Dear John,

Likely surprising no one at a time of high levels of antisemitic incidents and sharp fault lines across the country, ADL’s just-released annual assessment of the Anti-Israel Movement on Campus found many examples where campus anti-Israel groups and activists crossed the line from legitimate criticism of the Israeli government into expressions of antisemitism.

A vocal segment of the anti-Israel groups and activists on campus engaged in rhetoric targeting pro-Israel students, which can create a corrosive climate for many Jews on campus. This became a flashpoint during the conflict between Israel and Hamas in May 2021. Many Jewish students even reported feeling compelled to hide aspects of their identities.

ADL’s Center on Extremism, which monitors anti-Israel activities across the country, says these trends have been primarily driven by a small group of student activist organizations, as well as individual activists, who often work in concert to spread anti-Israel and anti-Zionist messages on campus.

As our CEO Jonathan Greenblatt pointed out, “Freedom of speech does not mean freedom to harass and intimidate.”

Calls for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) continued to be a cornerstone of anti-Israel campus activity. Student governments considered 17 BDS-inspired motions in 2020-21, and of those 11 were passed, despite some containing blatant misinformation or language intimating support for violence against Israel. In its most extreme and troubling manifestations, calls have been made for individual Zionist and pro-Israel students to be barred from campus spaces, including, at times, from student government.

Pro-Israel and Zionist students — like all students — deserve to feel safe and accepted in their college communities. They cannot do this when they fear being demeaned or ostracized. Administrators, students and faculty need to ensure a safe and inclusive environment for all students.

ADL is here to help...

• Through our new partnership with Hillel International;
• Through our programs such as Words to Action that empower students to address antisemitism and Hate/Uncycled, which prepares administrators, faculty and others to promote a welcoming campus environment;
• And through our reporting tool that students, parents of students and others can use to flag antisemitic incidents as well as other incidents of bigotry and extremism.

Please take a few moments to read this latest report on anti-Israel activity on campus, and speak out alongside ADL to provide support for these students.

Sincerely,

Oren Segal

VP of Center on Extremism

ADL