Understanding the Deadly Exchange Campaign
Those with firsthand knowledge of US-Israel police exchange programs have thoroughly refuted this libel. As CAMERA’s Ricki Hollander has noted, “the [Deadly Exchange] campaign is built entirely on fabrications brazenly promoted by Israel’s antagonists whose main goal is to stir up hatred against the Jewish state and Jewish organizations in the U.S.”
When Deadly Exchange activists liken these two issues, they wrongly assume that American social issues apply equally everywhere, diminishing the context behind each case and disrespecting the memories of the deceased.
THE DECEPTIVE UNDERPINNINGS OF
THE DEADLY EXCHANGE CAMPAIGN
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WHAT IS IT?
Deadly Exchange originated as a 2017 campaign by the anti-Zionist group Jewish Voice For Peace, an organization advocating for "a complete economic, cultural and academic boycott of the state of Israel." JVP and its campaign claim:
"Israel is responsible for American police brutality due to training programs between U.S. and Israeli police… brutal treatment of African Americans by American police officers is inseparable from the treatment of Palestinians by Israeli defense forces."
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A JVP film promoting the campaign is full of falsehoods:
The purpose of exchange trips with Israel is to "advance racist policies and target social justice movements as security threats."
"Delegates meet with Israeli riot police… well documented in their use of violence when suppressing peaceful Palestinian protest."
"The trips serve as an exchange of worst practices, emboldening racist policing in the U.S. and holding up an occupying army as a global gold standard."
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WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE DEADLY
EXCHANGE CAMPAIGN?
The anti-Zionist group Jewish Voice for Peace, which founded the campaign, claims the following:
"Israel is responsible for American police brutality due to training programs between U.S. and Israeli police… brutal treatment of African Americans by American police officers is inseparable from the treatment of Palestinians by Israeli defense forces."
Activists often equate the Palestinian cause to African-American charges of racism. JVP's actions are not about supporting the African American struggle against police brutality, but to delegitimize the Jewish state while exploiting the killings of black men for their agenda.
Photo Credit: Jewish Voice for Peace (Facebook)
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"Despite suggestions to the contrary, there is no field training involved in either the conferences or trips, and no training on holds or arrest mechanics. The exchanges, hosted by the Israel National Police, focus on effective counterterrorism techniques.
-Steve Pomerantz, former FBI Assistant Director
When Deadly Exchange activists wrongly assume that the US' social issues apply equally everywhere, they diminish the context behind each case, and disrespect the memories of the deceased. As a group refusing to engage with Israel, it's no wonder they can't understand the issues with this comparison.
The campaign also demonizes American Jewish organizations for "complicity" in "deadly exchange" programs that allegedly pervert non-Jewish Americans because they promote Zionism, the Jewish right to self-determination. The idea that Jews are out there to brainwash others is reminiscent of a centuries-old blood libel.
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Learn more on apartheidweekexposed.org:
Black Lives Matter, JVP’s Deadly Exchange, and Israel
“Jewish Voice for Peace” (JVP): What the Media is Concealing
