Agudath Israel strongly condemns the New York City Democratic Socialists of America (NYC-DSA) Council candidate questionnaire asking candidates to pledge not to travel to Israel and to support BDS.

Israel is the only true democracy in the Middle East, a country which grants full rights to all its citizens. To single out Israel and hold her to a different standard than any other country, including repressive regimes around the globe, is repugnant and reeks of anti-Semitism. Singling out Israel for boycotts and sanctions even more so. Moreover, this comes ironically a day after Israel signed an historic peace treaty with the United Arab Emirates.

Lawmakers in all levels of government visit Israel for a first-hand look at holy sites, history, and to understand the political state of affairs. The visits also reflect the longstanding friendship and special relationship America has with Israel, regardless of which particular political persuasion happens to be in power in either America or Israel. To deny Jewish, Christian, and Muslim lawmakers an opportunity to connect with the land that means so much to their respective religions and constituents is unacceptable.

We call on the DSA to remove those offensive questions from their questionnaire and we appeal to all candidates of good conscience to reject any support so long as that question remains.

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