Off-campus but in touch – 2020

Newsletter – September 2020

Off-campus but in touch: Student learn tools from CAMERA conference to fight antisemitism

Due to the global coronavirus pandemic, CAMERA held this year’s student conference via Zoom, teaching students how to effectively combat anti-Israel and biased propaganda on college campuses and online. Unable to attend the typical five-day, in-person training session in Boston, more than 100 students from 66 universities in North America, the United Kingdom and Israel joined together virtually last month, CAMERA’s largest training conference to date. Read More

“From international law experts to Israeli celebrities, the CAMERA conference collected and amplified important voices for Israel advocacy. By listening in on these sessions, asking questions, and engaging directly with these speakers, I was able to develop a more nuanced understanding of the conflict, its effects, and some of the actionable steps that can be taken to advocate for its dissolution.”

“My experience with CAMERA has kept the fire for Israel advocacy and for telling the truth at the forefront of my passions. Both the staff and unique experts have an interest in teaching the next generation of pro-Israel campus leaders to fight for what’s right and to always know they have support wherever they turn. I am so honoured to be associated with CAMERA.”

San Francisco State University to host known terrorist as a guest lecturer

CAMERA on Campus managing editor Zac Schildcrout told JNS that “Leila Khaled committed acts of terrorism. Hijacking civilian flights for the cause of ending Jewish self-determination is not righteous, it is reprehensible. It is deeply concerning that an official academic program of San Francisco State University would glorify such actions. Is this the type of ‘academic’ programming that SFSU wants to be affiliated with?” Read More

University of Warwick rules in favor of professor’s use of antisemitic trope

In November 2019, Warwick University Sociology Lecturer Goldie Osuri claimed: “So the next time they say that the Labour Party is antisemitic, or you know there are some people possibly that are possibly antisemitic, but the idea that the Labour Party is antisemitic is very much an Israeli lobby kind of idea, the idea that you want to discredit the Labour Party because there is support for Palestine among some members of the Labour Party.” Osuri’s comment runs counter to the reality of the antisemitism crisis that has engulfed the UK Labour Party for the past few years, with recent party leader Jeremy Corbyn at its center. A poll in the summer of 2018 found that an overwhelming majority of British Jews, and a plurality of the general British public, believe Corbyn is antisemitic. Even Labour members who feel there is a deliberate campaign to exaggerate antisemitism charges against Corbyn and Labour have acknowledged that the party has a “genuine problem” with antisemitism. CAMERA produced a detailed timeline of the Labour Party’s antisemitism crisis, which is available on our website. CAMERA on Campus fully supports the Union of Jewish Students (UJS) and Warwick Jewish and Israel Society in their call for the University of Warwick to adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism and their plans to escalate the complaint to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education.

Anti-Israel animus has run amok among young Americans

While these protests were planned by the likes of Samidoun and Jewish Voice for Peace, it is student groups that have truly taken the lead this time around. These students continue to demonstrate their bigotry and willingness to piggyback off the strife of the black community by drawing supposed similarities between Palestinians and the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, when the reality is anything but. Likewise, they proved their ability to effectively coordinate various protests on a national level. This should worry anyone devoted to pushing back against their nefarious agenda. Read More

Bashing opportunities to study Hebrew in Israel

This month it was revealed that the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) moved its “Hebrew Year Abroad” scheme from Hebrew University in Jerusalem to Haifa University. The University of West London has also severed ties with Hebrew U and is yet to announce a replacement Hebrew program. If British universities continue to contribute to this wave of capitulation to anti-Israel activism, students may not have the opportunity to learn Hebrew abroad at all. Read More

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Watch: CAMERA alumni: Where are they now?

To celebrate the creativity of our current students and alumni, CAMERA on Campus will be highlighting some of the new projects by our CAMERA Fellows and leaders of CAMERA-supported Israel student organizations. After completing the CAMERA Fellowship, many of our alumni have incorporated Israel into their professional careers. At our 2020 International Student Leadership Conference, we were privileged to hear from three of our alumni who have made Israel education a part of their career and a major part of their lives. Please click here to watch the full panel discussion.

Exclusive CAMERA fellowship web series kicks off

Over the next academic year, CAMERA will be providing exclusive webinars for CAMERA Fellows, allowing them to engage in intimate conversations with some of the most renowned scholars on Israel and the Arab-Israeli conflict.

CAMERA will begin the series on September 13th with North American History professor Gil Troy. Professor Troy will touch upon Zionism’s importance today, while also addressing some of the most egregious attacks against the human rights movement.

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Book Review: Noura Erakat Misrepresents History

Throughout Justice for Some: Law and the Question of Palestine, Noura Erakat argues that law is politics, and its meaning and application depend on the political intervention of states and people alike. Within the law, change is possible. However, whatever change of law is sought should be done through an objective analysis of historical truths. Erakat’s attempts to challenge the legal status-quo of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are based on her replacement of historical facts with her own creative fictions. Unfortunately, Erakat’s book will likely find its way to many classrooms and will often be unaccompanied by the challenge of objective accounts. The colonialist narrative that she champions is a gross misrepresentation of the historical record and falls apart under serious inquiry. Read More

UK: ACORN fires employee for antisemitism

On August 23rd, ACORN, a UK renters’ union, sent a direct message from its Instagram account to an interested client, that read: “No time for Zionists sorry. We are a pro-Palestinian organization.” After communication with CAMERA and Campaign Against Antisemitism, the company was quick to apologize for the message sent from their account, and by August 25th, the person responsible for sending the message had been fired.

Israeli art lending library

CAMERA on Campus is partnering with Northeastern University Hillel on its exciting new project, the Israeli Art Lending Library. The goal is to provide students with works by Israeli artists to both brighten their rooms and offer a creative way to start up conversations about Israeli culture and lifestyle. You may visit their website to browse the various works that students can choose to borrow, including the above painting created by Tufts University CAMERA Fellow Alumna, Ariella Charny.

#ThisIsWhatAZionistLooksLike

“I love to be involved with anything under the sea and stars. Our planet is delicate and can only support us for so long. Protect the huge mammals at sea, whales, dolphins, anything, and everything. We are here for such a short amount of time, let’s make the most of it! I am an underwater Zionist. Am Yisrael Chai – @planet.ocean.midge “This Is What A Zionist Looks Like” is a CAMERA on Campus Instagram project which 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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