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March 13, 2009
Under the microscope
Conference examines trends in anti-Semitism.
DAVE GORDON
News from countries around the world tells of growing anti-Semitism. From Holocaust-denying bishops to Canadian union boycotts of Israel to the usual tirades from Middle East dictators, hatred of Jews is plentiful. Awareness of the extent of these problems is of prime importance, as is building bridges with potential friends of Israel and Jews, attendees at a recent conference were told.
About 125 people from around Canada attended a two-day conference called Emerging Trends in Anti-Semitism and Campus Discourse, organized by Canadian Academic Friends of Israel (CAFI), at the Munk Centre at the University of Toronto, March 8 and 9.
CAFI is made up of professors from across Canada who support Israel and have a mandate of ensuring that Canadian campuses remain a safe place for Jewish faculty and students.
Keynote addresses at the conference were made by MP Irwin Cotler and Prof. Ed Morgan of the faculty of law at the University of Toronto and the national chair of CAFI. Speakers also included: Senator Jerry Grafstein; Prof. Gerald Steinberg, executive director of NGO Monitor; Miriam Ziv, ambassador of the state of Israel to Canada; and some 20 others.
Cotler is a co-founder of the International Parliamentary Coalition to Combat Anti-Semitism with U.K. MP John Mann. His speech, called Global Anti-Semitism: Assault on Human Rights, pointed out several different kinds of anti-Semitism: the singling out of Israel for specific indictment, the demonization and assaults on Jews and their religious areas, and the calling of Israel an "apartheid" or "Nazi" state.
Cotler noted that anti-Semitism has been developing and growing for the past 35 years. He said it is now "a new sophisticated, globalizing, virulent and even lethal anti-Semitism, reminiscent of the atmospherics of the '30s, and without parallel or precedent since the end of the Second World War."
He compared older forms of Jew hatred with what is seen today. "In a word, classical or traditional anti-Semitism is the discrimination against, denial of, or assault upon, the rights of Jews to live as equal members of whatever host society they inhabit. The new anti-Semitism involves the discrimination against the right of the Jewish people to live as an equal member of the family of nations – the denial of, and assault upon, the Jewish people's right even to live," he said.
"[T]he new anti-Jewishness is anchored in the denial of the very legitimacy of the Jews as a people ... the denial of any historical connection between the Jewish people and the state of Israel."
Morgan noted the use of the conference as a way for supporters of Israel to organize and educate themselves about the atmosphere of hate seen widely at universities.
"We have to think through how it is we reconcile free speech with our equal commitment for a free space for learning, and the best practices on how to develop this in light of anti-Israelism, especially in academic circles."
He called on local politicians to set a better climate for students on campus. "At the local level and provincial level we have heard almost nothing. Premier [Dalton] McGuinty needs to speak out when there is anti-Semitism. There has been good support on the federal level," he said, making especial note of MP Jason Kenney's censure of recent anti-Semitic activities at York University's campus.
"We aren't asking for policy change. We are just asking politicians to make a statement to foster a climate of tolerance. And of course, we ask the university administration to speak out against every intolerant act."
Dr. Mitchell Bard, executive director of American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise, co-led a workshop, Anti-Israel Activities on Campus: A Guide for the Perplexed. He noted that some of the problems on campus come from the professors rather than the students, and that, "sometimes the faculty stokes the fire of anti-Semitism."
He shared his concerns about the $300 million that Arab states have invested in U.S. universities over the course of five decades, which has resulted in "Middle East" departments becoming a haven for anti-Israel teaching. Suggestions Bard made to change the direction of these departments of study included promoting, "good academic study of Israel. We should bring in Israeli professors to campus to teach a few courses on Israel. That would transform the environment on campus. Students can then ask them about Israel if they have questions."
Dave Gordon is a freelance writer in Toronto. His website is DaveGordonWrites.com.
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