Discourse out of SFU

This article by Howie this week ROCKS, and refers to an article last week that I didn't have time to blog then but will clearly be blogging now.

To respond to The Peak's claim "Is SFU an anti-Semitic campus: No, but find out why," I hope I have demonstrated that the subtitle should really read: No but there are some incidents that must not be trivialised or overlooked.

They also pick up on the Concordia/Bnai Brith issue.

Concordia University is again under fire from an off-campus Jewish organisation for allegedly not protecting Jewish students' rights.

This week, they also ran the article about Naomi Chazan from Excal last week.

The madhouse that is York

I'm not including all the nutty things going on at SFU and Waterloo in this post, though I could per se, that will be saved for later.

York: The Noble Affair is far from over.

The document, titled “The York University Foundation: The Tail That Wags The Dog”, alleges that the Foundation is “biased by the presence and influences of staunch pro-Israel lobbyists, activists, and fundraising agencies”.

FYI: As I am typing, a protest about this very issue is happening 7 floors down, in Vari Hall. Updates to follow.

I did the only thing I could do: I wrote an editorial.

I was simultaneously attacked about my "privileged past".

I continuously encounter so-called “educated” people who actually argue that colonialism was a product of western civilization that merits praise and not condemnation. Aliza Libman, Excalibur’s news editor, often falls into this trap. However, it is clear that people speaking from a point of privilege cannot effortlessly understand the detriment of these institutions, considering the fact that their forefathers were the perpetrators who participated and benefited from these systems of oppression, particularly the white westerners who colonized the worlds of people of color.

I guess I haven't learned properly from the privilege of being chased around by the Cossacks, banned from owning land in Europe, ghettoized, etc.

Whoops.

In other news, Chomsky spoke, which was considred by some enlightening. Props to Adam Hummel for the rocking letter.

Much more lunacy to follow.

Ask Campus Media Chick #1: An answer for Howie

The issue of how to best deal with the issue of anti-Israel in the campus media on a small campus is a tough one.

Howie asks:

For those who do follow the site, I have a question. Here at SFU we are a very small community. Our student paper is not institutionally anti-Israel but it is just that those who contribute to the paper tend to not support Israel. In the past we have countered this mainly in a reactionary mode through letters to the editor criticizing past articles. Now, I am trying to focus on proactive messages by writing feature articles. I don't like writing letters to the editor mainly because of the lack of space allowed. Well, the problem is that we are not directly countering anti-Israel articles. I am not sure if that is a problem or what. What do you think?

I think that there are three things that every campus, big or small, needs to include in their campus media strategy. (Listed from easiest to hardest.)

1. Your basic reactionary "letter wars". Every campus should be writing in letters to their papers when something highly objectionable is printed. It is up to the individual campus to decide when the article is highly objectionable versus only moderately objectionable, and what to do about this. This is the reason this blog was created: to get the word out that there is something of concern that needs addressing, and as quickly as possible. Ultimately, I don't know how big each individual campus is, but I have found that as long as you get one, maybe two letters in every time, you will be fine. As long as you're not dealing with institutional anti-Zionism, you should be OK.

2. Cultivating good relationships with decision-makers at campus papers. Most of the people you deal with don't know Jack about Israel, Palestine and Jewish issues. They may have a sense of the situation and are probably somewhat left-wing (this is university after all) but most likely have no strong opinion on the topic. This is where all Hillel execs and IAC chairs come in, even the ones who can't write. The basics include developing a good relationship with the paper's editor-in-chief, managing editor, news editor, opinions editor, etc., making yourself available to comment on issues, and making their job easy for them. There is a lot in this sphere, and it is very important that you do this PR work - making them feel that they can work with the Jews and Zionists on campus. In association with CFJS, the Canadian Federation of Jewish Students, I'm working on a guide to dealing with your campus media that should be available to you all within the next couple of months.

3. Cultivating good writers who can "deliver the goods". When you focus on proactive messages, you're doing the best thing. Howie's feature article. Judi Siklos' gay bars piece. That's going to do the best job. It also helps that in these cases, you have more space. A reactionary letter is 500 words. Last year, my best article was called "Asking Tough Questions" and was about the intricacies of the Israel-Palestine situation. It was over 3000 words long. I also wrote an editorial about Finklestein's visit, I interviewed Alan Dershowitz and wrote an article proclaiming Golda Meir my feminist role model. All of these were outside the news section I write for. It is your job on your campuses to find the Jewish students who can write features about Israel-related issues and arts reviews of Israeli bands and pro-Israel articles for your paper's Queer issue, etc. Then you need to help them do their jobs. If you have strong pro-Israel volunteers or staffers at the papers, it will make Israel seem that much more human to the paper's staff. This is tough, because you have to identify good writers and give them the tools and education to do their job. And then you have to go away and leave them alone to do their jobs. At the end of the day, the more people you have doing this on an individual basis, the better.

This is a long answer, but it's an important question. For more info, email me aliza[at]cfjs.ca.

Noble targets the Israel lobby

This article in The Globe and Mail breaks the story that Prof. David Noble of York's poli sci department distributed information saying that the university's board and foundation were effectively being too pro-Israel.

He said he was curious as to why the university was clamping down on campus protests and pro-Palestinian students were being disciplined. He said many members of the York University Foundation were pro-Israeli and have considerable influence on the school's administration.

"The administration of [York University], like every other university administration, is guided foremost by fundraising considerations," his material stated.

"I've been at York for 15 years and the suppression of speech and assembly is unprecedented," Prof. Noble said.

We should be sending comment to letters@globeandmail.ca.

Excal Jew-tang issue

Some weeks, vindication comes from seeing that this week, it's good to be a Jew on campus.

This week's Excalibur has lots of Jewish-related content, including full coverage of the Cleveland GA.

“I have to say this year’s GA was really, really incredible and probably the best part about it was the huge Jewish student contingent that came from Canada,” says Gary Diamond, president of the Canadian Federation of Jewish Students and a student from University of Western Ontario. “It’s so nice to see Jewish students come together for conferences like this to learn, to better ourselves, and to go back to our communities and really make a difference.”

Naomi Chazan spoke at York as well as UofT:

“There will be absolute Palestine majority in the area between the Mediterranean and Jordan within five years if not less,” she said. “In the last 12 years, poll after poll after poll between 60 and 70 per cent of Israelis have come to the exact same conclusion including [Israeli Prime Minister] Ariel Sharon who is talking about a Palestinian state alongside Israel, ending the occupation and even saying that the occupation is bad for Israel.”

As for opinions, props to Hillel board member Noah Zatman for a great article on why Israel is not an apartheid state:

It is important to recognize the fact that Jews in the state of Israel represent a sizeable majority, whereas the rulers of apartheid South Africa represented a sizeable minority. The Arab Palestinians who reside in the state of Israel have the right to vote, freedom of speech, and parliamentary representation.

The gay rights controversy continues with Daniel Neumann disputing the claim of a writer known only as Mohammed in last week's paper criticism of Israel's pride parade as a Zionist ploy. Writes Neumann:

While many of us are usually very quick to criticize Israel, why don’t we give Israelis credit where and when it’s due? Israel is still the only safe country in the Middle East for queers.

If I, as someone who is both Jewish and gay, can and do criticize Israel when it’s deserved, why can’t the author praise Israel for this?

Excal - All Israel all the time

Today's Excal has both the good and the bad....

Chief props to Judi Siklos for her article in the Queer/Trans supplement about gay bars in Israel:

Thus, while the locale was completely natural to me, it continues to amaze my friends, both queer and straight. Israel is the only country in the region that has no anti-sodomy laws and is even a step ahead of the American “don’t ask don’t tell” policy. Just like in the Canadian army, gay Israeli soldiers are out and supported. In fact, just recently there was a gay marriage at the Royal Military College here in Canada, just as an acclaimed film about a gay couple in the Israeli army was released.

I can, however, understand the ignorance my friends display, since this particular region of the world is not known as gay-friendly. In neighbouring Egypt, homosexual men are beheaded, tortured or jailed, despite the fact that homosexuality is actually not illegal. Or in Afghanistan, men can suffer such punishments as being buried alive or having buildings collapsed on them.

It is particularly revealing that her article was counterpointed by a parallel viewpoint from a Palestinian gay man who is not even able to sign his full name to the story for fear of ostracism by his family and/or community. Nonetheless, he still finds Judi's argument unconvincing:

The existence of undemocratic behaviour in the Arab world, or in any part of the world for that matter, does not excuse the behaviour of the Israeli state, regardless of whether its citizens are given the right to celebrate their sexuality.

and

Through allowing World Pride 2005 to happen in Israel, the delegates at the InterPride conference, held in Montreal in October of 2003, are allowing the international queer population to be used as part of a propagandistic public relations ploy.

It gets worse, of course.

Israel is not a democratic state.

Now, he's just lying.

And of course, the prerequisite opinion piece about Israel being an Apartheid state:

The only option left, therefore, is a one-state where all of the people of the land are treated with respect and dignity; a state where Palestinians, Israelis, Muslims, Christians, and Jews will live together as equals and, ultimately, in peace.

So basically, according to Tarek Hamam, the only people in the world who are not allowed nationalism are Jews. Everyone else can have nationalism. Not us.

And in Concordia news, props for freedom of speech. It looks as though Barak will eventually be invited:

"The university is a place for open dialogue, not just one-sided arguments,” [Hillel president Jason Portnoy] says.

As always, letters to letters@excal.on.ca.

I'm down at aliza[at]cfjs[dot]ca.

All quiet

Excalibur has no mentions of Israel this week. Yay!

In other news, we have taken our blogging public and will be adding
new bloggers shortly. In general, prospective team members, people
with concerns, and anyone wanting help or to get involved should email
aliza[at]cfjs[dot]ca.

Jewish, Muslim groups avoid endorsements - The Varsity - News

Election roundup in The Varsity mentions Hillel@UofT:

Hillel at U of T, the association of Jewish students, is not taking sides either, to avoid alienating anyone. "I don't think it would be appropriate to take a stance," said Johanna Herman, the president and a fourth year student.

Opinion, among students she's talked to, is divided. "There are definitely those who support Bush because of his policy on Israel and there are some students who support Kerry because of his foreign policy...Opinions are as diverse as we are."

SFU: Remembering Yitzhak Rabin: Rekindling optimistic hope for peace

Three cheers to Howard from SFU for this thoughtful and really well-written piece.

Some highlights:

Rabin's last words:

"I was a military man for 27 years. I waged war as long as there was no chance for peace. I believe there is now a chance for peace, a great chance. . . . I have always believed that the majority of the people want peace and are ready to take a chance for peace. . . . This rally must broadcast to the Israeli public, to the world Jewish public and to many in the western and outside world that the people of Israel want peace, support peace. Thank you."

and

Although it is easy to criticize Israeli leaders for their past military pursuits, especially considering that almost all prime ministers were one-time army generals, one common bond that most of them have is the necessity for a non-military solution. Yitzhak Rabin and the past Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak epitomised this characteristic. Even Ariel Sharon is currently putting aside his former commitments to the settlers in order to disengage from the territories and dismantle the majority of settlements.

Whether or not you agree with disengagement, this article is a seriously good read.