The New Jewish Agenda (NJA) announced today that a “fraudulent mail campaign” is being conducted in an attempt to “disrupt and discredit” the work of the organization.
Reena Bemards, NJA’s national director, said her organization initiated an investigation of the fraudulent letters with the U.S. Postal Service immediately after the NJA’s national office received the first letter last month and that the NJA “intends to take legal action against the perpetrators of the fraud when they are discovered.”
The unsigned letters, one dated June and the other dated July, both bearing the salutation “Dear friend,” were mailed without return addresses throughout North America with postmarks from Van Nuys, Calif.; New York City; and Westchester County, N.Y.
The letters were on copies of stationery from a defunct pro-Palestinian organization, the U.S. Ad-Hoc Committee for Palestinian Rights. Neither the organization nor the Post Office and box — Box 151 — Walnut Bottom, Pa. 17266 — are now in existence, the NJA reported.
Ms. Bernards told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that the NJA sent a letter June 10 to the U.S. Postal Inspector in Manhattan and had received a reply last Thursday that the letter had been received and that action would be taken on it “in due course.”
The June letter states, in part that “it is incumbent upon us to mobilize all of our resources in order to help stymie (Premier Menachem) Begin’s latest blitzkrieg (in Lebanon).” It adds “If we can exploit and encourage such (American Jewish criticism of Israel), we can further isolate and undermine the Zionist regime.” The July letter states, in part, that “every time a Jewish group opposes Israel, another nail is hammered into the Occupier’s coffin.” Both letters urge “all friends of the Palestine revolution” to “assist the New Jewish Agenda.”
Jeffrey Dekra, NJA co-chairperson, said “these letters constitute an outrageous slander and lie. We in the NJA have never had contact” with the U.S. Ad-Hoc Committee “which, in fact, ceased to exist in 1978, before our organization ever came into existence. “
Dekro said that while the NJA “has been critical of some specific policies of the Israeli government” the position of the NJA “has always been one of deep concern for Israel’s security, and we are in full support of Israel as a homeland for the Jewish people.” Ms. Bernards and Dekro described the NJA as a national organization which, “in addition to working for peace in the Middle East, ” is currently working for nuclear disarmament, economic justice, reproductive rights, and an end to anti-Semitism and racism.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
