Big Duck, which describes itself as a “smart communications for nonprofits” worker-owned cooperative, declined to work with the Shalom Hartman Institute, a Jewish think tank, because the think tank conducts “significant programming in Israel,” Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) reported.
The January 11 JTA report stated that think tank’s communications director, Dorit Rabbani, took notes during her phone call the week before with Farra Trompeter, the co-director of Big Duck. Her notes said that Trompeter asked if the institute is “Zionist” and against the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS); Rabbani answered in the affirmative, prompting Trompeter to rebuff the institute’s interest, claiming that the cooperative’s employees “would have trouble bringing passion to work with Hartman,” JTA reported. Rabbani lamented to JTA that if Trompeter engaged in dialogue with the think tank, she would see “why our work is actually so important [in] furthering coexistence and peace.” The institute works to “promote pluralism and Israeli democracy” and engages with the American Muslim community, according to JTA.
Trompeter, however, told JTA that the decision to reject the Hartman Institute had nothing to do with their support for Zionism and opposition to BDS, as “Big Duck does not use litmus tests.” As evidence, she pointed to the fact that Big Duck has worked with various Jewish organizations, which includes Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS), Keshet and National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), per JTA. “We do ask if [potential clients] are open to working with a team and company that is questioning Israel’s policies and practices among other issues, and consider that in evaluating whether we will be a good fit for creating their communications and fundraising materials,” she said. Trompeter also told JTA that Big Duck’s employees aim to fight “oppression,” which has “has led us to more active questioning of working with organizations with significant programming in Israel, among other issues, and in those cases, we have mutually agreed that it does not make sense to work together.” She added Big Duck will still work with Jewish organizations and “profoundly rejects anti-Semitism.”
JTS told JTA that they are “disheartened” by Big Duck’s decision to reject the Hartman Institute and that when JTS worked with Big Duck they never questioned “our views on Israel.” The heads of Keshet and NCJW also told JTA that Big Duck does not support BDS and echoed Trompeter’s claim that the cooperative doesn’t impose litmus tests.
Following the publication of the JTA article, the Hartman Institute published a statement on their website standing by their version of the story. “We approached Big Duck about doing some work together; we were almost immediately asked a set of questions about the Institute’s political positions on BDS and in light of our ‘presence’ in Israel; and Big Duck said they would decline our business because of these commitments,” the statement read. “In these respects, Big Duck’s decision represents a moving of the goalposts on BDS from Israel to North American Jewish organizations, and applies a standard on North American Jewish commitments that would exclude the vast majority of the members of our community. Big Duck’s claims to not apply litmus tests nor to adhere to a BDS policy as a company are belied by their application of a litmus test here, and by their allowing those employees who support BDS to exercise a veto over business decisions on the basis of that commitment.”
They acknowledged that there could have been “a miscommunication by Big Duck, though that miscommunication was carried forth from their original comments and through their misrepresentation of the story to the JTA reporter. We also are open to the possibility that Big Duck would genuinely like to learn more about how and why Jewish organizations like ours are triggered and offended by such litmus tests, and how the causes of justice, human rights, and the advancement of democracy in Israel are undermined by the refusal to work with liberal Zionist institutions in North America.” The institute called on Big Duck to apologize and show that they’re willing “to learn from this misstep” through “distancing itself from the culture of anti-Zionist litmus testing that is growing in some sectors of the Jewish community.” Big Duck did not respond to the Journal’s request for comment by publication time.
Various Jewish groups denounced Big Duck’s decision to reject the Hartman Institute.
“This is an unacceptable litmus test, period,” Anti-Defamation League (ADL) CEO Jonathan Greenblatt tweeted. “In the wake of rising #antisemitism prompted by those who demonize the Jewish state and literally attack Jews as a result, this is yet another sign of the disturbing normalization of hate.” He added in a subsequent tweet that “the vast majority of American Jews are Zionist. A wide range of Jewish & non-Jewish [organizations] support the state of Israel and its right to exist. Is @BigDuck going to poll all its clients to gauge opinions on [Middle East] peace? Or only the Jewish ones?” Greenblatt concluded his Twitter thread by noting that the ADL has previously conducted business with Big Duck but “will never do so again.”
This is an unacceptable litmus test, period. In the wake of rising #antisemitism prompted by those who demonize the Jewish state and literally attack Jews as a result, this is yet another sign of the disturbing normalization of hate. https://t.co/WWAk8OC44n
— Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) January 11, 2022
To be clear, the vast majority of American Jews are Zionist. A wide range of Jewish & non-Jewish orgs support the state of Israel and its right to exist. Is @BigDuck going to poll all its clients to gauge opinions on Mid East peace? Or only the Jewish ones?
— Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) January 11, 2022
There are constructive ways to push aggressively for peace. This is not one of them.
In full disclosure, @ADL has worked with @BigDuck in the past. We will not do so again.
— Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) January 11, 2022
The Simon Wiesenthal Center tweeted that Big Duck’s actions reflects “the #BDS inspired demonization and purge of Israel and Zionism expands in the US. Any consequences?”
The #BDS inspired demonization and purge of Israel and Zionism expands in the US. Any consequences?https://t.co/QSIAdF2mkF via @jtanews
— SimonWiesenthalCntr (@simonwiesenthal) January 11, 2022
Stop Antisemitism tweeted that “One of the [main] goals the Shalom Hartman Institute is to promote dialogue between Jews and Arabs,” calling Big Duck’s decision “truly sickening behavior.”
OUTRAGEOUS – @bigduck co-owner Farra Trompeter (@farra) refuses to work with a Jewish org (Shalom Hartman Institute) due its "activities in Israel".
One of the mail goals the Shalom Hartman Institute is to promote dialogue between Jews and Arabs.
Truly sickening behavior. pic.twitter.com/U9o29bn0Ba
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) January 11, 2022
Rabbi Joshua Stanton of the East End Temple, a reform synagogue in New York, tweeted that Big Duck’s rationale for rejecting the Hartman Institute was “embarrassingly incoherent” and “laden with the evidence of a double-standard (or worse) for Jews and Jewish organizations.”
https://twitter.com/JoshuaMZStanton/status/1480931937430736908?s=20
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