(Courtesy of Simon Wiesenthal Center) Recently, the Simon Wiesenthal Center and the Israel Consulate in New York jointly hosted a virtual meeting to officially thank the nearly 30 New Jersey municipalities that have passed anti-BDS resolutions. The mayors and council members from the municipalities joined the meeting and were addressed by outgoing Consul General of Israel for New York Dani Dayan, who expressed both his personal gratitude and the appreciation of the state of Israel for their courage in standing up to anti-Semitism and anti-Israel activities.
The resolution passed by each of the New Jersey municipalities was originally drafted by New York City Council member Andrew Cohen, who shepherded its passage in the New York City Council. During the council hearing there were anti-Semitic screams calling those who tested in favor of the resolution, including SWC’s Michael Cohen, “Zionist pigs” and other similar anti-Semitic epithets. With the approval of council member Cohen, the Simon Wiesenthal Center began to aggressively seek the resolution’s passage across New Jersey with its first success being in the city of Englewood and ultimately in nearly 30 municipalities across the state.
Attending the meeting as well was the founder and Dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center Rabbi Marvin Hier; Associate Dean and Director of Global Social Action Rabbi Abraham Cooper, who moderated the meeting; SWC Executive Director Rabbi Meyer May; and Eastern Director Michael Cohen.
Ambassador Dayan said, “It is my honor and privilege to join the Simon Wiesenthal Center today in thanking the mayors and council presidents in New York and New Jersey for their important roles in the righteous passage of SWC’s anti-BDS resolution. I’d particularly like to applaud New York City Council member Andrew Cohen, who initially authored this essential resolution.”
Founder and Dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center Rabbi Marvin Hier stated, “We are sorry to see Ambassador Dayan leave. He was an outstanding representative for the state of Israel and communicated with Jewish leaders all over the country. He represented the state of Israel in the finest manner. We are also grateful to every American who has stood up against the anti-Semitic BDS campaigns.”
“I want to thank Ambassador Dani Dayan for his service to Israel and the United States. I’m grateful for his support fighting the BDS movement in partnership with the New York City Council along with our partners in New Jersey.” said Andrew Cohen.
“When New York City Council member Andrew Cohen introduced an anti-BDS resolution in the New York City Council, I remember testifying on its behalf only to be shouted at by individuals in the room as Zionist pigs and other similar epithets” said Michael Cohen. “We used that negative energy as a rallying call to educate people of good will about the anti-Semitic nature of the BDS movement and asked that they stand with us against hate and in support of the state of Israel. Nearly 30 New Jersey municipalities responded by answering the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s call for them to pass the same resolution as New York—and for this we proudly witnessed Ambassador Dayan, on behalf of the state of Israel, express the gratitude of the Jewish people for their courageous actions.”
“Dani Dayan played a critical role in cultivating the continued trust the state of New Jersey enjoyed with the state of Israel. He also earned the respect of many of my colleagues for his professionalism during a historic time for our state,” said Michael Wildes, mayor of Englewood, New Jersey.
“It was an honor to be recognized by Consul General of Israel Ambassador Dayan. It is critical that we work together to combat hate whatever its source. I am proud to have introduced a resolution which demonstrates that we in Edison, New Jersey, are willing to play our part in combating anti-Semitism,” said Edison Council Vice President Samip Joshi.
