A panel of experts debated the best way to fight antisemitism and anti-Zionism on campus and in society in a special panel at the Jerusalem Post Second Front Conference. Participants included Dr. Dan Diker, President of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, Jonathan Davis, Vice President for External Relations and Head of the Raphael Recanati International School at Reichman University, and Nimrod Palmach, CEO of ISRAEL-is, an organization dedicated to improving global perceptions of Israel. Steve Linde, editor-in-chief of the Jerusalem Report, moderated the panel.
Diker, who authored the 2018 book, Students for Justice in Palestine Unmasked, contended that the SJP paved the way for the October 7 massacre. He stated that the organization’s ideology, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” is a “clarion call for genocide against the Jews,” adding that “The Hamas leadership in Gaza is energized and encouraged by the fact that they have the unqualified support of thousands of university students across 200 North American campuses that legitimized the mass murder of Jews.”
In response to a question from Linde about the impact of antisemitism and anti-Zionism on Israeli academia, Davis said Qatar has fueled many Western universities with $2.5 billion in donations. “Jewish philanthropists need to band together,” he said, adding that “Donors need to gather and discuss what they want to do with their funds and discuss what the limits are of professors with academic chairs with regards to antisemitism and pro-genocidal remarks.”
Nimrod Palmach stated that Operation Protective Edge in 2014, when Israel fought in Gaza for 51 days attempting to destroy Hamas terror tunnels, was the tipping point of antisemitism against Israel, and marked the increasing influence of social media, especially among the younger generation.
“While we spent time in the front in battle, we lost a whole new front when we were not defending Israel on a front that we didn’t realize existed – that of social media.” He added that ISRAEL-is attempts to tell the story of Israel to the world via young Israelis who go abroad and connect with their peers in the US and other places around the world.
Diker said that many people misunderstood the nature of the BDS movement and that rather than a peaceful, grass-roots expression of political criticism, it is a terror-affiliated movement. “The best way to fight it,” he said, “is to expose it for what it really is.”
In response to Linde’s query if the battle of antisemitism has presented any new ideas, Davis said in the US, anyone who wishes to side with Hamas should be shamed. “We need to take off our gloves: It is no longer a time to be politically correct. It is time to present the case that Jewish lives matter.” He also made a plea on behalf of Jewish unity, stating that “If we don’t use the opportunity now to unite as Jews, and agree on the issues, then the 1,400 people who were massacred were killed for nothing.”
Returning to the theme of the origins of contemporary anti-Israel thought, Diker said that the root of the problem dates back to the 1960s, when Israel was branded as an imperialist, colonialist power due to its attachment to the US. “We failed to pay attention to that,” he said, adding, “We have decades of work to catch up. The war for international legitimacy is no less important than using F-35s against the Iranian regime.”
Davis stated that it is important for Israeli academics to present a “welcome wagon” of study opportunities for English-speaking students in Israel. He also contended that the best way to fight antisemitism is by presenting facts. While Islamic fundamentalists and white supremacists on campus are unlikely to change their views, the average person who doesn’t know where Gaza is can be persuaded of the truth, he said. “We need to present the facts as they are.”
Palmach demurred and said that while in a perfect world, presenting the facts would be the best way to present Israel’s case, today, we need to take a different approach. “The younger generation doesn’t care about facts,” he said. “Something else appeals to them.
In his view, the best way to reach out to Gen Z and Gen Y today is by what he called “storytelling”: showing that people in Israel enjoy food, fashion, and partying. “This methodology may look soft,” he said, "but first, we need to make the connection and, only then, present the facts.”
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