Next week thousands of university campuses across the US, Canada, Europe, and Australia Will host ISRAEL APARTHEID WEEK. They will campaign aggressively to make the case that Israel is a tyrannical, oppressive state that terrorizes and murders Palestinians because they are not Jewish. The week will be marked by “blood buckrt challenges” “death-in” where people “spontaneously” lie down and die to reenact the war in Gaza, and violent Israeli check point abuses to make the untrue point of Israeli aggression at security points.
Unfortunately, ISRAEL APARTHEID WEEK is not just a week. People who hate Israel will carry on this conversation all year by convincing their universities to BOYCOTT, DIVEST, and SANCTION (BDS) against Israel because of its supposed list of war crimes and discrimination. This simply keeps the monologue of the evils of Israel in constant conversation. It has created an environment of fear and violence aimed at Jews on their campuses.
What can we do? Advocating for Israel is not a science, but there are methods that are being effectively used.
1)Israel advocacy tries to reach the vast majority of people, that has not come across the propaganda of those wishing to vilify Israel.
2)That being the case, Israel Advocacy aims at creating truthful positive imaging about Israel.
3)Effective Israel Advocacy does not react defensively. It does not aim to disclaim the vile accusations made by the BDS and SAIA (students against Israeli Apartheid). It does not use the language of SAIA such as Apartheid, and Apartheid Wall.
4)Effective Israel Advocacy uses POSITIVE messages that say:
A)Israel wants peace
B)Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East.
C)Israel gives equal rights to ALL its citizens- Jews, Christians, Arabs, Muslims, gays, and women, and it is the only country in the Middle East to do so.
D)Israel is on the cutting edge of technological, medical and humanitarian advances.
E)Israel uses its technological advances to help disadvantaged people and countries, even those that are sworn enemies of Israel.
5)Effective Israel advocacy does not delegitimize or belittle other countries or people. It keeps the message POSITIVE.
6)Emphasize the shares values of Israel and Canada.