February 2, 2007

An Israeli diplomat said it was "unfortunate" that Jewish groups sponsored a campus tour of Israeli soldiers who accuse the army of human-rights abuses.

"The willingness of Jewish communities to host these organizations and even sponsor them is unfortunate," said a report by Los Angeles Consul General Ehud Danoch sent to Israel's Foreign Ministry and all Israeli envoys in North America. "This is a phenomenon that must not be ignored." At least one Jewish group has called for the Union of Progressive Zionists, a co-sponsor of the "Breaking the Silence" tour, to be removed from the Israel on Campus Coalition, whose goal is to improve Israel's image on college campuses.

"These harsh attacks by Jews against Israel have much greater credibility than harsh attacks against Israel by Arabs, and are therefore more dangerous," said Morton Klein, president of the Zionist Organization of America, who accuses the soldiers of spreading lies about Israel.

But Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, another tour co-sponsor, wrote to Danoch that the program shows the robustness of Israeli democracy and stimulates "discussion in Jewish communities across our nation of the many ways to connect to and work on behalf of Israel." Danoch did not respond to requests for comment.