September/October 2022 | CAMERA on Campus

Newsletter – September/October 2022

Boston’s Top Universities Host Antisemitic Guest Speakers

At Harvard University, students protested the appearance of Mohammed El-Kurd. Photo credit: CAMERA Harvard Law School and MIT hosted Palestinian activists with a history of sharing unadulterated, vicious, antisemitism. At both universities, Mohammed El-Kurd took to the stage despite having said that Israelis have “an unquenchable thirst for Palestinian blood.” He has described Zionism as a “death cult”, “murderous”, “genocidal” and “sadistic”. At MIT, Amany Khalifa, who referred to the murderers of Israeli civilians Richard Lakin, Haviv Haim, Alon Goverberg, Alon Bakal, Shimon Ruimi, Amin Shaaban, Rabbi Yeshayahu Krishevsky, and Rina Shnerb as “heroes” was hosted on the MIT campus by several academic departments. MIT and Harvard University students did not stand idly by while these antisemites entered their classrooms. Via petitions, articles, and protests, students at MIT and Harvard University made it clear that antisemites are not welcome. To read CAMERA’s full press release, please follow JNS.

Click Here to Support Students

CAMERA Students Across the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Israel Unite

For the first time in two years since the start of the pandemic, CAMERA held an in-person conference featuring the 2022-2023 cohort of CAMERA Fellows and CAMERA on Campus Coalition members. Students traveled to Boston, MA for the 4-day conference, which spanned from July 31st-August 4th, 2022.

Students traveling from across the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Israel discussed effective strategies to address anti-Israel propaganda on the quad, in the classroom, and campus media.

Experts in various fields; journalism, law, social media, networking, and activism prepared conference participants for the year ahead. The students will begin their fall semester with increased new knowledge, confidence and a new array of skills to assist in educating their peers and addressing campus antisemitism.

Conference participants were encouraged to put their new skills into practice at the conference; participating in op-ed writing workshops, debates, mock BDS trials, and helpful simulations of anti-Zionist activities they are likely to encounter when they return to campus.

The number one goal of CAMERA on Campus’ annual conference is to ensure that these courageous students know they are on the right of history and are not alone in this fight for the truth. As Ohio State University CAMERA Fellow Alex Grosman told the JNS, “…it’s so incredible to see that we are not alone in our struggles; students here have faced similar experiences,” he said. “It gives us hope that there are people who still support the Zionist cause.” Follow this link to read JNS’s full coverage of the conference. Click here to watch a short video of our conference on Instagram.

Students Take Action Throughout Summer Break

While everyone looks forward to the summer holidays, CAMERA students and staff continued to work tirelessly to expose anti-Israel and antisemitic propaganda spread widely online and in the streets. Below are a few examples of their successes.

NYC’s Within Our Lifetime Continues to Support the Intifada

Click here for footage of Within Our Lifetime organizers calling for an intifada from New York to Gaza.

While Israeli civilians are once again being attacked and murdered while walking in their neighborhood or riding the local bus by Palestinian extremists, CUNY School of Law’s star student, Nerdeen Kiswani, and her organization, Within Our Lifetime, orchestrated a protest in NYC celebrating the violent Intifada. CAMERA on Campus Advisor, Walter Holzberg attended the rally. “On August 29th, the anti-Zionist group Within Our Lifetime hosted a rally at Washington Square Park in New York City to protest the detention of Khalil Awadeh. From there, the event descended into slanderous attacks on Zionists and the state of Israel.” Please follow cameraoncampus.org for an upcoming report on the demonstration.

Jonah Fried of McGill University Sues University, Student Society, for Discrimination

As reported earlier this year, The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) made headlines after violating its own policies to adopt a “Palestinian Solidarity Policy.” The policy was never ratified as the SSMU Board of Directors determined, “that the Palestine Solidarity Policy is not in conformity with the SSMU Constitution, the SSMU Equity Policy, the 2016 SSMU Judicial Board ruling in Reference re Legality of the BDS Motion and Similar Motions, and Quebec Law.” Due to the harassment and discrimination, CAMERA Fellow Jonah Fried, suffered from due to his campaign against the Palestinian Solidarity Policy, with the help of B’nai Brith, Fried is suing the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU), Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR) and McGill. According to the Candian Jewish News, “He is seeking a declaratory judgment that the Palestine Solidarity Policy advocating boycott, divestment, and sanctions against Israel proposed by SPHR is “inconsistent with and contrary to the constitution, bylaws and policies” of the SSMU. That policy, never ratified, is “discriminatory, biased and antisemitic,” it is alleged because it is “designed to create a climate of fear and intimidation against Jewish students attending McGill.” We applaud Jonah’s courageous efforts in his fight to secure a safe environment for Zionists and Jews at McGill University. Click here for the full story.

President of the National Union of Students in the UK Suspended Due to Allegations of Antisemitism

As reported by the Jewish Chronicle, “National Union of Students’ president Shaima Dallali has been suspended while an independent investigation by QC Rebecca Tuck into allegations of antisemitism within NUS continues. In material passed to the JC earlier this year by researchers at Labour Against Antisemitism, which has investigated Ms Dallali’s social media history, she also labelled a cleric critical of Hamas a “dirty Zionist” and posted a video of anti-Israel protesters calling for an intifada.” Prior to the suspension, King’s College London, CAMERA Fellow, Saul Levene, reported for The Roar, on the Palestinian Societies’ support for Dallali (including KCL’s SJP) and their demands for NUS to drop the investigations as it’s a “direct decision to exclude those who stand for justice in Palestine.” Click here for Saul’s full report on KCL SJP and their own extremist activities at King’s College London.

UMASS Holocaust Studies Professor Against IHRA

In 2018, UMass Amherst appointed Professor Alon Confino chair of Holocaust Studies at UMass Amherst, Two years later, in 2020, Confino helped pen the controversial Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism (JDA) that purposely excludes the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions campaign) from being considered antisemitic and has accused the widely accepted International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition (IHRA) of hindering free speech. The UMass’ Institute for Holocaust, Genocide, and Memory Studies published a series of talks on YouTube titled “Encounters” where Confino promotes the notion that “The IHRA definition is nothing but a document used by Israeli propagandists to protect Israel against any harsh criticism regarding its attitude toward the Palestinians.” For CAMERA on Campus’ Israel Advisor. Read Tom Yohay’s analysis and response to Confino’s talk in English, and in Hebrew click here.

Click Here to Support Students

#ThisIsWhatAZionistLooksLike

“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, fields and interests. We showcase Zionists voices; sharing their stories, interests, and passions. To be featured in our #ThisIsWhatAZionistLooksLike campaign, please follow this link.

CAMERA on Campus Facebook

CAMERA on Campus Twitter

CAMERA on Campus Blog

Instagram

Help Us Meet Our Goal of Reaching 100 Campuses – Donate Today!

Warm Wishes from the CAMERA on Campus Team