Students unite to defy Apartheid Week hate

Jewish students this week joined together to fight back against a nationwide anti-Israel campaign on campus.

Groups from more than 10 campuses, including Leeds, Birmingham, Nottingham and London, took part in countering Israel Apartheid Week, the annual campaign mounted by pro-Palestinian activists.

Hundreds of Israel supporters distributed thousands of leaflets, manned stalls and used digital technology to promote their message about Israel's positive role in the world.

A mobile-response squad of 40 students from the advocacy group Stand With Us and Jewish fraternity group AEPi provided backing for Israel supporters facing opposition at campuses in London.

The Union of Jewish Students mounted an initiative under the title, Building Bridges. Campaigns director Russell Langer said the aim was not to confront Palestinian supporters. "We want to spread a positive message. We're not out here to pick arguments," he said.

London School of Economics Israel society co-president Jamie Isaacson said the counter-measures showed that students "should feel able to support Israel on campus publicly and there's nothing to be afraid of".

The response came as pro-Palestinian students organised a series of anti-Israel events.

At Cambridge, the Palestine Society set up a mock checkpoint, while at Goldsmiths University in London, another "checkpoint" blocked the entrance to the campus's main building.

Speakers promoted the academic boycott of Israel, and compared Zionism to colonialism.

Stand With Us campus director Joseph Stoll said Jewish students had been determined to hit back after the incident at King's College London last month, when a lecture by a former Israeli security chief was abandoned after thugs stormed the building.

Claims of antisemitism among Labour-supporting students at Oxford University had also strengthened Jewish students' resolve, he said.

"I think it has encouraged us all to get out there and show we are not intimidated by antisemitism or hostile behaviour towards our groups. It really is more important than ever for us to go out and spread a positive word about Israel," said Mr Stoll, who is vice president of the King's College Israel Society.

One group of students came up with an innovative way to campaign: a micro-chip which, once touched to an Android phone, will open up a website dedicated to countering bias against Israel.

In Edinburgh, the Israel Engagement Society hosted speakers from the IDF on Tuesday. After being alerted to the university's Students for Justice in Palestine group's plans to disrupt the talk, the Israel supporters gave out false venue details for the event leaving around 20 protesters to arrive at the wrong lecture theatre while the Israelis spoke to students away from the campus.

IES political vice-chair Theo Robertson-Bonds said: "It was very devious, but I think they finally got their just desserts, and it meant we had an event that wasn't disrupted."

There was a less happy outcome at the School of Oriental and African Studies when a group of 15 Jewish students attended a talk organised by pro-Palestinian societies from several London campuses.

According to one of the group, Devora Khafi, the Jewish students were jeered and ignored when they attempted to ask questions.

"It was scary being in a room of people who would hate you just for being who you are," said Ms Khafi, 19.

At one point police were called after a pro-Palestinian claimed one of the Israel supporters in the audience had previously been banned from the premises. The officers left without taking any action.

Ms Khafi said that during the meeting it had been announced that Israel Apartheid Week at Soas would be extended until March 4.

At Leeds, a debate on the Iran nuclear deal planned by the campus Polis Society, and featuring Yiftah Curiel, spokesman at the Israeli embassy in London, as a speaker, was called off.

The Polis Society committee posted a statement on Facebook saying the debate had "been cancelled unfairly due to pressures on the university from an open letter from PSC [the campus Palestine Solidarity Committee], deeming our event a 'stich-up' and calling for it to be cancelled."

Twelve Leeds academics had written to the university's vice chancellor, claiming that the Polis Society had not invited a "similarly well-briefed senior figure" to propose the motion "This house supports the Iran nuclear deal", and speak against Mr Curiel.

The PSC also called for an "emergency protest" at the meeting.

But the university denied the debate had been called off as a result of pressure from boycotters.

In a statement, it said: "The debate was not cancelled in response to any threatened ‘emergency protest’, nor was it cancelled in response to a letter of protest to vice-chancellor Alan Langlands". It said the Polis Society "ultimately cancelled this event because it was unable to secure the necessary panellists".

Mr Curiel did speak to Jewish students and some politics students in a session arranged by the Jewish Society.

On Wednesday, Jewish Human Rights Watch tweeted that it had sent a letter to the vice-chancellor of Cambridge University saying it was considering "appropriate legal remedies" over the presence of the "checkpoint" on the campus.

The section on events at Leeds University was amended on March 4.