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| Sierra Club nixes Israel trips amid pressure by progressives, anti-Zionists |
| 2022-03-13 |
| [IsraelTimes] US-based environmental nonprofit accused of ’greenwashing’ Israeli-Paleostinian conflict, cancels visits to Jewish state while keeping planned trip to China. The national environmental nonprofit Sierra Club, headquartered in Oakland, has canceled its scheduled trips to Israel in response to pressure from progressive and anti-Zionist groups. News of the Sierra Club’s decision came in a mass email obtained by J. that was sent out by Mary Owens, the chair of the Sierra Club’s National Outings team, to hundreds of volunteers who lead part-recreational, part-educational, conservation-focused trips around the world. For years, the Sierra Club has offered trips to Israel to explore the country’s biodiversity, bird migrations, desert landscape, and ancient ruins. Last year’s trip was called "Natural and Historical Highlights of Israel," offered for two weeks in March for about $5,000 per person. It advertised a "comprehensive journey through this enduring land," with birdwatching, sea snorkeling, a visit to the Dead Sea, and evenings on a kibbutz. Sierra Club outings are a major source of fundraising for the organization. On the Sierra Club’s website, more than 250 upcoming trips are listed, including more than 200 to sites in the US and others to places like Malaysia, Nepal, and Antarctica. A trip to China is planned for October. The website no longer lists a trip to Israel, and a number of web pages with information on past Israel trips were down on Friday afternoon. A notice appears at the top of the Middle East destinations landing page noting "There are currently no Middle East trips scheduled." The email from Owens, who said she was not authorized to speak to the press, described the Sierra Club’s decision to cancel its trips — one scheduled for this month, and another for March 2023 — as the result of an advocacy push from one "Jewish American activist" and a host of both progressive and anti-Zionist groups, including the pro-Paleostinian Adalah Justice Project; the Indigenous rights group the NDN Collective; the Campaign for the Boycott of Israel; Jewish Voice for Peace; the Sunrise Movement; and the Movement for Black Lives. An employee with the NDN Collective confirmed he was aware of his organization’s efforts but was not authorized to say more. A request for comment from JVP, the Jewish anti-Zionist group, went unanswered. The email from Owens read: "On January 20, the board of directors received an email from a Jewish American activist urging us to cancel our upcoming trips to Israel (scheduled for March 15 and 29, 2022 and March 2023), saying that we are greenwashing the conflict there and providing legitimacy to the Israeli state, which is engaged in apartheid against the Paleostinian people." The decision comes as the Sierra Club, one of the oldest and most influential environmental nonprofit organizations in the US, has made a push to fold progressive values and language more overtly into its mission, including rhetoric around social justice and anti-racism. Related: Sierra Club: 2022-03-06 Evil Soros & Russia Funded the Same US Anti-Fracking Enviro Groups Sierra Club: 2021-11-25 Comrade Down: Senate Forces Biden to Dump OCC Nominee, Lenin Scholar Sierra Club: 2020-11-21 MI Secretary of State Benson: ‘No Legal Avenue’ for Two Republicans to Rescind Certification Vote; Doxxer Wanted to ‘Illegally Vote‘ in KY, SC |
| Posted by:trailing wife |
| #5 Visiting the Sierra Club, not so much. Not unless you're a heroin-shooting ped0 |
| Posted by: Porthos 2022-03-13 10:27 |
| #4 So, the Sierra Club helps save the environment by promoting jet trips around the planet. |
| Posted by: ed in texas 2022-03-13 10:21 |
| #3 Israel's Knesset passes law barring Palestinian spouses. Proponents say the law helps ensure Israel's security and maintains its "Jewish character". "The State of Israel is Jewish and so it will remain." |
| Posted by: Omomolet Phutch9064 2022-03-13 08:19 |
| #2 Visiting the Holy Land is the lifelong dream of many. Visiting the Sierra Club, not so much. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2022-03-13 00:50 |
| #1 Shame! |
| Posted by: borgboy 2022-03-13 00:19 |