A 700% increase in antisemitic incidents against students has been reported in North America, and 37% of Jewish students are forced to hide their identity. And these numbers are not unique to the US alone. There have been increasing reports of Jewish students who are victims of antisemitic incidents in France, Australia, and Scotland. Despite that, there is an increase in the participation of Israelis and Jews in pro-Israeli events.
"I expect the Diaspora Ministry to coordinate a forum of all the civic organizations on the various campuses in the world."
MK Oded Porer
In light of the rising tide of antisemitism that is being hidden under the veil of anti-Zionism, MK Oded Forer - chairman of the Aliyah, Absorption, and Diaspora Committee - said that he is working on classifying Zionism as a protected value, which he believes would help Jewish and Israeli students globally. Forer also noted that "the fight against antisemitism on campuses around the world is a fight for the entire Jewish identity. [...] The reactions of the heads of the universities in the world to the antisemitic incidents are too weak."
"The international television networks present Israel most negatively," said Yadin Alder from the University of Glasgow in Scotland. "Since the war broke out in October, stones have been thrown at my window," Alder said. He also expressed dismay at having to remove the Israeli flag at his apartment. Alder said that he knows that Jewish students at the same university hide their identity.
Further comments from Israeli politicians
Former Canada student MK Dan Iloz (Likud) also commented on this trend, saying that "in [his] worst nightmare [he] did not imagine that the dean who taught [him] could not say that the calls for the genocide of a people are incitement to violence." Iloz believes that the government should do more to combat this trend of antisemitism at colleges and universities around the world. "The Jews of the world are in a state of emergency," Dan Iloz commented.
"There are more PLO flags at a university in Scotland today than in Ramallah."
Yadin Alder
MK Ohad Tal from the Religious Zionist Party said that Jews are at war not only in Gaza and Lebanon "but also in universities around the world." He also said that the budget aimed at aiding around the world should be improved. Yesh Atid politician MK Simon Davidson says that, similarly to the college students, Israeli athletes also face "anti-semitic incidents around the world."
From the Foreign Affairs ministry, Ran Natanzon called for a combined effort of all organizations to fight antisemitism.
CEO of "Mosaic United," Meir Holtz, said that there should be a public appeal in the near future worth eight million NIS and that "the Israeli government will invest 48 million shekels to deal with antisemitism on campuses around the world."