Jewish student unions at five South African universities this week countered the annual campus campaign to delegitimize Israel, thanks to a joint program of the South African Union of Jewish Students (SAUJS) and the Global Campus Initiative (GCI). GCI is a joint project of the World Jewish Congress, the European Union of Jewish Student (EUJS) and the World Union of Jewish Students (WUJS).
Naming their campaign “Give Peace Wings,” the Jewish student unions at the University of the Witwaterstrand, the University of Johannesburg, Rhodes University, the University of Cape Town, and Stellenbosch Universityerected “peace tents” during “Israel Apartheid Week” (March 10-16), in order to establish a venue for campus-wide discussions of peace in the Middle East. In addition, GCI and SAUJS sponsored a 13-member delegation of Israeli students, including seven Ethiopian-Israelis from the Interdisciplinary Center at Herzliya and six others from the group StandWithUs, who traveled to campuses to engage with students about Israel and offer them a perspective different from the anti-Israel propaganda on campus.
“With South Africa being ‘ground zero’ for the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement, the world Jewish community wanted to stand with South African students during the most trying week of the year,” said World Jewish Congress CEO Robert Singer. “With reasoned arguments and good cheer, SAUJS and CGI combated the Israel-bashing and hatred on campuses.”
“This year, SAUJS decided that in the battle of ideals that raged on campus this week, SAUJS would devote our time to telling our own narrative and spreading our own message,” said SAUJS chair Ariela Carno. “It was out of this philosophy that our campaign ‘Give Peace Wings’ was conceptualized.”
Throughout the week, SAUJS hosted different speakers, including Dr. Yehudah Skornick, an oncological surgeon from Tel Aviv; Serge Tshebangu, head of the Congolese Union of Jewish Students; and Rev. Kenneth Meshoe, president of the African Christian Democratic Party, as well as engaging with the group of Israeli students, who traveled to campuses around the country during the week.
"Following in our strong tradition of student activism, SAUJS and the South African Jewish community believe that it is high time we stopped apologizing for what we believe in and to stand strong in order to reclaim the narrative that is rightfully ours,” Carno added.