The Academic, Media, and Student Government Bias

Newsletter – January/February 2022

Bias within UK Student Unions Exposed

While British Jewish citizens were attacked and harassed in the streets this past May (along with Jews around the world) Student Unions belonging to British universities that are supposed to represent every student’s voice shared their support and sympathy for the Palestinians against the “Israeli regime.” CAMERA Fellows at University College London (UCL) and King’s College London (KCL) exposed their Student Unions in their student newspapers, Pi Media, and The Roar. They reported on the harmful propaganda and falsehoods shared by their Student Unions, and the need for action to take place against their flagrant biases. To read Saul Levene’s full piece, please follow this link. For Abigail Dawrish’s article, click here.

Make a Difference at Your University Apply to be a CAMERA Fellow!

Do you want to learn how to effectively educate your friends and classmates on what’s happening in the Middle East? Are you interested in penning interesting and informative articles on Israel while correcting falsehoods often spread by Students for Justice in Palestine members and their allies? Are you ready to build coalitions and hold fun, educational events on the realities of life in Israel? Do you know of friends or family members who this describes well? If yes, make sure to follow this link to learn more about CAMERA’s prestigious CAMERA Fellowship for university students. Apply by April 1st to be chosen to represent your university as a CAMERA Fellow and share with your friends and family!

Are Zionist Voices Being Censored in North American Campus Media?

The McGill Daily circa 2016

Many may recall in 2016 the explicit refusal by McGill University’s campus paper, The McGill Daily to publish any articles supportive of Zionism. Since then, the newspaper has been required to publish articles supporting Israel withstanding an editor’s note attached to the beginning of each piece distancing themselves from such opinions. The McGill Daily’s honest censoring of Zionist opinions was rightfully shocking and unacceptable for a newspaper, but the quiet withholding of pro-Israel articles amongst month North American universities has continued. For the Jerusalem Post, Hebrew University CAMERA Fellow interviewed two U.S.- based CAMERA Fellows on their experiences with discrimination and resistance to publishing their opinions by their campus newspapers at the University of Pittsburgh and Northeastern University. To read their interview, visit JPOST.

Anti-Zionism Propaganda Spread by University Professors

University of Pittsburgh School of Law Professor Daniel Kovalik paid respect to slain Qasem Soleimani, who was a general in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards and commander of the Quds Force.

Professor Kovalik’s public embrace of murderers and his spread of false accounts pertaining to the Arab-Israeli conflict is unfortunately just one example in a sea of anti-Israel academia who are more than glad to leverage their position to manipulate young minds. As CAMERA’s International Campus Director described for JNS, “The professors are definitely— if not the main source—one of the key sources of the anti-Zionism that we’re seeing spread throughout the campus. They are indoctrinating the students.” She addressed that “faculty advisers encourage students to form anti-Israel organizations and intimidate students in Middle East studies classes if they have a different perspective.” Thankfully, brave student activists, such as our University of Pittsburgh CAMERA Fellow, are more than willing to expose their professors for the biases that they hold, helping to bring light to the desperate issues that we face within the university’s walls. To read Aidan Segal’s full expose on Daniel Kovalik, click here. For the full JNS interview with CAMERA’s International Director, follow this link.

CAMERA Staff and Students Educating

Over the last few weeks, CAMERA advisors traveled across New York and Washington D.C. to meet with students, providing them with resources to counter anti-Israel rhetoric on social media, giving them valuable input on how to strengthen their Israel clubs and build allies with others along with lending support and resources to those who were facing intimidation for their support of Israel. In London, CAMERA Fellows spread the awareness of the attacks of the IHRA definition many universities have adopted to protect their Jewish students and educated their peers on the unacceptable options, such as the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism, anti-Israel student societies, and faculty have proposed to replace the IHRA definition.

Breaking Down the Disappearing Land Maps

The false information presented in the “Palestinian Land Loss” graphic is often shared by anti-Israel student organizations via social media and has printed fliers on campus. Through Instagram, we have created short and concise refutations to such false information that students can easily understand and reshare. All of our social media material also leads back to more detailed sources that thoroughly refute the material such as the “Palestinian Land Loss” graphic that was handled out by Bears for Palestine at UC Berkely. Tikvah: Students for Israel quickly utilized our material to create their own fliers and to counter and accurately educate their peers on the historically correct accounts of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Through social media, CAMERA on Campus is identifying some of the most common rhetoric put out by anti-Israel activists and using our platforms to educate on its meaning and historical context as well as identifying best practices on how best to respond. Make sure to follow us @cameraoncampus on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Exposing SJP to Israelis

Exposing Students for Justice in Palestine and their affiliates for sympathizing with terrorists has spread beyond their base in the U.S. with the help of CAMERA on Campus Israel. National SJP’s support for the six organizations that Israel recently declared to be terrorist affiliates for their connection to the terrorist entity, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) was uncovered in Zman Israel (The Times of Israel’s Hebrew site) by CAMERA’s on Campus Israel advisor. CAMERA Fellow at Afeka College revealed for Mida how specific SJP chapters have shared support for the terrorists who escaped from the Gilboa prison last September as well as the six organizations affiliated with the PFLP, including hosting actual PFLP members. In Hebrew and in English, Rechiman University CAMERA Fellow and Bar-Ilan University CAMERA Fellow detailed the hypocrisy of SJP’s push to boycott Israeli academics and universities proposed at the City University of New York and the University of Minnesota for JNS and Mida respectively.

Exclusive CAMERA Fellowship Conversation with Lawfare Project’s Ben Rydberg and Wilson Center’s Izabella Tabarovsky

Throughout the academic school year, CAMERA will be holding an exclusive conversation series for CAMERA Fellows, allowing them to engage in an in-depth discussion with some of the most renowned scholars on Israel and the Arab-Israeli conflict. In January, the 2021-2022 CAMERA Fellowship cohort had an intimate conversation with the Chief Operating Officer and Director of Research at the Lawfare Project, Benjamin Ryberg. Due to the unfortunate reality of Jewish students being targeted and discriminated against for their identity, receiving legal advice on such antisemitism at their respective universities has become a necessary tool for Zionists students to receive. In February, the students received the opportunity to hear from the Wilson Center’s Senior Program Associate, Izabella Tabarovsky describe the unique angle of the far left’s connection to anti-Zionist rhetoric espoused via Soviet propaganda. Understanding why SJP chapters can promote the work of terrorist entities, such as the PFLP, without facing ostracism from their peers is one of the topics that were addressed during Izabella’s talk.

Click Here to Support Students

Involved with an independent, student-run Israel group? Apply to become a member of the CAMERA on Campus Coalition!

Israel group and society members of the CAMERA on Campus Coalition learn life-long skills in debate, writing, and public speaking, and benefit from close collaboration with CAMERA scholars. If you are part of an independent Israel organization on your campus or want to start an Israel club, apply here!

#ThisIsWhatAZionistLooksLike

“My grandfather, who I never met, was a Holocaust survivor. His strength and survival inspire me to forever fight for our people and homeland.” . Thank you @talking.with.talya!

“This Is What A Zionist Looks Like” is a CAMERA on Campus Instagram project that aims to show the world that Zionists come from diverse backgrounds and have diverse interests. We showcase different Zionists, their stories, their interests, and their beliefs.To be featured in our #ThisIsWhatAZionistLooksLike campaign, please follow this link.

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Warm Wishes from the CAMERA on Campus Team