Anticipating Israel Apartheid Week

A.P. photo/ Carrie Cochran -- U. Cincinnati librarian on campus in February

For four years, anti-Zionists held an “Israel Apartheid Week” early in March, in dozes of cities throughout the world, including on U.S. campuses, virtually unchallenged.  Appalled by the ensuing Israel-bashing, people are organizing an opposition this year that at a minimum would debunk the notion that Israel is apartheid (  A new booklet, “Apartheid: Fact Vs. Fiction” has recently been published on line and in print and covers the key issues. )
Thousands of Jews and non-Jews are signing up for training in activist roles.  They will act as truth squads, dogging the speakers with questions that bring out a factual contrast to their “bias and hypocrisy.” 

One of the organizations involved in the training is The David Project, which has an office in Manhattan.  Its “Israel Peace Week” project, alone, has enrolled thousands of participants in a program tailored to each of 30 campuses.  The challengers intend to disable the anti-Zionists’ “smug righteousness” and show that “Israel is a force for peace in the Middle East.”  This approach does not just react to opponents’ agenda, but takes a positive initiative.

For example, at the University of Cincinnati, David Project is co-hosting a day-long program on U.S.-Israel relations with UCDemocrats and UCRepublicans.

Another spreading initiative related to Apartheid Week is the BUYcott movement, which sets up chapters to buy Israeli products (  www.buyIsraeliProductsNOW.org  )
(From http://www.thedavidproject.org, 2/24).

The pro-Zionists plan to debate issues, as contrasted with the anti-Zionists at University of California Irvine, who shouted down and who call names.  Another contrast it seems to me is that the leftist and Muslim students who denounce Israel do so from negative motives and with malice, whereas the pro-Israel students has a positive motivation. 

Democracies are slow to react, but there seems to be a reaction setting in to the common enemies of Israel, the U.S., and of democracy in general.  The intellectual ferment involved is good for the students’ characters, minds, and civic responsibility.