The ICAN Platform
The First Comprehensive State & Local Pro-Israel Network
We are Israeli and American grassroots advocates working together to strengthen the U.S.–Israel alliance and combat antisemitism, especially at the state and local level.
Our civic action network includes Israelis living in the United States, Jewish Americans, and Persian Jewish, Russian-speaking, and other Middle Eastern and North African Jewish communities, along with pro-Israel Americans of all backgrounds.
We value the contributions of Israeli-American, American Jewish, and other Jewish immigrant communities, and defend their right to connect with their culture and celebrate their heritage without bias or bigotry.
This platform sets out the policies and commitments that guide our work.
A Better America
We support state and local policies that protect our communities, uphold democratic values, and strengthen America’s ability to lead at home and abroad.
Combating Antisemitism & Hate
We consider the movement to boycott Israel and Israelis, known as BDS, to be discriminatory and an effort to erode the civil rights of Jews, Israelis, or anyone who chooses to freely associate with Israel. We recognize that antisemitism is on the rise in America and support a comprehensive agenda to combat it through increased funding for security, improved tools for law enforcement, and educating against hate.
We support the adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism by governments, public agencies, and educational institutions.
We support enhanced hate crime penalties and improved data collection by law enforcement.
We support the establishment and work of State Commissions on the State of Hate to develop actionable policy recommendations.
State and local commitments:
- Work with city councils and county commissions to pass IHRA adoption resolutions.
- Lobby for state legislation to enhance penalties for hate crimes and improve reporting infrastructure.
- Partner with school boards to integrate antisemitism awareness into curriculum and staff training.
- Support state attorney general offices in developing antisemitism enforcement guidelines.
Strengthening Advocacy In School and on Campus
We demand that students of Israeli and Jewish heritage are afforded equal protection under the law in public schools and on American campuses.
We believe that ethnic studies curricula should be replaced with history classes so as to prevent our students from being indoctrinated into radical activist ideologies that further diminish Israeli and Jewish students.
We support mandatory access to Holocaust and genocide education in all fifty states.
We support legislation tracking and prohibiting certain foreign funding of public schools and universities from hostile actors such as the State of Qatar.
We support the promotion of modern Hebrew as a second language in public schools to help future generations understand and connect with their Israeli identity.
State and local commitments:
- Push for state education department standards requiring inclusion of Jewish and Israeli narratives in ethnic studies.
- Advocate for state higher-education oversight boards to investigate foreign funding sources, including Qatar.
- Partner with local school boards to implement Hebrew language programs and Holocaust education mandates.
- Provide advocacy training for students, faculty, and administrators at public institutions.
In addition…
We support fair treatment, equal rights, and civic empowerment for all regardless of sex, race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, or sexual orientation.
We support those who seek citizenship to become the newest Americans among us.
We encourage our community to register and vote in every election.
We believe that public service is a sacred duty and we encourage and guide members of our community to seek public office by appointment or election.
State and local commitments:
- Promote voter registration drives in partnership with community centers.
- Recruit and support pro-Israel candidates for local and state office.
- Provide training on navigating municipal and state appointments to boards and commissions.
A More Secure Israel
We support U.S. foreign policy and state and local initiatives that strengthen Israel’s security, foster regional partnerships, and advance policies that promote peace and stability.
Promoting the Abraham Accords
We support efforts to foster regional cooperation among nations of the Middle East with a particular emphasis on security, energy, and economic issues, potentially leading to the creation of a Middle East Strategic Alliance to counter Iran’s regional ambitions.
We support the Abraham Accords as a model for normalization and peace, and we advocate for city and state resolutions, sister city agreements, trade missions, and other forms of local diplomacy that expand and strengthen these agreements.
State and local commitments:
- Pass state and municipal resolutions supporting the Abraham Accords.
- Create state-level trade offices to facilitate business partnerships with Abraham Accords countries.
- Organize local cultural exchanges to showcase the benefits of regional normalization.
Preventing a Nuclear Iran
We believe that the illicit nuclear activities of the Islamic Republic of Iran, combined with its development of unconventional weapons and ballistic missiles and its support for international terrorism, represent a threat to the security of the United States, Israel, and other allies around the world.
We support economic sanctions to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, expanding its use of unconventional weapons, or increasing its support for terrorism.
We oppose any agreement that provides sanctions relief without ending Iran’s nuclear program.
We support maintaining and strengthening state-level Iran divestment laws.
State and local commitments:
- Advocate for state pension fund divestment from companies doing business with Iran’s defense and energy sectors.
- Promote municipal investment policies screening out Iran-linked holdings.
Israel at War
We support Israel’s absolute right to defend itself against any attack.
We support U.S. Congressional and state/local resolutions affirming Israel’s right to self-defense.
We support public awareness campaigns to counter misinformation.
We advocate for enhanced U.S.–Israel defense cooperation, including joint training, technology sharing, and expedited aid.
We mobilize our networks within 24 hours to support Israel during times of conflict.
State and local commitments:
- Secure emergency resolutions in state legislatures and city councils expressing solidarity.
- Organize public rallies and media events with local elected officials.
- Engage state National Guards in joint training partnerships with Israel where permissible.
In addition…
Defunding and Defeating International Terrorism
We support efforts to prevent Hizballah, Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, or any affiliates from accessing international support networks, including material and financial support from the Islamic Republic of Iran, and from attempting to use goods, including medicine and dual-use items, to smuggle weapons and other materials to further acts of terrorism.
We support efforts to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and to classify the State of Qatar as a state sponsor of terrorism.
State and local commitments:
- Push for state anti-terror investment screens barring contracts with companies tied to designated terrorist entities.
- Educate municipal procurement officials on avoiding vendors with terror-linked supply chains.
Terminate Aid Incentivizing Terrorism
We support the termination of financial assistance to the Palestinian Authority for paying salaries to terrorists and to the families of deceased terrorists.
State and local commitments:
- Advocate for state congressional delegations to withhold such aid through formal resolutions.
Combating Global Antisemitism
We support efforts by the administration and Congress to combat global antisemitism through education, outreach, and improved security, particularly in Europe. We must also vigorously confront the growing trend of antisemitism masked as anti-Zionism and condemn governments that distort or deny the Holocaust.
State and local commitments:
Partner with state Holocaust commissions to monitor and respond to international antisemitism trends.
A Stronger U.S. - Israel Alliance
We support U.S. policies and state and local partnerships that deepen the U.S.–Israel alliance, expand cooperation in key sectors, and defend our shared interests.
Strengthening the U.S.–Israel Alliance
We will protect and preserve America’s commitment to Israel’s security and ensure that Israel maintains a qualitative military edge over any adversary.
We support Israel’s sovereign right to defend itself against any attack upon its people and against alternative forms of warfare being waged upon it legally, economically, culturally, and otherwise.
State and local commitments:
- Encourage state defense cooperation agreements with Israel in permissible areas like cybersecurity and emergency response.
In addition…
Combating the International BDS Movement
We recognize that the international Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) Movement is antisemitic and seeks the destruction of Israel. We support effective legislation to prevent actions intended to delegitimize Israel by eliminating academic or commercial relations with Israel, or persons or entities doing business in Israel or in Israeli-controlled territories, in a discriminatory manner. We also recognize that the boycott Israel movement works to disenfranchise and foster discrimination against the Israeli-American community in the United States, and we work to combat this campaign of bias and bigotry by educating public officials and community leaders, and enhanced anti-discrimination laws.
State and local commitments:
- Support state anti-BDS contracting laws.
- Promote municipal procurement policies to reject vendors supporting BDS.
Expanding Binational Cooperation
We support the broadening and strengthening of the U.S.–Israel relationship in key sectors, including scientific, economic, and technology cooperation, particularly in sustainable development, energy, water, agriculture, medicine, neurotechnology, and cybersecurity.
State and local commitments:
- Develop state-level MOUs in targeted industries.
- Launch municipal innovation exchanges linking U.S. and Israeli cities.
New Partnerships with Cities and States
We support the creation of new opportunities for partnerships between states and cities for intergovernmental cooperation, economic development, and academic cooperation.
State and local commitments:
- Facilitate sister city agreements and state commerce missions to Israel.