World
NYC Muslim groups announce anti-BDS campaign in response to Mamdani
NEW YORK — A coalition of Muslim groups in New York City will launch a campaign on Thursday to counter the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
The new group, called the Unbreakable Bond Coalition, said the program “seeks to benefit Israel, its Arab citizens and Palestinians employed by Israeli companies.”
“The reality is that Israelis and Palestinians are deeply connected economically,” the group said in a statement. “Broad boycotts can unintentionally harm the very workers and communities they claim to support.”
The group said it believes that building economic bridges leads to dialogue, understanding and partnerships that foster peace.
The participating organizations are the American Muslim & Multifaith Women’s Empowerment Council (AMMWEC), Muslim Women Speakers Bureau, Global Youth Unity Project (GYUP), Abraham PRC and Muslims Israel Dialogue.
The group aims to collect at least $1 apiece from 500,000 supporters by October 9. The funds will be invested in Israel treasury bonds, and investment proceeds will be distributed to four nonprofits — the coexistence group Sharaka, the Jerusalem Interfaith Center, the Combat Antisemitism Movement, and Debate for Peace, an Arab-Jewish student group.
The Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) confirmed its relationship with organizers and stated its support for the anti-BDS campaign.
“CAM is proud to stand with Muslim partners in the fight against the hate-fueled BDS movement,” said director Sacha Roytman. “We look forward to continued collaborative efforts to counter extremism and revitalize the ancient Abrahamic bonds linking Muslims and Jews.”
Organizers announced the anti-BDS campaign on Saturday and the initiative will officially begin with a virtual event held on Thursday, the 21st anniversary of the BDS campaign’s launch.
Sheikh Musa Drammeh, a pro-Israel Muslim community activist in New York City, said the campaign was in response to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, an anti-Zionist who supports BDS.
“He is Muslim and New York is home to the largest Muslim and Jewish community, so some of us decided that we are going to counter every step along the way, otherwise, things will be normalized,” Drammeh told The Times of Israel.
Drammeh highlighted how he and other members of the coalition marched in New York’s annual Israel parade, have visited Israel, and have joined the March of the Living in Auschwitz. Mamdani refused to march in the Israel parade or visit Israel.
“Just like there are some Jewish people who are anti-Israel, anti-Zionist, there is a growing Muslim community that will never, ever subscribe to anti-Israel positions, anti-Zionism,” Drammeh said. “BDS failed and BDS cannot be tolerated. Simple as that.”
He argued that boycotting Israel was “anti-Palestinian” because it hurt Palestinian and Arab Israeli livelihoods.
A BDS vote at a prominent Brooklyn food co-op in May targeted companies involved in Israeli-Palestinian coexistence initiatives, pro-LGBTQ programs and family-owned firms employing diverse workforces. Four of the eight companies hit by the boycott were run by Arab Israelis or sold products from Arab-owned factories.
The Unbreakable Bond Coalition will invest in Israel bonds because the bonds are a secure investment and as a symbol of the group’s support for Israel, Drammeh said.
“This is a global encouragement for people to invest in Israel. We want Israeli companies and we want Israeli treasuries to be looked at as a viable, investable entity, just like the US. We’re leading the way in normalizing people to invest and learn about Israel,” he said.
