Boston, Massachusetts – CAMERA on Campus has just launched its “This Is Zionism” campaign, which equips Zionist students on campuses across the globe to speak out confidently for Israel. The campaign unites students in their fight to educate their peers on Israel and the meaning of Zionism.
“Since Hamas’ massacre of Israeli civilians on October 7, Zionist students on campuses across the world are being targeted like never before. Students who believe in the right of the Jewish people to self-determination in their indigenous homeland need our support,” said Douglas Sandoval, managing director for CAMERA on Campus.
For the fourth year in a row, the campaign offers a website (zionism.me) where students will find a comprehensive guide to understanding Zionism and responding to attacks on Zionism.
“Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace have fueled antisemitic attacks against Zionist students through their doubling down on the false and ludicrous equation of Zionism to something harmful and nefarious,” said Sasha Chernyak, content and campaigns manager for CAMERA on Campus.
On April 2 at Florida State University, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) search and rescue officer Yuval Klein was interrupted by a group of masked anti-Zionist protestors who attempted to silence him and harass students during his presentation on the humanitarian efforts of the IDF.
One of the protestors, dressed in clothing splattered with red paint and holding a doll wrapped in a white cloth shouted at students while waving a Palestinian flag, “Israel is an illegal Zionist entity!”
“A mob of students forced the event to come to a halt until police intervened. The unbridled antisemitism and intolerance displayed by anti-Zionist hate groups toward anyone who does not parrot their propaganda has intensified since October 7,” said Florida State University CAMERA Fellow Itel Nagli.
At Exeter University in the UK, CAMERA Fellows and Jewish students were surrounded by a crowd of 100 who shouted at them and ripped up their educational materials about Israel.
“One student even threw red juice on the Zionist students, in a nod to the libel that Israel has blood on its hands,” said Christina Jones, communications associate for CAMERA UK.
“The proliferation of the lie that Zionism entails trendy buzz words like ‘white supremacism,’ ‘racism,’ and ‘ethnic cleansing,’ is capturing students who would otherwise be apathetic towards Israel and Zionist students,” said Chernyak, highlighting the urgency of this year’s campaign.
Binghamton University CAMERA Fellow Aviad Levy recently reflected on the impact “This is Zionism” has for his community.
“I am proud to participate in the ‘This is Zionism’ campaign. Zionism is an inextricable part of our identity and sense of peoplehood. In a time when Jewish people around the world need to stand together, CAMERA on Campus’ efforts are a positive step toward strengthening Jewish communities on campuses everywhere,” said Levy.
CAMERA on Campus will post shareable infographics, reels in collaboration with other Zionist activists, and host livestreams at @cameraoncampus on Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn.
