We just found out that seven San Diego law enforcement officials are on an ADL-sponsored police exchange program in Israel right now as we speak, meeting with Israeli police and military for tours of checkpoints, surveillance camera systems, and prisons, and to ‘talk shop’ on the best strategies for repressing and harming our communities.
We the undersigned 100+ individuals and organizations call on The Anti-Defamation League: Do not host another Counter-Terrorism Leadership Seminar or Advanced Training School.
We also call on San Diego County elected officials: Oppose the participation of law enforcement agencies in these programs.
- Jewish Voice for Peace, San Diego Chapter
- KARAMA
- Brian Polejes
- Carolyn Woodbury
- Diane R Ake
- Dolores J Hamady
- Earl Murphy
- Ed & Ethel Sweed
- Eileen Voreades
- Elizabeth Fattah
- Ellen McGuire
- Emma Rosenthal
- Eugenia Kuttler
- Fred Lonidier
- George Cunningham
- George J Mouro
- Harvey Goldman
- James Rauch
- Jonathan Graubart
- Khalid Zubaidi
- Laurel Barile
- Lawrence Osen
- Linda Rae Anderson
- M. Theresa Basile
- Merry Maisel
- Michael Hogan
- Michael Parry
- Monique G. López
- Oren Robinson
- Robert Lujan
- Rochelle La Frinere
- Rodney Devereux
- Rudy Villasenor
- Ruth Wallen
- Saied Manyak Ashour
- Steve Duncan
- Terry Dycus
- Frances Battaglia
- George Khoury
- Jamal Kanj
- Jane G Sutton
- Jason Bechtel
- Jill Henderson
- Maha Gebara
- Mary Jo Poole
- Marylucia Arace
- Mohd Salah
- Richard Bernier
- Rita Pinkerton
- Sheridan Shenkin
- Thomas Gayton
- Thomas O’Neil
- Waleed Arikat
- Add your name
Here’s why: We know these exchanges are harmful to us at home and harmful to Palestinians. Under the banner of “counter-terrorism best practices” Israeli officials present techniques used for maintaining 50 years of illegal military occupation over four million Palestinians deprived of human and civil rights. While actively building support for Israel’s policies of occupation and apartheid, these programs encourage the further militarization of US borders and the kind of policing that threatens our civil rights, like mass surveillance, suppression of peaceful protest and racial profiling.
In the past, participants in these delegations have met with arms companies like Elbit that are profiting from occupation and militarization. They have included high-ranking officials from ICE and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP). These are the US government agencies responsible for family separation, detention and deportation of asylum seekers and legal immigrants on our borders. We do not want San Diego deepening connections with either these federal agencies or the corporations that profit from occupation and border militarization.
Please join our fight by signing on to this petition. The petition calls on the organizer of these trips, the Anti-Defamation League, and local elected officials who have jurisdiction over the police to end these programs immediately.
[…] is why Jewish Voice for Peace along with dozens of San Diego County individuals and groups are calling for ADL San Diego and local elected officials to end these trainings in the future. You can add your name to the petition […]