The term “safe spaces” has become the latest hot buzzword. It is “on fleek” with the trendy kids on campus who trot it out whenever they have an occasion to engage on a variety of divergent opinions and positions. There are safe spaces for every conceivable student organisation. Except for the Jewish or Pro-Israel groups, there is a different set of rules for Jewish standards.
Human rights icon, Natan Sharansky once said that to better define anti-Semitism; you need to look at it through a “3D lens”. The three D’s are Demonisation – turning Jews or the Jewish state into a demon or a hateful caricature, De-legitimisation – when Israel’s right to exist as a sovereign state is questioned and Double Standards – when Jews and Israel are subject to a different set of rules.
The Death of Discourse
The propensity to label people according to their perceived political persuasions and pigeon-hole them into boxes labelled “leftist” or “right wing” is slowly leading to the demise off constructive discourse. With smug assuredness, there are those propagating the ideas of liberalism and pluralism and boasting about inclusion and “safe spaces” for those of diverse opinions but fail to be neither themselves – inclusive or tolerant! Anyone who is seen to be supportive of Israel is automatically labeled as right wing and this comes with the ubiquitous dangerous connotations of being “intolerant” “prejudice” and in the case of Israelis, accused of being “war criminals”. On some campuses, Jewish student organizations are not even invited to participate in debates on certain subject because the cause du jour is to oppose Zionism and everything related.
Israel is dragged into other causes as well.
Black Lives Matter, Code Pink and a menagerie of organisations use the rationale that if you can link Israel to anything negative and blame the Jewish state for the lack of rights that their cause is experiencing, then all the better. This horrible phenomenon is known as “intersectionality”. It is in this muddling milieu that universities boast that they have created “safe spaces” for students to engage and debate, sheltered from abuse and aggression.
Except if you are Zionist!
Suddenly, the all-embracing proverbial tent closes its flap. If the clubs of old were “No Jews Allowed”, today it’s “No Jews who love Israel.” These are the same crafty wordsmiths that have been around for the past 2000 years. We know them simply as anti-Semites!
Muddling Milieu
Expressing the Palestinian narrative on campuses is today deemed important and truthful while articulating the Israel position is automatically labeled propaganda. The anti-Israel brigade love to sling the Hebrew word ‘Hasbara’ (information about Israel) around with self-righteous indignation. These detractors are completely ignorant about Zionism. To them, Zionism is just another unwanted “ism”. Instead of understanding that it is the national liberation movement of the Jewish people, they have placed it on the ‘pile of undesirables’ that includes Communism, Nazism and Fascism. This is virulently anti-Semitic because it singles out Jews, and denies them the right to organize politically and call it Zionism, after their ancient ties to Jerusalem and Zion. Not only is it anti-Semitic – it is racist?
Zionism has grown from just the simplified version of being the right of the Jewish people to have a country in their national and historical homeland. Today, Zionism is a broad and wide encompassing ideology embodied in the State of Israel that:
Climate of Fear
Instead, Zionism has been vilified not only by student groups but also by professors seeking to promote their own political agendas. This has allowed for a climate of fear and intimidation to spread through a lack of respect for the dignity of the individual and for the rights of others to hold and express different views. For universities – this is a sad indictment!
‘Israel Apartheid/Hate Week’ is the epitome of this.
This annual festival of Israel bashing and flagrant anti-Semitism makes its annual world tour every March. Masquerading as the defenders of Palestinian rights, the BDS movement is nothing but an anti-Semitic wolf in human rights clothing and the ruse is becoming more and more apparent. Chants of “Palestine will be free from the river to the sea” which means the destruction of a country as well as the death of over 8 million women, children and men, is chillingly commonplace, and Jewish students are often terrified to be identified. Some prefer not to attend classes and others remove their Kippot (yarmulkes) or any Jewish insignia. This is not a freedom movement; this is hate speech that incites anger and culminates in violence as evident in the sharp rise of anti-Semitic attacks worldwide. During the Apartheid years in South Africa, any voices of criticism and dissent were silenced. Today, anyone who supports Israel on campus is effectively silenced. This is reverse Apartheid. These folks are not fair-minded, nor liberal nor pluralistic. Let’s not call them what they like to present themselves to be – ‘liberal’ – but what they really are: anti-Semites.
Truth vs Lies
It appears that the liberal tenets that include freedom of speech; dignity for all regardless of colour, religion, creed and ethnicity; respect for other perspectives, and the right for everyone to live in security and safety do not apply to Jews who support their ancestral homeland – Israel.
Supporters of Israel should be able to speak on campus without near riots erupting! They should be able to engage in free debate without being physically threatened or intimidated and should be welcomed in the ‘safe spaces’ that universities allegedly champion. If they don’t, the big donors to universities that have begun pulling funding from their alma maters – because it is contrary to the true liberal tenants of a university – will escalate into an unstoppable trend. Perhaps more of this needs to happen or students need to do something quite ‘radical’ like visit Israel and get the facts on the ground. It may be the smartest class they ever take!
