New Report Warns of Deteriorating Environment on Campus for Pro-Israel Students As Sophistication of Anti-Israel Campaigns Increases

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The environment for pro-Israel students on US college campuses has continued to deteriorate in the past year as the sophistication and intensity of anti-Israel campaigns on campus have grown, according to a new report from the Israel on Campus Coalition released today. The report, which provides in-depth analysis and data on Israel-related activity across the U.S. during the 2016-2017 academic year, details the professionalization and sophistication of anti-Israel campaigns used to promote hateful messages and delegitimize Israel on campus. The report also describes how campus anti-Israel campaigns that claim to be grassroots initiatives receive financial support and professional resources from powerful national organizations.

The report notes that during the prior academic year malicious tactics were used to delegitimize and attack Israel. In attempts to publicly shame and intimidate Israel's supporters on campus, Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) organizers have increasingly targeted individual pro-Israel students, professors, and trustees on social media. In addition, at Tufts University and Pitzer College, anti-Israel votes were scheduled during Jewish holidays in an effort to intentionally limit the participation of Jewish students.

Despite the growing intensity of anti-Israel campaigns on certain campuses, the report suggests that efforts to stop anti-Israel activity are showing progress. In the 2016-2017 school year, ICC observed a 40 percent decrease in BDS campaigns, from 33 BDS campaigns in 2015-2016 to 20 campaigns in 2016-2017. The report also found a 20 percent decrease in overall anti-Israel activity in the same period. The statistics, while promising, suggest an effort by Israel's detractors to focus on campuses where they have the greatest likelihood of successfully spreading anti-Israel propaganda and marginalizing pro-Israel students.

"This report underscores what we already know – that pro-Israel students are returning to campus facing an even more hostile environment than they have in the past," said Jacob Baime, Executive Director of ICC. "Every single day, anti-Israel activists are refining and evolving their tactics to further delegitimize Israel and silence pro-Israel students. ICC and our partners are committed to doing everything we can to provide the resources, tools, and support that pro-Israel students need to make their voices heard."

Key Findings:

• BDS campaigns were more sophisticated and aggressive in the past year, with professional organizations investing greater resources in campus divestment efforts. As a result of this support, four universities with large student populations – University of Michigan, University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW), The Ohio State University (OSU), and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) – experienced major BDS initiatives.
• For the second consecutive year, detractor events in the Midwest outnumbered those in other regions, reflecting Chicago's role as a hub of anti-Israel activism. The city is home to American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), and other groups that provide financial and strategic support to anti-Israel students.
• In California, where anti-Israel activity declined dramatically last year, the number of detractor events increased by nine percent (219 in 2015-2016, 239 in 2016-2017).
• Across the country, there was a 40 percent decrease in the number of anti-Israel lectures and speakers hosted on U.S. campuses (515 in 2015-2016; 309 in 2016-2017).
• ICC tracked 4,327 Israel-related events on college campuses nationwide. Of those, 1,172 were anti-Israel events, and 3,155 were pro-Israel activities. That marked an almost 20 percent decline in both anti-Israel and pro-Israel events (1,437 and 3,886 in 2015-2016, respectively). Nevertheless, pro-Israel activity outnumbered anti-Israel events by more than 2-1 during the academic year.
• Nationally, BDS campus campaigns declined by almost 40 percent during the last academic year. During the 2016-2017 academic year, there were 20 BDS campaigns on U.S. campuses; during the 2015-2016 academic year, there were 33 campaigns.

The full report is available for download here (http://israelcc.org/yearendreport).

About Israel on Campus Coalition:

Israel on Campus Coalition inspires American college students to see Israel as a source of pride and empowers them to stand up for Israel on campus. ICC's role in this effort is to unite the many pro-Israel organizations that operate on campuses across the United States by coordinating strategies, providing educational resources, sharing in-depth research, and increasing collaboration among our coalition partner organizations who share a common purpose.

Media Contact:

Alex Goldstein
[email protected] 
617-429-4027

SOURCE Israel on Campus Coalition

Related Links

http://www.israelcc.org