Controversy
In late 2006 and early 2007, a controversy arose within the Israel On Campus Coalition when one the more left-wing member groups, the Union of Progressive Zionists (UPZ) sponsored speeches by former Israeli soldiers who spoke out against human rights abuses in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories. This was not appreciated within the coalition's more conservative (right-wing) "pro-active pro-Israel agenda" members of the coalition. The Zionist Organization of America called for the expulsion of the UPZ. Jewish National Fund did not call for the group's exclusion, but demanded that the UPZ end the speakers’ activities. The World Zionist Organization supported the UPZ, as did a group of 100 academics from Israel. Although the coalition's steering committee voted 9-0 against expulsion in January 2007, the issue resulted in a debate among major Zionist organizations. The American Jewish Congress threatened to quit the coalition out of dissatisfaction with the decision to allow the UPZ to remain.
Read more about this topic: Israel On Campus Coalition
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