The creep of anti-Semitism onto college campuses

from The Daily, University of Washington    Full Article Links...HERE

By Nathan Taft The Daily | 0 comments

Earlier this year at UCLA, sophomore Rachel Beyda was initially denied a spot on the student council’s Judicial Board. Why?

Because she was Jewish. 

As an openly proud, Star-of-David-wearing Jew who goes to school on a college campus, this didn’t surprise me as much as I wish it had. 

I’ve attended the UW for four years now, I’ll be graduating at the end of this quarter, and during my time here I’ve faced more anti-Semitism than I’d like to admit. I’ve had TAs whose grading of my work drastically changed for the worse mid-quarter after I spoke out about the need for a Jewish State. I’ve gotten dirty looks around campus for displaying my Star of David prominently around my neck. I’ve had classmates quite literally cease interaction with me after discovering my Jewish heritage, no longer sitting near me during lectures and going out of their way to be in different groups during quiz sections.

I’m not writing this piece for sympathy or pity. This is not a woe is me, feel bad for the Jew story. No, I’m writing this because so few people understand the slow slide back into anti-Semitism that’s occurring, not just here, but around the world, and that’s a problem.

But first, let’s back up a bit.

After the Holocaust, rates of anti-Semitism dropped drastically; losing 6 million of your people can do that. But, as the decades passed, memories faded and anti-Semitism began to thrive once more. 

In France, Jews make up less than 1 percent of the population, but are targeted by 51 percent of all racially motivated attacks. All across Europe, Jews face murder, rape, beatings, and harassment for simply being Jewish. Chants of “Jews to the gas,” “dirty Jew,” and “death to the Jews,” are no longer rare, being heard at riots, marches, and even soccer games in multiple cities throughout Europe. Sometimes, the leaders of these groups claim they’re demonstrating against Israel, not Jews, sometimes they don’t. If you’re being honest, it doesn’t really matter one way or another.

Here in the United States, this resurgence of anti-Semitism is less widespread, being mostly limited to college campuses, and is usually far more subtle. Disdain for and discrimination against Jews is rarely out in the open like in the case of Beyda. Instead, people like to hide behind anti-Israel rhetoric to justify their bigotry.

Now, that’s not to say all anti-Israel statements are anti-Semitic; far from it. I’m among the first to be critical of some of Israel’s policies, for good reason. Israel recently re-elected Benjamin Netanyahu, someone who has said he is outright opposed to a two-state solution with the Palestinians. That’s despicable. Palestinians have just as much of a right to a state as Israelis do, and to ever truly achieve peace, both peoples must have a country to call their own.

But oftentimes, when people on campus see my Star of David or find out that I’m Jewish, I’ve become the target for their frustration and anger with the State of Israel’s actions. Many will never admit it, but simply by being Jewish, I’ve become their enemy. 

That’s not right. Maybe if I was a hardcore religious Zionist — I’m not — who believes the Palestinians should be forcibly and violently removed from Gaza and the West Bank — I don’t — I could understand that reaction. 

But that’s not what’s going on, and that’s not the viewpoint of the vast majority of American Jews. Yet, some people see my Star of David and brand me as someone toxic, someone worthy of their disdain and vitriol.

That’s not being anti-Israel. That’s being anti-Semitic. And anyone who says otherwise simply isn’t being honest.

Click HERE to keep reading

Anti-Semitism on US college campuses, educating pro-Israel Americans and marking the Shoah

in the Jerusalem Post April 5, 2015 by Eric Mandel... Full Article Links HERE

Last week I was privileged to speak to two very different audiences about the Middle East and Israel.

The first talk was at Purchase College in Westchester County, New York. I had been invited as part of my college speaking tour on the Middle East which brought me to many universities in the Northeast, i.e. Harvard, Cornell, Brown, SUNY Oneonta SUNY Binghamton and more. The first scheduled speaking date was postponed because of a snowstorm. Coincidentally, a week before the rescheduled talk, the campus was defaced with anti-Semitic and racist graffiti including swastikas and a noose.

There is a rash of anti-Semitism now sweeping college campuses. I know this because my organization, Middle East Political and Information Network (MEPIN), is continually being asked to sign letters to college presidents throughout the country responding to the growing number of anti-Semitic incidents, insisting that universities maintain a safe environment for Jewish students.

I was told that even before this anti-Semitic incident, the topic of my speech had created a controversy on campus, especially among a growing anti-Israel movement, and that I should be prepared to receive a hostile reception. The anti-Israel group did ask some provocative questions during my talk, but to their credit they choose not to interrupt the talk or intimidate Jewish students as other anti-Israel groups such as Students for Justice in Palestine have done. Perhaps the police presence had something to do with it.   NOTE: Great Article. Keep reading HERE

"On the college campus, our kids are besieged by a growing plague of anti-Zionism in the name of political correctness and anti-colonialism."

How to Deal with Anti-Semitism on Campus

American Thinker March 27, 2015 by Elise Cooper
Full Article Links HERE

Anti-Semitism is gaining traction on many college campuses across America.  Instead of an atmosphere where ideas are exchanged and intellectual curiosity is encouraged, there is bigotry, discrimination, and offensive commentary against the Jewish population.  The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a major contributing factor, considering the divestment and the anti-Israeli campaigns.  There is a culture of targeting Israel that in turn targets Jewish students.  As in general society, the perpetrators appear to be one particular group: the Islamic extremists and their supporters. 

Ariela Keysar, who wrote a detailed "Anti-Semitism Report" with Barry A. Ksomin, found that more than half of American Jewish college students personally experienced or witnessed anti-Semitism last year.  Two glaring statistics stand out:  college students are five times more likely to have encountered anti-Semitism in the U.S. than other age groups, and 54% of Jewish students in the sample survey reported having been subject to or witnessed anti-Semitism on campus.

UCLA was recently in the news with the overtly anti-Semitic actions on campus.  Rachel Beyda, a Jewish student, was going to be confirmed by the student council as an appointed justice to the Judicial Board.  During the process, she was asked, "Given that you are a Jewish student and very active in the Jewish community… how do you see yourself being able to maintain an unbiased view?"  This interrogation coincided with UCLA's annual Israel Apartheid Week.  It was reported that after Rachel left the room, the discussion consisted of "forty minutes of unequivocal anti-Semitism." Even though all thought her amply qualified, half of the council did not want to confirm her because of "Rachel's Jewish identity."

In response to this and other actions, David Horowitz of the David Horowitz Freedom Center has initiated JewHatredonCampus.org.  His organization placed posters at UCLA linking the group "Supporters for Justice in Palestine" with terrorist activities.  For example, one poster depicted the body of a lifeless Palestinian civilian being dragged through the streets of Gaza by Hamas operatives while tethered to a motorcycle, with the bottom caption "#JewHaters."  Interestingly, UCLA's chancellor, Gene D. Block, came out strongly against what he calls intolerance and bias on the campus.  But the point to be made is that he wrote his condemnation only after the poster depiction of the Palestinians, which occurred days after the Rachel Beyda incident.  He needed a tit-for-tat before he publicly spoke.

American Thinker interviewed David Horowitz and two UCLA Jewish student leaders regarding anti-Semitism at UCLA.  The Jewish students wonder if Horowitz is an extremist who is just adding fuel to the fire, while David Horowitz questions if some Jewish groups on campus are appeasers.  Although they differ in the tactics to be used to battle anti-Semitism, all are in agreement that a contributing factor is the "liberal" atmosphere at UCLA.

Horowitz told American Thinker, "The Muslim Student Association and Students for Justice In Palestine are hate groups whose only purpose is to demonize the State of Israel.  They receive campus funding and campus support.  There is this hypocrisy and double standard.  Think about it: if they said these things against blacks, would there still be the same reaction?  With the campaign 'Jew Hatred On Campus,' we are attempting to shift the conversation from the ludicrous, whether Israel is an apartheid state, to whether these groups are hate groups.  We want to put forward the truth and present the propaganda of lies."

Rebecca is a UCLA junior who writes for UCLA's Jewish news magazine, Ha'Am.  She decided to engage the students who put up the Israel Apartheid Wall Installation on campus.  It is painted with different misfacts about the conflict.  Her feeling is that this wall is an attempt to recruit support from the black and Hispanic communities on campus, associating their experiences with Palestinian issues.  According to Rebecca, the discourse was respectful, with a give-and-take, until the Muslim representative saw her necklace that identified Rebecca as Jewish.  From that moment she never looked her in the eye and refused to continue the conversation.  Rebecca said, "I was really bothered, since she refused to talk to me only because I was Jewish.  She utterly disrespected me.  It became obvious it was not OK to have a dialogue with people who want to challenge the facts.  They do not want any dialogue."  NOTE: MUCH more to read by clicking HERE

Read more: http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2015/03/how_to_deal_with_antisemitism_on_campus.html#ixzz3VcC5yApi
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Student organizations fundraise for Seeds of Peace

FULL ARTICLE LINKS HERE

from the Daily Trojan March 24, 2015 by Linda Xu


NOTE: So refreshing to see even a glimmer of postive news... 

SC Students for Israel and 12 other student organizations hosted a fundraising gala at Founders Park to benefit Seeds of Peace, a nonprofit and apolitical organization that promotes conflict resolution and mediation efforts. On Tuesday evening, individual student groups offered different activities to gain attraction among visitors.

Activities included a performance from Asli Baat, a South Asian a cappella group, making peace flags with the International Student Association, turban-tying with the Sikh Student Association and a camp song activity by Camp Kesem. The event also brought an Indian food truck whose proceeds went towards the fundraiser.

Seeds of Peace is a New York-based organization which recruits young individuals from conflict areas in the Middle East and South Asia to spend a summer in Maine participating in mediation workshops.

Maya Fried, co-president emeritus of SCSI and a senior double majoring in philosophy, politics, and law and creative writing, explained that SCSI chose Seeds of Peace as their beneficiary because the organization’s goals were inspiring.

CLICK HERE to keep reading