Part 2 of 2

In the words of Louis Rene Beres, professor of International Law at Purdue University, Israel is marching toward disappearance because so many of its leaders fail to understand this essential truth: “The Jewish State is despised in the Islamic world not because of anything that it does, but because of what it is. There is absolutely nothing that Israel can do to diminish the end-of-days ravings of enemy states. For these states, any sort of peace settlement with Israel is inconceivable, an intolerable affront to Islam and a negation of their Islamic identity.”

Beres continues, “Territorial compromise over ‘Palestine,’ therefore, is completely out of the question, since Muslim land can only be ruled properly by a Muslim authority. Israel’s theft of Arab land calls for Jihad. Described by Islamic leaderships as a ‘cancerous growth in the Middle East,’ Israel is approached as a malignancy not because of its particular policies, but because it is there.”

Many of you reading this depressing view of Israel’s future have children or grandchildren in college. Can we count on them to change things? In her article “Facing Hatred on Campus: You Can’t Fight Fire With Flowers,” StandWithUs co-founder and CEO, Roz Rothstein, writes that Jewish students face a dedicated anti-Israel movement that is not discouraged by temporary setbacks. Muslim student groups focus singlemindedly on one goal: demonizing Israel.

This is not your normal student activism. The members of these groups are determined, methodical, focused, wellfunded and strictly organized. They use the Internet to coordinate their anti-Israel strategies and to share their effective campaigns, fliers, props and slogans. They exchange anti-Israel propaganda, analyzing what was effective and refining their tactics and execution for the upcoming year.

These pro-Muslim groups expect a disorganized response from Israel’s supporters and that’s what they get. Pro-Israel students are focused on other things, like school, their social lives and their futures, as students should be. They didn’t go to college expecting they would have to defend their Jewish identity or Israel. Most become involved not because they intended to, or have some sense of mission, but out of necessity.

Consequently, pro-Israel students are often caught off guard, unprepared for new anti- Israel ambushes, and conflicted about how to react. They are hamstrung by concerns about offending other groups on campus and by frequently unsupportive or weak administrations that give cover to these bigoted campaigns under the umbrella of free speech. Pro-Israel students also sincerely believe that reaching out with sympathy and understanding for the other side’s grievances and engaging in reasonable debate will help defuse the situation. Unfortunately, this has rarely been the result.

The seriousness of the situation must be recognized. Well-meaning students must absorb the disconcerting fact that the problem they are dealing with is a dedicated, international, orchestrated movement with a long-term battle plan. Judging from the recent divestment campaigns, if pro-Israel students don’t mobilize soon, their voices will be silenced and a false, ugly image of Israel will become the academic norm of North American colleges.

What’s needed is a coordinated, carefully thoughtout, long-term strategy that proactively plans programs and campaigns that are ready in advance to preempt the predictable anti-Israel actions. Coalitions must be built among Jewish and gentile coexistence groups on campuses across the country. Effective strategies should be identified and kept in place so incoming students can fill the shoes of graduating seniors, just as we see the “other side” doing.

The anti-Israel groups must be labeled and exposed for what they are: extremists who oppose peaceful coexistence, who instill hate and divisiveness, who stand for racism, not human rights, and who are bent on destruction, not on constructive solutions or compromise. The anti-Israel groups are not pro-peace or pro-Palestinian, but spoilers of peace who want to perpetuate the conflict (Read Rothstein’s entire speech at www.standwithus.com).

The past year has seen a marked rise in anti- Semitism, increasing over 100 percent throughout the world, according to the Stephen Roth Institute for the Study of Contemporary Anti-Semitism and Racism of Tel-Aviv University. This cannot be separated from the BDS movement against Israel: boycott, divestment, sanctions. No other country is singled out for such vilification and delegitimization. Not North Korea, not China and certainly not Iran, whose power is growing at America’s expense. Unfortunately, at this crucial time, America has a president who would rather switch than fight, further isolating Israel.

Despite all this, I still believe in the future of Israel because of examples like the following. The Birthright program has invigorated the Jewish spirit of hundreds of thousands of young Jewish adults from the Diaspora, as well as tens of thousands of Israelis. It definitely strengthens the participants’ connection with Israel and Judaism.

A recent study by the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis University, covering four years, found a 69 percent increase in the number of courses focused primarily on Israel. The study’s authors report that there has been a move toward studying Israel “as a culture, society, political system, and historical entity rather than solely as a locus for international conflict.”

There are a multitude of bloggers, pundits, and journalists like myself trying to spark interest in Jewish subjects and in Israel. Check out sites such as: www.israpundit.com, www.theaugeanstables.com, www.wordfromjerusalem.com, www.israel21c.org, just to mention a few. Then there is the incredible support from the Christian Zionist community.

And let’s not ignore the fact that Israelis have many children, a very optimistic endorsement of Israel’s vitality. The typical Israeli family has three children, by far the highest fertility rate in the Western world. Of course, religious families have even more children.

Perhaps the most significant factor in perpetuating Israel is its brainpower. No other population comes close to matching our astonishing record of intellectual achievement.

Even though all the Islamic states and almost all the nonaligned countries line up against Israel, I still have faith in Israel’s future. Even though many Christian religious establishments back the Muslims against Israel, I still have faith in Israel. Even though anti-Semitism has now been coupled by anti-Zionism, I still have faith in Israel. Even though America seems to be wavering in its support for Israel, not recognizing that it will be militant Islam’s next target if Israel falls, I still have faith in Israel. Call me crazy, but I am positive that Israel will not disappear.

You can find information about Stephen Kramer’s new book “Encountering Israel – Geography, History, Culture” and order it at www.comteqpublishing.com.