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Kol Israel called for Betar USA’s expulsion over alleged election violations, inflammatory rhetoric, and threats, urging formal sanctions and removal from the American Zionist Movement.
By MICHAEL STARR FEBRUARY 25, 2025 20:35
American Zionist Movement banner advertising the upcoming World Zionist Congress 2025 elections.
(photo credit: SCREENSHOT/FACEBOOK/VIA SECTION 27A OF THE COPYRIGHT ACT)
A Kol Israel complaint against Betar USA alleged inflammatory rhetoric and aggressive behavior, called for its expulsion from the American Zionist Movement, and removal from its coalition for the upcoming World Zionist Congress elections.
The formal complaint from Kol Israel Secretary General Fleur Hassan-Nahoum to the Area Election Committee (AEC) alleged repeated and coordinated violations of WZC election regulations by the Zionist Organization of America coalition slate through its coalition member Betar USA.
Betar USA had allegedly harassed Columbia University Professor and former Kol Israel slate candidate Shai Davidai and his family, and claimed that Kol Israel and member group StandWithUs supported the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement.
This allegedly included "blackmail" from Betar USA chairman Ronn Torossian that he would accuse SWU of being pro-BDS if they did not acquiesce to his demands. Hassan-Nahoum noted that it was against election rules to denigrate other slates.
In response to the allegations, Betar USA spokesperson Daniel Levy said that it was Davidai that had threatened their organization. Levy argued that the group had merely been critical of Davidai for a 2024 Tablet article in which he mentioned that he refrained "from buying products manufactured beyond the 1967 armistice line."
ZOA president Morton Klein said that Davidai had smeared Betar USA as "terrorists" after they had called for his removal from Kol Israel's slate.
"We criticize Shai Davidai’s support of a boycott of Israel," said Levy.
Klein claimed that Betar USA and Kol Israel had worked out a resolution in which Davidai resigned from the slate. In Hassan-Nahoum's letter to the AEC, it was denied that Davidai had been "forced off" the slate last Wednesday by Kol Israel.
Hassan-Nahoum also charged that the group had engaged in "abhorrent" violations of the ethical standards of the Zionist movement by calling "for genocide and the murder of Palestinian babies."
In a Thursday response to a list of Palestinian children allegedly killed in the Israel-Hamas War, Betar USA said on X, "Not enough. We demand blood in Gaza!"
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The complaint argued that "There can be no room in the Zionist movement for such racism, thuggery, and evil that will ultimately harm the Jewish people."
Kol Israel called for the AEC to level formal sanctions against the ZOA Coalition and to remove Torossian from running as a ZOA delegate in the March 10 election. Hassan-Nahoum also demanded the removal of Betar USA as a ZOA coalition member and expulsion from the American Zionist Movement.
In addition to a request for a public apology from the ZOA coalition, Kol Israel also called upon World Zionist Chairman and former World Betar CEO Yaakov Hagoel to denounce Betar USA's statements.
ZOA is set to file a response. Klein said that he was open to solving the issue through discussion, but if it was not resolved amicably, ZOA would "file serious counterclaims against Kol Israel, which could result in Kol Israel’s removal from the election."
Betar calls their proposed removal 'absurd'
Betar argued that it was absurd to call for the removal of the 100-year-old organization, asking if its opponents would also boycott Hagoel and others affiliated with the global Betar movement.
"Betar has built a worldwide movement where we have Jews standing up and fighting back worldwide. We have had enough," said Levy. “Betar is one of a tiny group of American Jewish organizations to unequivocally support the state of Israel and the government of America. We support President [Donald] Trump's peace plan, we support the transfer of jihadis from America and Gaza, and that’s mainstream. These radicals who still speak of a two-state solution and think a boycott is inside the Zionist tent have lost the plot. We are the good guys fighting a war."
Levy said that the group was being criticized but had been the only one taking action against anti-Israel events and protests at synagogues.
"Just as Israel internally has forgotten so much, which brought us to October 7, so too has diaspora Jewry forgotten our need to fight back," said Levy. "What is this need to condemn Zionist Betar in a time of emergency for the Jewish people? Condemning Betar for fighting back is shameful for StandWithUs, Kol Israel, and the ADL [Antidefamation League].
ADL had added Betar USA to a list of extremist groups, lambasting it for its aggressive protests and inciting images. The ADL also criticized Betar for supporting Kahane. Klein suggested that the timing of the ADL listing and the filing were not coincidental.
Hassan-Nahoum said that "at a time when Israel has hostages in Gaza dungeons, enemies on seven kinetic fronts, and a large-scale communications war, the Jewish people have to be standing together and not bullying and denigrating each other."
"Betar USA has sadly forgotten the main ethos of [Revisionist Zionist movement founder Ze'ev] Jabotinsky and Hadar -- being a decent human being," said Hassan-Nahoum. "Bullying, threatening, and blackmailing members of our slate with baseless and malicious accusations is a red line. We all want to be focused on the good, on working together, collaborating, innovating, and reinvigorating the World Zionist Congress with new incredible vitality, energy, and relevance."
Other parties involved in the dispute have declined to comment until the complaint has been adjudicated.
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