After canceling its trips to Israel due to pressure from anti-Israel groups, the California-based Sierra Club will reportedly reinstate those trips in response to backlash from Israel supporters.
The news came after a call on Tuesday between Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean and director of global social action agenda for the Simon Wiesenthal Center, and Ross Macfarlane, vice president for conservation at the Sierra Club. During their discussion, Macfarlane assured Cooper that the trips will be back.
On Tuesday, Cooper had sent the Sierra Club a letter that said, in part: “It is deeply disappointing that we even have to write this protest on behalf of our 400,000 members, some of whom are also longtime supports of the work and goals of your important organization. The Sierra Club, historically a pioneer in promoting an environmentally clean world, has suddenly become an anti-Semitic polluter by caving to extremist anti-peace groups who seek to demonize, delegitimize and eliminate the democratic Jewish state.”
The J. The Jewish News of Northern California reported late last week that planned trips to Israel, including one scheduled for earlier this month, were canceled after anti-Israel groups and activists said the Sierra Club was engaging in “greenwashing,” giving Israel “legitimacy” by ignoring the Palestinians and only focusing on Israel’s environmental work.