As the new school year approaches, students experience the annual “nervous stomach syndrome” of anticipation mixed with anxiety, topped by ambivalence.
As a Jewish university student, my stomach is no different, but my back-to-school jitters are spiced with a special concern: what sort of atmosphere will we be greeted with on campus this year? Reflecting on the instability of 2009, I’m warily viewing the upcoming semester and wondering how I can somehow be better prepared.
I was, therefore, thrilled to hear that the Montreal-based Canadian Institute for Jewish Research (CIJR) was co-ordinating a conference titled “Israel on Campus: Defending Our Universities” on Aug. 23. I anticipated meeting similarly committed students who had had enough of passively accepting unfounded accusations and weeks devoted to demonizing Israel, and wished to empower themselves.
Upon my arrival, I was disappointed to see the paucity of youth in the audience. Was it student apathy, insufficient advertising or merely time conflicts that caused this absence? Despite my misgivings, the morning panel masterfully contextualized the current dire situation. It discussed the unacceptable campus environment, focusing on accusations made by “promoters of human rights” who unfairly single out Israel while obscuring the crimes of despotic countries; cases of harassment; abuses of academic integrity for propagandistic aims, and harmful comments disguised as “freedom of speech.” The discussion infused the audience with activist zeal and shook them out of their customary “shush-stance.”
Newly enthused, we eagerly awaited the afternoon to hear strategies to counter the current hostile atmosphere.
But I was dismayed to find that I would leave the conference with more questions than reassuring answers on how to respond on campus.
According to the panelists, university students must choose between two polar-opposite options. We can engage in radical activism – “naming and shaming” and exposing professors who advocate radicalized assertions, and publicly condemning universities. But this is unrealistic, as many students legitimately fear identifying themselves on campus. I’m concerned that such responses would be seen as instigation and only result in increased hostility. The brief sense of empowerment following such actions fails to adequately balance their possible repercussions.
The other option, I was surprised to hear, was to merely accept our roles as students and ignore the “political theatre” erupting on campus. Similar to an attention-getting sibling, we were assured, campus activists will eventually lose interest in Israel. This “advice” was an unfortunate display of ignorance about the true situation on campuses, as Israeli Apartheid Week hasn’t waned, but rather is growing in international momentum. The situation is exacerbated by greater numbers of faculty members adding academic legitimacy to unfounded assertions by extremist students.
These options left me confused and frustrated at the lack of tangible advice for how to best deal with future encounters of this sort. While the CIJR is proactive in offering a student Israel advocacy program, conference attendees could have benefited from the skills that will be imparted there. Although the organization undertook a critical step in co-ordinating this conference, I feel, sadly, that we’re still under-equipped.
As a student, I want to know where I can assert my rights, as well as how to counter unfounded statements and, most importantly, how to meet similarly minded individuals. We must correct misconceptions, defend Israel when in rational company and, overall, cease our passive acceptance of what’s going on.
In order to establish change on campus, we, as students, must be vigilant, informed and involved. Israel has enough on its plate fighting its own battles. As students, we must do our part and remedy the hostile atmosphere before it deteriorates any further.
Randy Pinsky is an honours student in political science at Concordia University in Montreal.
