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Roz Rothstein, co-founder and CEO of StandWithUs, an international organization dedicated to strengthening Israel’s image and empowering its supporters to fight antisemitism, spoke to a March 31st Middle East Forum Webinar (video) about how Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) events increase antisemitism on campuses. The following is a summary of her comments:
IAW’s vilification of Israel uses multiple strategies that perpetrate “modern antisemitism.” IAW campus posters advertising its events dramatically show an Israeli helicopter in silhouette firing missiles at a Gazan child holding a teddy bear, conveying the message that “the innocent child is being attacked by the evil Israelis.” This evokes pictorial representations of Jews historically used in Nazi propaganda, in which posters of grotesquely caricatured bloodthirstily Jews feasting on innocent victims were effective tactics to demonize and ostracize Jews.
Many campus students who know “nothing about Israel ... nothing about apartheid” are concerned with “social justice” and susceptible to manipulation by IAW propaganda. Jewish students on campus, most of whom feel connected to Israel, feel under attack when surrounded by IAW events portraying Israel as “evil.” And that is what IAW aims to accomplish by creating an intimidating atmosphere that bullies anyone who supports Israel or would object to IAW activities during the Apartheid Weeks held on numerous campuses.
By ignoring why Israel defends itself from terrorism, IAW avoids all “context” in its “one-sided” campus campaign. There is no mention of Palestinian Arab “car rammings, knife attacks, rocket launching” unfolding almost daily against its Jewish citizens on the streets of Israel. Moreover, nothing is said about the Palestinian Arab educational system teaching its children to “want to murder an Israeli.” The “ill will” IAW spreads on campuses aims to “impact tomorrow’s voters, tomorrow’s leaders.”
Even though the number of IAW events on U.S. campuses has remained constant since the pandemic shutdown ended, the danger they pose has been magnified by social media. A “side effect” of IAW’s campaign has been an increase in incidents of “antisemitic rhetoric” on social media and increased IAW activities on ten different Canadian university campuses.
Although the “misinformation” spread by an IAW event continues for three weeks on campus, it is an ongoing problem because various universities take turns hosting “floating” IAW events. After IAW has generated “disgust” for Israel through its “education” events, the Student for Justice in Palestine (SJP) campus chapters motivate its followers to exact “punishment” on Israel by ginning up support for its anti-Israel Boycott, Divest and Sanction (BS) campaign.
Notwithstanding that many states have anti-BDS laws, the purpose of the BDS movement is to reinforce the demonization and deligitimization of Israel. During IAW events, other tactics employed consist of “die-ins ... coffins ... ‘apartheid walls,’” and other street theater. The “high drama usually culminates in a rally,” with followers screaming chants of “free Palestine.” IAW relies heavily on the “ignorance” of students who assume the lies about “apartheid in Israel” are true. While the BDS campaign has not been successful, “the act of gathering 400 students and ragging on Israel” spreads the misinformation campaign against Israel, which is “pushed out to young minds.”
There is no desire on the part of SJP chapters on campuses to engage in “dialogue” with Jewish students who reach out to discuss solutions. “There isn’t a recipient on the other end, which is very symbolic [of] Israel’s many offers for peace and no recipient on the other end in the Palestinian leadership.” Instead, IAW books as speakers actual terrorists, such as Rasmea Odeh, who participated in the murder of two young Jewish men in Israel, and Leila Khaled, who attempted two airplane hijackings.
There is indeed suffering, and the Palestinians “really do need a solution to the issues they face, but Hamas is not a solution. Terrorism is not a solution.”
The reality is that the suffering of Palestinian Arabs is a “tragedy” that can only change when they throw off the yoke of their corrupt leaders and eliminate the poisonous indoctrination of their young “to hate and to murder Jews.” But “scapegoating in the classic sense against Jews and against Israel is not going to fix their problems.” There is indeed suffering, and the Palestinians “really do need a solution to the issues they face, but Hamas is not a solution. Terrorism is not a solution.”
The antisemitism and anti-Zionism, “one and the same for [Jews],” that are inherent in IAW events have real world implications. StandWithUs educates, believing that is the “road to peace.” By “building bridges” to share the Jewish culture, StandWithUs makes sure Jews “stay proud,” and engages “allies who are not Jewish” to “stand up against antisemitism.” The organization has increased its programming and legal efforts in response to the spread of antisemitism. A key necessity is to overcome fears about teaching young children the issues so they will forge a “personal connection to Israel.”
To “fill the vacuum,” StandWithUs is now on six continents, with activities in “middle schools, high schools, and college campuses.” It has an active presence on social media and its materials are available in different languages to counter misinformation. It also works closely with the Hindu American community in the U.S. and builds programs with African American church groups. To counsel students who are being “bullied,” StandWithUs makes available legal experts and community members who “provide people with the meat and potatoes that they can share with their peers.”
