Aviva Klompas
@avivaklompas · Pro-Israel advocacy & explainers
Aviva Klompas co-founded Boundless Israel and wrote speeches for Israel's UN mission.
There is something disingenuous about invoking your Jewish identity when it lends moral authority to a policy on Israel, then invoking your distance from Jewish communal life when confronted with the fears of Jews who actually live with its consequences.
Britain’s latest sanctions against Israel have little to do with E1. That is the pretext. E1 was slated to remain Israeli even under the 2000 peace proposal negotiated by Bill Clinton. What has changed is British domestic politics. Labour is bleeding support to the Greens and facing pressure from Muslim and hard left voters. So Israel becomes the convenient sacrifice. This is domestic political pandering dressed up as moral righteousness. https://t.co/gDEi6XcG5u
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow continues to find new ways to demonstrate her contempt for Toronto’s Jewish community: ❌ She skipped the vigil marking the first anniversary of the October 7 massacre. ❌ She skipped the Israeli flag raising at City Hall on Israel’s Independence Day, calling the ceremony “divisive.” ❌ And now, as Jews remain the most frequently targeted group in Toronto for hate crimes, she skipped a mayoral debate devoted specifically to antisemitism and public safety. https://t.co/0PGnHxrq6Z
Britain has announced that it will ban imports from Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria and sanction companies and individuals that support or facilitate settlement activity. It says this is “necessary to protect the two-state solution.” Here’s why this is morally and politically wrong. You can oppose settlement expansion. You can believe Israel is making serious mistakes in the West Bank. But if the stated objective is two states, policy should be judged by whether it brings Israelis and Palestinians closer to that outcome. Britain is going the opposite. Morally, it treats economic isolation as a virtue even though Palestinians and Israelis are deeply economically intertwined. Palestinian workers depend on access to Israeli jobs, and Palestinian businesses rely on Israeli markets, infrastructure, supply chains and customers. A blanket ban or sanctions regime will reduce employment, disrupt trade, raise prices and hurt the very Palestinians Britain claims to be helping. Politically, the policy teaches Palestinians the wrong lesson. They will conclude that international pressure on Israel can deliver results without negotiation, compromise or reform. A two-state solution cannot be imposed through boycotts. It has to be built by creating the incentives, relationships and confidence that make compromise possible. What exactly is Britain demanding of the Palestinian leadership in return? Where is the pressure to address rampant corruption, the failure to hold elections, the glorification and rewarding of terrorism, and the incitement that undermines coexistence? There is none. Instead, Britain is fixated on punishing a democratic ally while ignoring the security realities Israelis face and failing to demand the reforms necessary for genuine peace. Britain says it is defending the two-state solution. In reality, it is pushing peace further out of reach.
Taking on the UK government is not something @chiefrabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis does lightly. But as Britain moves to impose sanctions on Israel, at a time when British Jews are facing unprecedented hostility, he felt he could not remain silent. The Chief Rabbi explains why he chose to speak out and why leadership requires finding the courage to say what needs to be said. A special Rosh Hashanah episode of the Boundless Insights podcast is out now 🎧
Britain has announced that it will ban imports from Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria and sanction companies and individuals that support or facilitate settlement activity. It says this is “necessary to protect the two-state solution.” Here’s why this is morally and politely wrong. You can oppose settlement expansion. You can believe Israel is making serious mistakes in the West Bank. But if the stated objective is two states, policy should be judged by whether it brings Israelis and Palestinians closer to that outcome. Britain is going the opposite. Morally, it treats economic isolation as a virtue even though Palestinians and Israelis are deeply economically intertwined. Palestinian workers depend on access to Israeli jobs, and Palestinian businesses rely on Israeli markets, infrastructure, supply chains and customers. A blanket ban or sanctions regime will reduce employment, disrupt trade, raise prices and hurt the very Palestinians Britain claims to be helping. Politically, the policy teaches Palestinians the wrong lesson. They will conclude that international pressure on Israel can deliver results without negotiation, compromise or reform. A two-state solution cannot be imposed through boycotts. It has to be built by creating the incentives, relationships and confidence that make compromise possible. What exactly is Britain demanding of the Palestinian leadership in return? Where is the pressure to address rampant corruption, the failure to hold elections, the glorification and rewarding of terrorism, and the incitement that undermines coexistence? There is none. Instead, Britain is fixated on punishing a democratic ally while ignoring the security realities Israelis face and failing to demand the reforms necessary for genuine peace. Britain says it is defending the two-state solution. In reality, it is pushing peace further out of reach.
Comedians are pulling out of a festival in Portugal because Jerry Seinfeld is headlining. His offense? Being Jewish. Seinfeld is not an Israeli politician, soldier, or government official. But the fact that he is Jewish and has a connection to Israel is apparently enough to make sharing a comedy festival with him morally unacceptable. We are constantly told that hostility toward Israel has nothing to do with hostility toward Jews. Meanwhile, Jews around the world are repeatedly subjected to political loyalty tests over Israel and punished when they give the “wrong” answer. https://t.co/z7YFos9WxZ
Iran is being introduced to consequences. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says every Iranian attempt to strike a U.S. naval vessel will cost Tehran a tanker: Rubio: “Iran continues to try to hit US naval ships, and for every time they do that or try to do that, they're going to lose tankers.”
"A Democrat who dissents on Israel becomes Public Enemy Number 2 after Donald Trump" "Mr. Fetterman’s real offense is political. He’s a consistent progressive on taxes, healthcare, climate, guns, social issues and much else. But he vocally supports Israel in its war against Hamas and Hezbollah, backs President Trump’s war in Iran, and rejects such progressive-left follies as abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement and defunding the police. Such heterodoxy probably benefits Democrats by making their party seem less crazy. A lot of thanks he gets—his Democratic colleagues evidently want to ruin him." From the Wall Street Journal Editorial Board ➡️ https://t.co/8uVCFIXhKz
The economic noose around Iran is tightening. ➡️ No Iranian crude has crossed the U.S. naval blockade since it was reinstated in mid-July. ➡️ Iran’s oil already stockpiled outside the blockade has fallen from roughly 90 million barrels to 29 million and could run out next month. ➡️ Oil normally funds roughly a third of Iran’s state budget. ➡️ Oil sales also directly finance Iran’s military and the IRGC. https://t.co/mGRGFcVIE0
Britain’s expected ban on trade with Israeli settlements may come with a price. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee says there will “without a doubt” be an American reaction - meaning British companies could find themselves barred from doing business in US states with anti-boycott laws.
Teaching students about the Holocaust will get you labeled a mouthpiece for Israel and Mossad agent ⬇️
Unreal. Mamdani signed an executive order establishing September 11 as a Day of Remembrance and then gifted the ceremonial pen to an aide who represented an al-Qaeda terrorist with links to the attack on the Pentagon. https://t.co/iCym5yvPv8
⚠️ Israel has issued a heightened threat alert for Jews and Israelis traveling abroad ahead of the Jewish holidays and the third anniversary of October 7. ➡️ Iran and its proxies remain the primary threat, actively seeking attacks on Israeli and Jewish targets around the world. ➡️ Hamas is investing significant resources in building terrorist infrastructure in Europe and elsewhere for high-profile and revenge attacks. ➡️ ISIS and al-Qaeda continue to explicitly call for attacks on Jews, including potential attacks in Europe and the United States. ➡️ Lone-wolf terrorism is a growing concern, with synagogues, Jewish community institutions and large gatherings considered vulnerable targets. 🔴 Since the war began, 25 Israelis and Jews have been murdered in terrorist attacks abroad. The National Security Council is advising travelers to avoid displaying Israeli or Jewish identifiers and posting their locations in real time.
US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on West Bank violence: “Our clear message is that crime is crime, terror is terror. When people do it they should have an expectation that they will have severe consequences”
The US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on West Bank violence: “Our clear message is that crime is crime, terror is terror. When people do it they should have an expectation that they will have severe consequences”
🚨 Israeli officials are warning that Iran and Hamas have intensified efforts to carry out terrorist attacks against Israelis abroad. Ahead of the Jewish holidays and the third anniversary of October 7, officials believe Tehran may seek to carry out a high-profile attack overseas as another means of retaliating against Israel.
“My advice to the Iranians is stop acting like crazy people.” Vice President JD Vance: “We are not talking to the Iranians, and we are not going to talk to them unless they stop shooting at commercial shipping.”
A reasonable question from the Wall Street Journal Editorial Board: "@SenSchumer has taken great pride across his career as an opponent of antisemitism and a (less and less reliable) supporter of Israel. With Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez looking over his shoulder in his 2028 re-election year, Mr. Schumer’s political career may be nearing its end. Why not publicly say Hasan Piker’s brand of antisemitism has no place in the Democratic Party and stand with some honor?" https://t.co/SwXRfAIucM
Consider the intellectual contortions required to look at Jews massacred by ISIS at a Jewish celebration and conclude that the real problem is the “Israel lobby.” That's exactly what Richard Flanagan is trying to argue ⬇️
Hollywood celebrities have decided that their latest hero and cause is Marwan Barghouti, a Palestinian terrorist serving five life sentences for murdering five people https://t.co/6V9BrwOYLR
An important message from @ChiefRabbi. Britain can disagree with Israeli settlement policy. But a trade ban that could cost thousands of Palestinians their livelihoods, encourage a broader boycott of Israel, and further inflame a climate in which British Jews already face unprecedented hostility is not responsible policymaking. It's political theater with consequences that will be borne by the people it claims to help.
From @brett_mcgurk: “Since mid-July, the US has reimposed its military blockade on Iranian ports and sanctions on Iran’s oil trade. In parallel, the U.S. military has worked tirelessly to clear shipping lanes and help protect commercial ships transiting the Strait. The result has been an effective blockade on Iranian oil shipments, with global shipments recovering and energy prices remaining remarkably stable. Bloomberg reported this week that oil flows through the Strait have recovered to 2/3 of pre-war levels. That means pressure is now compounding on Iran, and not the US. And if Iran loses its ability to hold the Strait hostage, its leverage dissipates rapidly.” https://t.co/rxxrLspZoc
Guess what the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) was recommending for America’s schoolchildren. To teach kids that the 9/11 terrorist attacks were carried out in “response” to America’s support for Israel and other U.S. policies. And among the recommended readings for high school students? Osama bin Laden’s “Letter to America.” https://t.co/sVn76ZbehF
Allow me to explain why @EllenBarkin is utterly and dangerously wrong. Antisemitism has never required someone to announce, “I hate Jews.” It has always found respectable-sounding ways to express itself: Jews have too much power, too much money, too much influence, or the wrong loyalties. Today, Jew-hatred presents itself as an argument that Jews alone are not entitled to their state. Criticism of Israel isn’t antisemitism. But the belief that Jewish self-determination is uniquely illegitimate most definitely is.
Connected stories
- UK Announces Import Ban and Sanctions Regime Targeting Settlement Trade
- U.S. Strikes Iranian Tankers After New Missile Attempt on Navy Warship
- White House Says Iran Naval Blockade and Economic Pressure Remain in Force
- Katz Says Iran May Attack on Jewish Holidays, Israel Ready to Respond
- Huckabee Visits Turmus Ayya, Calls for Severe Consequences Over West Bank Violence
- Vance Says U.S. Will Not Talk to Iran Until Ship Attacks Stop
- Iran Oil Minister Says Reduced Crude Deliveries Continue Despite U.S. Blockade
- CENTCOM Says U.S. Cleared Iranian Mines From Strait of Hormuz Lanes
- U.S. Officials Say 20-30 Tankers Cross Hormuz Nightly Under Military Cover