More "Trembling Israelites"? UK's Jewish Students Go Softly, Softly Into The Fray

At a time when Israel needs firm and resolute advocates more than ever before, the UK's Union of Jewish Students (UJS) has, it seems, been taken over by Yachad/J Street types.

It appears to many in the Anglo-Jewish community that while the UJS exists for the commendable purposes of enabling Jewish students to eat kosher, daven, and have fun, its heart is not really in getting involved in Israel advocacy in a committed, strenuous way.

Critics point to what they see as a lamentable track record of the UJS  going lily-livered and caving in to pressure ("Islamist-cowed" is how it has been described by one victim http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/douglasmurray/100034452/how-to-lose-friends-and-alienate-people-a-lesson-from-islamist-cowed-jewish-students/), citing as cases in point the UJS's withdrawal of its invitations to well-known public intellectual Douglas Murray, a  strong friend of Israel and critic of Islamofascism, to speak at Gateshead and to Benny Morris to speak at Cambridge, and its attempt to prevent prominent pro-Israel activist Jonathan Hoffman from demonstrating in support of Israeli deputy foreign minister Danny Ayalon in a public street outside LSE.

Now comes news that will strike many people as utterly depressing.

'Jewish students arriving at universities in the next fortnight will be asked to pledge their support to "two states for two peoples", hand out Israeli and Palestinian flags, and support "freedom, justice and equality" for all.'

That's how the Jewish Chronicle describes a "radical, progressive" campaign, encouraging students to speak up for the rights of both Israelis and Palestinians, to be launched by the Union of Jewish Students (UJS), a campaign that will carefully cherry-pick which issues to fight, not react in "knee-jerk" fashion to criticism of Israel, and which reportedly has the tacit backing of communal organisations.  The report continues:

'There is a belief within UJS that standard advocacy efforts "do not cut it any more" because "students are not stupid". Students will be encouraged to back the "liberation" of Israelis from Palestinian terror, and Palestinians through the formation of a new state. 

Campaigns director Dan Sheldon said UJS had decided on the new direction because "hasbara is not working". He said: 

"We have done our research. Old campaigns regarding Israel have not worked, so we are trying a bold approach.

Not everyone will agree with our bold campaigns this year, but we're hoping to start a conversation, to get our community properly engaging with and discussing Israel. Already, we've sat with everyone from Yachad to StandWithUs to start that dialogue."'

The report notes that

"Efforts to overturn the National Union of Students' anti-Israel policies adopted earlier this year will continue, as will opposition to campus extremism and invitations to hate speakers."

 http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/54741/union-jewish-students-shows-commitment-peace

Some might well consider this ostensibly well-meaning new approach defeatist or naive.  Indeed, the contention that hasbara is ineffective because "students are not stupid" would appear to blame the victim, conceding that Israel deserves much of the hostility it incurs. Since demonisation and delegitimisation of Israel needs no excuse these days, especially on British campuses, it seems a singularly ill-advised choice of words. 

Let's hope the new policy - which the UJS admits may alienate some of its members and which has reportedly infuriated the Israeli Embassy in London -  does not, unwittingly, play into the enemy's hands.

Jonathan Hoffman, for one, is certainly less than impressed.  He says:

"Hamas is committed to the genocide of all Jews and the PA refuses to recognise the State of Israel. The vast majority of Israeli Jews and indeed of UK Jews will find the image of UJS pressing Palestinian flags on Jewish students utterly repulsive. Fortunately there are now alternatives on campus to UJS - namely Stand With Us and British Israel Coalition. I would urge Jewish students and indeed their parents to vote with their feet."