Chalk this up a a win for the progressive wing of America's Democrat Party. The administration of Joseph Biden, who has proclaimed time and again that he has been among the best friends Israel has had during his 51-year political career, has just caved to the Boycott Divestment & Sanctions movement by reinstating a distinction between Israel and Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria that President Trump had cancelled.
"I oppose the decision and think it is wrong," Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said today in a conversation with reporters, regarding the Biden administration's decision to stop scientific and technological cooperation with Israeli institutions located in Judea and Samaria. "In similar cases in the past, the Israeli government made sure to give full compensation to those affected by these decisions," added Minister Cohen.
.@tedcruz on the Biden administration stopping US-Israel cooperation on science and tech over the Green Line pic.twitter.com/lNpZ2qQbfM
— Lahav Harkov (@LahavHarkov) June 25, 2023
The reports were published in Israel this past Sunday, noting that the US Department of State informed Israel a few weeks ago that they will no longer participate in or finance research and development projects at academic institutions in Judea and Samaria. The Biden administration’s decision reinstates the old policy that was practiced until the days of the Trump administration and the previous US ambassador to Israel, David Friedman. The main scientific institution for which the decision is significant is Ariel University.
In October 2020, at a ceremony held at Ariel University at the time, Ambassador Friedman announced the change in the policy that until then imposed restrictions on the funding of research projects in Judea and Samaria. Ariel University then welcomed the move, saying that it opens up opportunities for female scientists and the university's scientists to strengthen the scientific relationship with their colleagues, by submitting requests for support from the joint research funds of the USA and Israel. The Biden administration decided to change the policy back some time ago, but the official announcement was only received in Israel recently.
If @PeaceNowUS and @jstreetdotorg support this Biden policy then we know it's bad news for Israel.
— Bryan E. Leib (@BryanLeibFL) June 26, 2023
Joe Biden and his administration are openly hostile to the State of Israel and now engaged in BDS! pic.twitter.com/AtYr10QBUX
Foreign Minister Cohen today also referred to the harsh message of the Ukrainian embassy in Israel and said that the Ukrainian ambassador to Israel, Yevgen Korniychuk, will be invited for a conversation. On the Twitter page of the Ukrainian Embassy Sunday, it was written that it "notes with regret that the current Israeli government has chosen a path of close cooperation with the Russian Federation. The evidence for this is a series of controversial events that took place from the beginning of 2023 together with the almost complete absence of humanitarian aid to Ukraine.”
🚨BREAKING: Biden Admin. Institutes Israel Boycott Policy
— RJC (@RJC) June 25, 2023
The @RJC released the following statement from National Chairman Senator @normcoleman and CEO @mbrooksrjc in response to the Biden administration’s decision to cut scientific and technological cooperation in Judea and… pic.twitter.com/upcPt5gAT7
Minister Cohen said in response that "Despite the complexity with Russia, Israel stood by Ukraine from the beginning of the war until today, publicly supported the territorial integrity of Ukraine and its sovereignty, and even voted in international forums to condemn Russia. Israel sent humanitarian aid to Ukraine in an unprecedented manner (in 2022 approx. - 80 million shekels, and this year a higher budget is earmarked).”
