President Reuven told the International Conference on Combating Antisemitism and the Boycott, Divestent and Sanctions campaign against Israel, held by the Ministry of Strategic Affairs on Thursday, “BDS does not seek peace, or even to help our Palestinian neighbors. It seeks to delegitimize Israel’s very existence. We must use all the tools at our disposal to defeat BDS - in the court room, in the board room, in civil society, in social media, in academia and in the halls of power. We must expose the modern blood libels spread by BDS and put a price on its hate and discrimination.”
Rivlin also said, “The State of Israel has no problem with legitimate criticism - criticism that flows from a true concern for Israel’s security and welfare, especially when this criticism comes from our sisters and brothers in the diaspora. I believe that the Government of Israel must do a better job of listening to your concerns."
He stressed, “Too often, the left tries to hide its anti-Semitism in the disguise of anti-Zionism. They try to present their campaignto boycott Israel as “progressive”. There is nothing progressive about hate. There is nothing progressive about anti-Semitism. At the same time, we must show zero tolerance for anti-Semitism on the right, even when it comes from those who claim to admire Israel.”