University students rising up against ties with Israel (title edited by MNHQ at request of OP)

[EasterIssland]

Many university students are raising up against the ties their universities have with Israel. Students are asking for this agreements to stop
I can see this is happening in USA which has been in the news quite a lot but I can also read news about Paris as well as UK.

I really doubt much will change but I’m glad people are against these agreements. We can’t change what Israel / Hamas do. But we should be able to change what our governments / universities do.

@BelleHathor I totally agree, it’s terrible that our Universities are funded so shadily. I’ve just read the article about Robert Kraft too, my goodness!

Thinking from a UK perspective over the last 20 or so years, It also makes me wonder if it was political motivation why so much funding has been withdrawn from UK universities, it effectively makes it much harder for them to exercise free speech, doesn’t it?

It's not just Robert Kraft - interestingly Qatar is one of the largest donors to US universities:

https://www.ft.com/content/d0a16f75-8b05-4ff9-b5f1-d473d7f5a704

Do you think people are saying they are anti-zionists, but in fact they just mean they don’t like Israel/Israeli policy?

Maybe some students are throwing around the idea of anti-Zionism without fully understanding what they mean. I hope that’s the case tbh.

@Grumm I think part of the issue is that the term Zionism is used to mean different things by different people. Some people use the term to mean the existence of Israel. Some people use it to mean the expansionist and supremacist politics leading to policies of occupation and oppression. So if Zionism means different things to different people, so can Anti-Zionism.

It politicizes it, which limits what university students/lecturers can study and publish . I know in America that controversial teachers are often denied tenure (secure employment) which obviously will cause others to self censor.

John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt talk about how they were only able to publish their book on the Israel Lobby due to them having secure tenure at their respective schools.

@LordPercyPercy Fully agree with you, big money should not be allowed to influence our schools or our politicians. As a society we all lose out when special interests are served.

Only bad faith actors use zionism to refer to expansionism. Noone has to follow their lead unless they too are acting in bad faith. Its really very simple.

I wonder what the response would be if people protested us supplying arms to Ukraine.

I agree. It’s like when men’s rights activists say that the aim of feminism is to destroy men and then use that false premise to discredit it.

also your last sentence is pink washing. Taking into account gays can’t marry in Israel and women can’t ask for divorce I don’t think Israel is either the best place to defend LGBT and women’s rights

Israel is the safest place in about a thousand mile radius of itself to defend LGBT and women's rights, and if you are in one of these groups and find yourself anywhere in the region and need your rights defended, your safest best hope is to get to Israel as quickly as possible.

This is helpful to know though. I didn’t realise the word Zionism had been appropriated in this way.

I think unfortunately Zionism is a term that seems to now be corrupted and used primarily to excuse racism against Jewish people.

I totally agree. Well said.

I don’t think it means different things, it’s dissembling.

Another example of Palestinians thanking students what they’re doing for them.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zionism

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Types_of_Zionism

Even Wikipedia articles on Zionism describe different types of Zionism.

If Zionism as a term means different things to different people, people may have different meanings for Anti-Zionism.

Why would they? Ukraine has been invaded and is defending itself in its own country. They have not killed any innocent civilians in Russia

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6OcD8eLfZv/?igsh=MTh0ZDhuMWZ6dmtybg==

Children of Gaza thanking university students

https://twitter.com/_FilipeNeves/status/1784147134243024993

I’m so pleased people in Gaza see that these students have been supporting them. It’s really important they know they haven’t been completely forgotten ❤️

Article from an Israeli Newspaper from November last year about formulating a plan about American Universities. Particularly interesting regarding foreign influence is this bit:

The Consciousness Axis: Personal, economic and employment repercussions for the distributors of antisemitism, an action that should not have the signature of the State of Israel on it; Israel will examine options against civil society organizations active in the United States and in general.

Simultaneously, the Foreign Ministry and representatives in the U.S. are in contact with professional unions to recruit them to act against antisemitism and exert pressure on university heads. The idea is that the unions will announce that they will not employ antisemitic students. This has already happened in major law firms in the U.S., and if a university knows that the chances of its students finding employment have decreased, the university administration will act against those antisemitic students to avoid harming the university's ranking.
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rk5ppryht

Quebec canada

https://twitter.com/sahouraxo/status/1784312437954461970

Northeastern said antisemitic slurs were heard at a protest on campus. Video circulating online appears to show the statement being made by a person holding an Israeli flag.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/people-detained-university-campus-palestinian-protests-rcna149653

Yes. I do bitterly enjoy the 'Hey, what is your take?'

'I dunno, but it's big and I feel I should be part of it' bollocks.

It is embarrassing. Tho amusing.

Video is here, it looks like the guy in green holding the Israeli flag is the one that shouts it out, with the pro Palestinian crowd booing them and then making a space for them to leave.