Today, responding to Secretary Mike Pompeo’s visit to Israeli settlements, plans to classify boycott, divestment and sanctions tactics as antisemitic and equate the West Bank with Israel, Daniel Sokatch, CEO of the New Israel Fund, released the following statement:

“Democracies protect freedom of expression and dissent; they don’t silence citizens or smear those who protect basic civil liberties. To do so in the name of Jewish people is insulting and antisemitic, as is equating all Jewish people with the state and current government of Israel, as Sec. Pompeo has done.

“One need not support the BDS movement to understand that smearing all boycotts as antisemitic is an affront to the constitution and every American’s right to free speech.

“Secretary Pompeo has taken his marching orders from Israel’s extremist far-right to make sure that there will never be a two-state solution or a future of democracy and equality for all Israelis and Palestinians. I’m proud to stand with all those who stand up to this extremist erasure of the Green Line. The New Israel Fund and our partners and grantees in Israel will continue leading the charge to protect the democratic values and institutions we hold dear.”