On November 16th, 2016, Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon will host an anti-BDS Conference at the UN entitled “Legal Scholars Against BDS.”  This conference is the second in a series which began with a major summit in the UN General Assembly in May 2016.  At the May event, history was made as over 2,000 students and professionals joined together to combat the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, and proclaimed their enduring support to the State of Israel.

Next week’s conference at the UN will bring together law students, legal academics, and international law experts. High-level discussions on the issues of law, policy, and legislation related to BDS will be facilitated.  By focusing on the legal tools and strategies needed to combat BDS, the conference aims to make real progress in the battle against the boycott movement.

“The BDS movement spreads lies and hatred and the discrimination that it encourages is inherently illegal,” said Ambassador Danon ahead of the conference. “We must fight these dark forces in every place that they appear. The recent success that we have seen with legislation throughout the US is encouraging, but we understand that a long battle lies ahead until this deceitful movement is defeated.” 

An original position paper will be issued at the event’s conclusion which will include effective recommendations for countering the BDS movement worldwide in courts and parliaments.

Professor Alan Dershowitz, the former Harvard Law School professor and renowned civil liberties lawyer, will address the conference participants.  YouTube recently censored a video in which Professor Dershowitz explained the history of Israel. The video was labeled “not suitable for sensitive viewers” and subjected to restricted accessibility. Professor Dershowitz has been a defender of Israel throughout his career and has written multiple books about Israel’s right to exist, including The Case for Israel.

Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) president Morton Klein will address the conference as well.  Mr. Klein has been an active leader in the fight against anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism in America for over three decades. 

Dr. Mark Goldfeder, the director of the Emory Law and Religion Student Program will conduct a special interactive panel with the participants entitled “The Law V. BDS 101.”

Organization partners in this event include: Bnai Brith, ACLJ, StandWithUs, Maccabee Task Force, WJC, CAMERA, ZOA, Hillel, and Keren Hayesod.

This article was published by the Jewish Voice and may be found here.