Students Spoke at Official CAMERA on Campus UK Launch Reception

More than 50 students and professionals from around the United Kingdom gathered at the Centre for Jewish Life in London on Tuesday, meeting for the official launch of CAMERA on Campus UK, an international student organisation that counters misinformation about Israel on college campuses.

 The room was packed with students and CAMERA staff sharing their campus experiences, with topics ranging from Judeophobia to Israel’s peace offers to the Arab world.

“CAMERA inspires students to speak up, and that’s exactly what is needed in the UK right now,” said Daniel Kosky, a student at Nottingham University. “Too often students are intimidated, because anti-Israel activists are so loud and hostile.”

Last year, a CAMERA event made international headlines when riot police were called to University College London to protect Jewish attendees surrounded by a violent anti-Israel mob.

 “For British students facing a constant stream of misinformation about the Middle East and Israel, it’s invaluable to have an organisation like CAMERA to provide the necessary educational tools,” said Shlomo Roiter, a student at Cambridge University. “CAMERA provides students with a sense of solidarity.”

Khulan Davaajav, a CAMERA on Campus UK Associate and SOAS student, agrees. She says the organisation, which connects thousands of pro-Israel students and activists around the globe, is vital for both student confidence and the spread of truthful information about Israel.  

“CAMERA on Campus UK brings educational opportunities to British campuses that just haven’t been here before,” Davaajav said. “CAMERA will play a crucial role assisting students in the years to come, providing workshops, conferences, lectures, films, and educational material.”

 Aviva Slomich, international director for CAMERA on Campus, says that British students will now have access to resources and factual information in variety of languages: Hebrew, Arabic, English, Spanish and French. Students will also have access to the latest research from CAMERA’s two popular British media departments: UK Media Watch and BBC Watch.  

 “Because CAMERA is an international organization, we have staff from all over the world with a wide range of experience and scholarly expertise,” Slomich said. “Our global network, which CAMERA on Campus UK students will now enjoy, is a tremendous resource.”  

 “Campus culture in the UK is about to radically change,” CAMERA on Campus UK Associate and Kings College London student Tamara Berens said. “Jewish students in general, and pro-Israel students in particular, aren’t going to be bullied any longer. We intend to stand up and tell the truth about Israel.”

 “There is a genuine appetite for CAMERA,” Slomich added. She pointed out that CAMERA on Campus UK is already on eight campuses: Kings College London, SOAS, University College London, University of Strathclyde, Maynooth University, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, and University of Nottingham.

 “The number of schools will only grow from here,” Slomich said. “We’re very glad to be able to assist so many wonderful, courageous students.”