This Is What a Zionist Looks Like

Newsletter – April 2022

This Is What a Zionist Looks Like

On April 13th, CAMERA on Campus inaugurated the second iteration of its “This Is What a Zionist Looks Like” (TWZLL) campaign celebrating the history of the Zionist movement and honoring the minds and communities that contributed to the development and advancement of the State of Israel and the Zionist movement. “We want to send a clear message; we are unapologetically Zionist.” said Alex Berman, a participant of the campaign and CAMERA Fellow at the University of Miami. “As a religious and ethnic minority, Jews in the Eastern Bloc were targeted and oppressed by the Soviet regime. The State of Israel granted my family freedom and security they would not have found elsewhere. My support for Israel is inseparable from my Jewish identity, ” continued Berman. For more information, visit www.zionism.me, follow #ThisIsWhatAZionistLooksLike and CAMERA on Campus on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and read CAMERA Campus Advisor, Josh Beylinson’s article in the Aglemeiner.

Israel Fest at the University of Albany with Great Danes of Israel, a member of the CAMERA on Campus Coalition

Exclusive CAMERA Fellowship Conversation with Professor Gil Troy

Throughout the academic school year, CAMERA held 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. To conclude the CAMERA Fellowship conversations series, the CAMERA Fellowship cohort had an intimate conversation with Professor Gil Troy. Professor Troy has written extensively on Zionism and as a professor at McGill University aptly understands the challenges pro-Israeli students face. He provided the CAMERA Fellows with the requisite guidance needed to help them to confront anti-Israel agitators and to remind them why they should proudly consider themselves Zionist.

Click Here to Learn Why Amir Grunhaus Is a Zionist

Despite the intimidation by anti-Israel activists Amir has experienced at the UC Berkeley campus, his support for Zionism remains strong and uninhibited. If you too want to educate about Israel or have friends and family members who are excited to host events and pen articles portraying the truth about Israel, apply here to become part of CAMERA’s 2022-2023 Fellowship cohort. Not only will you get to become part of an intelligent, creative Zionist organization, but you’ll receive an exciting opportunity to travel to Boston to meet the whole Fellowship cohort and CAMERA on Campus Coalition members at an all-expenses-paid four-day leadership conference from July 31st to August 3rd. Apply here to become a CAMERA Fellow. . To learn about our annual, international leadership conference, follow this link.

Apartheid Week Exposed

CAMERA on Campus’ “Apartheid Week Exposed” campaign exposed Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) leaders for rallying behind terrorist supporters and violence. More media attention was given to the harassment of Zionist students and with the opening of our blog to outside contributors, the ability to report on the extremist propaganda seen on campus was made available. The following content will provide samples of the various activities and articles published during CAMERA’s Apartheid Week Exposed campaign.

Click Here to Support Students

Confronting the Apartheid Canard

“Israeli Apartheid Week” organizers often use famed South African anti-apartheid activists to strengthen their arguments against Israel and their claims of apartheid within the Jewish state. University of Washington CAMERA Fellow addressed this exact tactic by SUPER, an SJP affiliate at her university, which utilized the words of Desmond Tutu as evidence of their slander. To read Samantha’s full article in the Mercer Island Reporter, please follow this link. Sometimes the best way to confront such falsehoods is to use the same tactics. At the beginning of April, as part of our Apartheid Week Exposed campaign, CAMERA on Campus brought on tour two members of African for Peace. Africans for Peace is a collective of independent students, scholars, and activists from South Africa who have lived through true apartheid and have visited Israel, seeing for themselves the day-to-day lives of Israeli citizens. These courageous allies have taken on the important duty of countering the false and evil campaign of lies spread during “Israeli Apartheid Week” and throughout the rest of the academic school year. CAMERA on Campus is proud to have partnered with Africans for Peace, reaching students across the U.S. through interactive events, workshops, and tabling in the quad.

Holocaust Inversion

Holocaust Inversion, or the comparing of Israelis to the Nazis and claiming there is a “Palestinian Holocaust” occurring, is another example of the depths anti-Israel activists will go to demonize Israel. Even these horrific claims won’t stop Students for Justice in Palestine members from hosting such speakers as Mohammad El Kurd, as CAMERA’s Israel Campus Advisor documented for Zman Israel. What may be more shocking is that a lecturer at a British university voiced support for such flagrant lies. Sheffield Hallam University rightfully suspended the associate lecturer’s position when her tweets were revealed. After student activists across the UK pushed against the suspension on the grounds of discrimination, even using this as an example of how IHRA can censor Palestinian voices, pressured the university to renege on its decision and reinstate Shahd Abusalama as an associate lecturer. Click here for Hebrew University CAMERA Fellow’s full article on Holocaust inversion.

JStreet Promotes Erasure of Hebron’s Jewish History

Despite extensive evidence to the contrary as reported by CAMERA’s senior analyst Ricki Hollander, Breaking the Silence activists and their propaganda film, “Mission: Hebron,” is promoted at university campuses, specifically through JStreet U. CAMERA Fellow at the University of Miami reported for the Miami Hurricane on the film’s demonization and delegitimization of Hebron’s Jewish residents and the need for, “members of J Street at UM should be mindful not to promote a film that is attempting to erase the Jewish significance of Hebron and maligning Israel’s efforts to promote religious pluralism and keep its citizens safe.” To read Alex’s full article, click here. Through social media, CAMERA on Campus is identifying some of the most common rhetoric put out by anti-Israel activists, including false material spread by Breaking the Silence, and using our platforms to educate on its meaning, historical context, and sharing best practices on how best to respond. Make sure to follow us @cameraoncampus on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

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

“I am a Jew from a rural part of America where I did not grow up with a Jewish community. Israel and Zionism have given me the biggest and most welcoming Jewish community I could ever ask for. Regardless of where you are from, Israel welcomes you with open arms. I love this country, I consider its livelihood a cause I am dedicated to for life. Zionism allows me to do just that. ” . Thank you @Lucyxlexis!

“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