AUJS chooses to turn back on Israeli-Apartheid Week

AS pro-Palestinian activists mark Israeli-Apartheid Week (IAW) at campuses across the country this month, the Australasian Union of Jewish (AUJS) says it is not planning to run a  counter campaign to combat the anti-Israel rhetoric.

IAW is an annual event held at universities across the globe, comparing the Jewish State to the former South African apartheid regime and encouraging students to support the global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and as a part of the BDS movement.

AUJS national political affairs director Alex Polson said the students’ union believed staging a counter initiative would only add fuel to the fire.

“We don’t want to give the BDS  movement any oxygen or publicity, so we are planning no direct response because if we do something it gives them the satisfaction that they want,” he said.

“Our view is that the less attention they get the better, so we will ignore it and have our own Israel week celebrations preceding or following IAW.

“We’ll have our own celebrations that have nothing to do with them because we don’t need to defend ourselves, we know we’re right and we should be proud.”

Polson said that although IAW campaigners were vocal through their lectures, stalls and posters, which was upsetting to Jewish students, he believed it was a futile exercise. “I think most students see these type of movements as far-left extremists, so they just walk past and go to class, whereas Israel Week has always been very successful with Jewish and non-Jewish students coming to our stalls to enjoy the music, food and free hugs and they also learn a bit.”

CASSILEE KAHN