Prosor and Sacks to launch American friends of BICOM

Israel’s ambassador to the UN Ron Prosor will address a New York event marking the launch of American Friends of BICOM next week.

The new group will support the work of the London-based organisation, which aims to create a more supportive environment for Israel including by taking journalists and opinion-formers to the Jewish state and Palestinian territories.

The launch of the first Friends of BICOM group in America recognises the growing impact of British media in the US.

The BBC is among the world’s most widely-consumed broadcasters, the Daily Mail’s website recently overtook the New York Times as the most visited newspaper site and the Guardian’s site last year saw 12.5m visitors from the States.

BICOM CEO Dermot Kehoe said: “The launch of American Friends of BICOM gives a great opportunity for further transatlantic cooperation. The global reach of British media means BICOM’s work matters worldwide.”

Prosor is to join former Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks during the launch event, where around 100 guests will hear about the importance of engaging with UK media. It will be hosted by BICOM founder Poju Zabludowicz, chairman Edward Misrahi and the new American Friends of BICOM board.

The launch was announced as the organisation unveiled a new 60-page BICOM publication called ‘The Apartheid Smear,’ which addresses the intellectual foundation of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanction (BDS) movement.

The document will be circulated by Israel’s foreign ministry with pro-Israel groups worldwide. In the UK, the Union of Jewish Students (UJS) has been working with BICOM to distribute the leaflet on campus.