful and damaging rhetoric" and called for a return to "peace and understanding' within the community.
On Wednesday, protesters shouted “Democracy” and held Israeli flags outside the Manhattan hotel where President Netanyahu met for the first time since the government was sworn in at the end of December.
Top on the two leaders’ agenda was advancing normalization between Israel and the Saudi kingdom, as Iran continues to enrich uranium close to weapons grade. Netanyahu and Biden’s closed-door meeting last night lasted for about 50 minutes.
The protest, which was expected to be chaotic, was instead described as powerful and peaceful. “It felt like there were hundreds of people [there]. When I arrived at the hotel lobby of the Intercontinental, where Bibi and President Biden were meeting, many people in the lobby commented on how powerful and civilized the protest was. They expected mayhem, but were pleasantly surprised,” Roberta Franco Glick, 58, told The Jerusalem Post from New York.
Joanie Margulies contributed to this report.