This is a guest post by The Union of Jewish Students
UJS has just launched its new campaign on Israel. The focus of it is to get people talking about Zionism- the liberation movement of the Jewish people.
We are campaigning for freedom, justice and equality for Israelis and Palestinians through two states for two peoples.
The eruption of comments from students throughout the week across social media, blogs and through letters and e-mails into our offices have bombarded us with a range of accusations: from being pacifist ‘kapos’ who may as well be handing out swastikas on campus, to being praised for the bravery and bold approach of the campaign. You may not like it, but what you can’t deny, is that it has got people talking.
The tone of this conversation on Israel has recently- even within the Jewish community- been deeply troubling. It is not an issue which unites Anglo-Jewry, but Israel is becoming an increasingly divisive issue.
The spectrum of views ranges not only on how the conflict should be solved (i.e. one state, or two), but also about how we make the case for Israel.
‘Hasbara’, from the Hebrew verb ‘to explain’- has been the way that Jewish students have traditionally engaged with debates with regard to Israel. This approach does not win the debate on campus, or make a dent in changing the conversation in that forum. It needs to be challenged on two counts: firstly, It offers a one-size-fits all Zionism, and secondly, it means that students do not have the tools that they need to engage with campus debates as they now stand. With this verdict, it has been sentenced by UJS, to having its stronghold over the minds of our students overturned by our new campaign on Israel.
As in any conversation, there has to be an exchange of views from both sides. Every week across university campuses, people are- either through ignorance or malice- suggesting the de-legitimisation of Israel. Zionism, it needs to be remembered, was and is the liberation movement of the Jewish people and in order for the space on campus to change from one of confrontation to conversation, we would do well to remember this.
There needs to be a distinction between fair criticism and those that simply wish to bring down Israel and disregard both sides of the story.
Our campaign aims to start a new dialogue on campus and within the Jewish student community, foster an understanding of both Israeli and Palestinian narratives, and offer positive, pro-active ways for students to invest in a two-state solution.
We want to start the conversation, broaden our tent and get our community properly engaging with and discussing Israel. If it isn’t clear, our central concern is always to ensure that Jewish students are free from hatred on their campuses, and are able to express their identity in the way that they choose, including their views on Israel.
Through our new site for the campaign and events across the country we’re expanding the forum for comment and discussion. Let’s start the engagement in what will be a conversation rather than conflict on campus this year, and gauging from the level of comment thus far it seems to already be working….
