Sunday 19 / May / 2024
The ongoing genocide in Gaza has ignited significant outrage and concern among people worldwide, including university students and protesters in the West.
As the violence intensifies, these individuals are mobilising on the streets, campuses, and social media platforms to show solidarity with the people of Gaza and call for an end to the suffering.
University students and protesters in the West are playing a pivotal role in raising awareness about the conflict in Gaza. Through organising rallies, leveraging social media, and demanding accountability, they are actively striving to effect change and demonstrate solidarity with the people of Gaza.
Despite facing criticism, their activism undeniably contributes to fostering a broader global consensus on peace, justice, and the imperative for resolution.
Israel and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) have come to recognise that people are awakening to the reality of the Jewish state.
In 1979, they established the Political Leadership Development Programme to gather information on students and professors supporting the Palestinian cause.
In 1983, they successfully recruited 5,500 individuals and conducted 350 workshops, excluding anyone supporting the Palestinian cause from attending these seminars. Additionally, students were encouraged to organise workshops at their universities independently.
In 2002, the Israel on Campus Coalition (ICC) was established to provide support for students through scholarships and other means.
In October 2023, the organisation led petitions to multiple universities in an effort to defund organisations that supported Hamas.
In November 2023, online reports circulated alleging that the ICC compensated numerous pro-Israel college students, offering up to $250 per person to participate in the November 14, 2023, rally for Israel in Washington D.C. These funds were reportedly provided through its microgrant reimbursement programme, aimed at bolstering attendance at events hosted by pro-Israel organisations.
The Nation magazine alleged connections between the organisation and Israeli intelligence as well as AIPAC. It purported that the group collected data on pro-Palestinian students and organisations in the US, utilising Jewish informants and pro-Israel student groups to relay information to the Israeli Ministry of Strategic Affairs.
The claim suggests a pattern of influence akin to their alleged involvement in influencing the White House, the Senate, and Congress.
Canary Mission is a long-standing programme purportedly operated clandestinely from Israel, with the aim of blacklisting and targeting students, professors, and individuals who express dissent against Israel or support the Palestinian cause.
Many individuals have reported being startled to discover that their names have been included in the Canary Mission blacklist, resulting in efforts to silence their voices. >A2
The threat posed by Canary Mission is significant; speaking out may result in inclusion on the blacklist, potentially hindering future job prospects or professional advancement after leaving university. Given that many universities receive substantial funding from affluent Jewish Americans and Jewish American foundations, this dynamic adds another layer to the complexity of the situation.
Commander Benjamin Netanyahu’s characterisation of US student protests as ‘anti-Semitic’ and his call for their cessation could be perceived as an implicit directive to US officials, implying that failure to act may jeopardise support from AIPAC.
Given historical precedents, I wouldn’t be surprised if efforts were made to infiltrate peaceful Palestinian supporters to incite violence, potentially prompting intervention from US security forces. The term ‘anti-Semitic’ is often wielded as a rhetorical weapon when other arguments falter. It is time for the removal of this word, and it should be deemed illegal. There are Jewish and Jewish Zionists (Nazis), but only the Jewish Zionists use this word!
