by Lara Friedman
The Israeli government is launching a multi-prong McCarthyist campaign targeting US campuses/students (reportedly in part in coordination with DOJ).
Reminder: when Israeli govt talks about targeting antisemitism, they mean – first, foremost, & usually exclusively – criticism of Israel &/or Zionism, calls for Palestinian rights, & expression of Palestinian history/identity/grievances.
This strategy includes:
– ensuring students who criticize Israel/Zionism “struggle to find employment in the US & will pay a significant economic price for their conduct”
– using unions to pressure universities to act against students “to avoid harming the university’s ranking”.
– working w/ US Dept of Justice to “map out legal tools that can be used” to go after students & student orgs like SJP
– working w/ Jewish orgs to encourage/help Jewish students sue universities & fellow students
– getting pro-Israel donors to use funds to pressure universities.
– “exposing” foreign funding at universities “that encourage antisemitic & anti-Israeli activity”
– trying to get the Biden Admin to coordinate its antisemitism strategy implementation w/ Israel.
– improving hasbara resources for “pro-Israeli professors and students”
– sending hasbaristas to campuses “in coordination with pro-Israel/Jewish organizations in the area” — & noting “The focus must be on influencers from the human rights, diversity, and gender identity realms”.
And finally,
“a continuous street sign campaign will be launched across campuses”.
Oh, and also this fun detail:
“Israel will examine options against civil society organizations active in the United States and in general”.
