Urgent Thoughts

I am getting concerned. The BDS movement and the growing and creeping anti-semitism movements spreading on college campuses is organized and increasingly efficient. We are now seeing sponsored anti-semitic speakers, infiltration of campus Hillel Houses, urging them to dissociate themselves from their national sponsors, which free them up to engage in "discussions" with outside anti-semitic groups.
And more.

If you think about your life on campus you may recall occasionally going to a service. Or maybe hanging at Hillel once or twice, or grabbing a bagel or looking for place to go for one of the High Holidays. Or maybe you were one of the two or three "religious" kids. Its even possible you didn't do anything "Jewish" while you were at school. You may not even know now or knew then that there were organizations, formed in the early 2000s and now rapidly growing that were urging professors and students to denounce Israel as an "apartheid" state. Disingenuously stating that they don't mind Jews and really they don't mind Israel but they just want Israel to "abolish their anti-apartheid ways", give full "right of return" for Palestinians and more or less just disappear. No really, we love you Jews, but we think Israel has no right to exist.

In spite of a lot of controversy about settlements, most Israelis and most mainstream Jews understand that peace requires a significant return of some land obtained after 1948.  And the creation of TWO STATES, living side by side. Regardless of the fact that the land obtained after 1948 was obtained when all of the surrounding Arab states, who never recognized the UN creation of the state of Israel, attacked Israel with the intent of pushing the Jews into the sea and taking back all the land. Miraculously the young Jewish state was able to not only defend the land but push back. And each time the Arab world attacked, the Jews pushed back.

It is IMPORTANT TO RECALL that at NO TIME did the Jewish State initiate any war or set out to grab any more land. They had agreed to the UN 1948 boundaries.

After some crushing defeats, Egypt agreed to make peace and land was returned by Israel. See? Its easy. But most of the surrounding countries still don't recognize Israel's right to exist. They teach their children Geography using maps that do not include Israel. They don't mention Israel. They teach hatred. But still, most mainstream Arabs when polled will stay say they favor a two state solution.

After losing multiple wars and seeing decades of time wasted on misplaced hate and lies a new strategy was hatched by some. Not a strategy to pursue a lasting peace but a strategy to create a "grass roots" program, loosely based on some non-violent movements in which they would try to infiltrate colleges and universities and convince the kids that Israel was an "apartheid state" repressing Palestinians, and living on their land. They have the nerve to say that all they want is for Israel to obey some esoteric UN resolutions and allow Palestinians full "right of return". Oddly, they NEVER agree to the original UN RESOLUTION which created the State of Israel.

So here we are as February 2014 draws to a close, BDS is clawing its way onto American Colleges and Universities, breaking apart Hillels, interrupting classes, sewing anti-semitism and planting the false seedlings of a "Israel = Apartheid" mindset.

If we sit by, they will continue to grow. We've been busy, being naive and living our lives. And you know what? It would be really nice to be able to go on doing that. But, no, we can't.

So? Start reading, start learning. If you have kids in college, PLEASE talk to them. Talk to your college Rabbi. Talk to your local synagogues. Get involved. We'll do our best to keep clipping and posting. If you have something you want to share, let me know. But please, don't do nothing.