Israel Apartheid Week 2014-1

8/13/2019 Israel Apartheid Week 2014-1

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Dear Campus Leaders,

As you are probably aware, Israel Apartheid Week will be taking place from February 24th to March 2ndthis year and may be coming to your campus. IAW is celebrating their tenth anniversary and recent BDS"victories" at academic conferences, so if the campaign is coming to your campus, don't be surprised tosee a larger IAW effort this year than in years past.

The IAW leadership has recommended that they bring films, lectures, protests, and BDS actions. Theymay host ugly demonstrations, imposing walls plastered with anti-Israel lies and propaganda, possibledisruptions to events and campus life, and even aggressive campaigning for the BDS Movement likedivestment resolutions proposed to the student government.

StandWithUs is here to support you with resources and guidance on how to best spread Israel's messageon campus, and expose Israel Apartheid Week for their anti-peace agitation.

Here some things you can do:

-Be seen on campus!

Remember that 80% of students on campus don't have information about Israel and probably don'thave an opinion about it. You can make Israel relevant to them, like showing Israeli technology thattouches their lives each day. Make sure to table and have a physical presence on campus. Don't let SJPcontrol the narrative!

-Run an I Heart Israel Campaign on your campus! There is nothing more powerful than simply setting the agenda with apositive message. Run your own campaign with StandWithUs I Heart Israelstickers, sunglasses, water bottles, and other swag items. Host a Hummusnot Hamas party or another social event. Have fun with it!

-Host fun events!The best thing for students on campus to see is their peers celebrating Israel. The bestway to fight a negative campaign like IAW is to juxtapose it with something positive.

Events like film screenings are great. There are many films available to use like The Case for Israel andIsrael Inside . Additionally, your campus coordinator can see what Israeli films are available to you locally.Be careful to screen the film and select a film that presents the message you want, because many Israelifilms can be overly critical and lost on a foreign audience.

Another great event you can host is a Buy Israeli Goods (BIG) action day. Take a group of students to thelocal supermarket and film it as everyone stocks up on Israeli treats, and of course throw a party after toenjoy them! This event is great to film, and StandWithUs can help you edit it into an amazing online viralvideo to show the world what you are doing to support Israel.


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Tips for Success:

-Build Relationships Have you been building relationships with other groups on campus? If not, this would be an excellenttime to reach out. Assign each member of your pro-Israel team a group to reach out to that matches

their interests, and introduce yourself or invite other groups to an event you are hosting. Remember,the students in your pro-Israel group have diverse interests, so use that to your advantage. Assignsomeone to reach out to the environmental group, LGBT group, Indian, Asian, and other minority groupson campus for support.

-Counter MisinformationIf there is a specific false claim against Israel gaining traction orbeing published in the school paper, then it needs to be addressed.Remember that SJP callously couches their hateful rhetoric in thelanguage of human rights, and this is something you should call outand use to your advantage. Determine what the best way to

counter the lies is for your campus. Talk to our research staff!! Werecommend writing op-eds to your school paper, whichStandWithUs can help you write and/or edit for publication.

This may come up at your school: A hot issue right now, forexample, is the African refugee issue in Israel. There are over 60,000migrants from Sudan, Eritrea, and other impoverished and war-tornparts of Africa currently seeking asylum, which Israel is struggling tofigure out. SJP is using this issue to make Israel look awful, but Israel was the only country in the regionto take in people fleeing genocide in Sudan, while Egypt was shooting at them while trying to get tofreedom in Israel. Now that there is relative peace in their home countries, Israel would like to send

them back, but many want to stay in Israel for economic opportunity. These are problems that everydemocracy faces including the United States. If this comes up, like anything else, you have anopportunity to provide the context about how Israel gave them a safe place to be while their countrywas at war.

-Stay On Message Simple, straight to the point messaging is key to successfully winning arguments. IAW's messagingusually delegitimizes Israel as a colonial occupier, and the best way to fight against this is by highlightingthe Jewish People's 3500 year old indigenous connection to the Land of Israel. Our history scares Israel'senemies the most, as we saw with the recent UNESCO cancellation of an exhibit on Jewish history in theLand of Israel.

Other key messages are highlighting Israel's efforts for peace, and the strength of it's diversity anddemocracy. You may want to promote a simple concept, for example, "Israel Wants Peace" withexamples of all the offers Israel has made over the years,


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-Let your Voice be Heard! You are an important part of your campus community, and you should never be bullied into being silent.Talk to your student representatives about Israel, and show a presence on campus through tabling,displays, posters, events, and outreach to academic departments. You should bring a positive approachto the table, and can focus on Israel beyond the conflict, but always be prepared to refute the

misinformation being spread on campus through conversations and articles. And always know that youcan reach out to StandWithUs for information on any topic.

Resources Available from StandWithUs

-MicrograntsYou can apply for a microgrant with your campus coordinator.Microgrants from StandWithUs average around $200, and can beused to buy supplies for tabling, printing, event costs, and food toincite participants. We also offer higher levels of funding for specialcircumstances, so make sure to keep open lines of communication

with your campus coordinator and let them know what you areplanning. If your school has been targeted for IAW, then there maybe additional funding for your campus!

-Free Materials from StandWithUsStandWithUs has the largest library of printed educational booklets about Israel on the planet, all free ofcharge for you to use on campus! Check them out here: http://www.standwithus.com/booklets/Simply place an order by emailing your campus coordinator, but please don't delay because we prefer atleast 4 weeks for shipping!Don't forget to also place orders for your I Heart Israel swag! Quantities are limited, so first come firstserved!

-Download and Print your own Signs and Fliers There are hundreds of signs and fliers available at www.standwithus.com/resources to compliment theevents you want to host, or for countering IAW events.


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-Bring the Israel Matters DisplayCheck it out here:http://www.standwithus.com/campaigns/israelmatters/We currently have displays available in: Los Angeles, SanFrancisco, Chicago, Detroit, Toronto, New York, and South

Florida. They can be transported to your nearby campusfor free, just make sure you have some strong volunteersto help set it up, and a 10ft. X 10ft. place to store it.

-Host an Israel 101 Session StandWithUs Staff are happy to come to your campus andmake a presentation. Alternatively, we are happy to supplyyou with resources and training to make your ownpresentation. This is a great way to educate your core-group of activists on campus, and make sureeveryone understands the facts and stays on-message.

-Host an Israeli Soldiers Stories EventOur Israeli Soldiers Stories tour may be in your area during IAW! This is a fantastic way to show yourcampus what Israelis and the IDF are really about. The soldiers will be telling stories of their experiencesin the IDF, many times helping Palestinians and trying to protect civilians on both sides from terrorists.Ask your campus coordinator when they will be in your area!

-Participate in Israel U-nity WeekStandWithUs is proud to sponsor Israel U-nity Week with Campuses for Israel.Israel U-nity Week is a week long campaign of programming designed to showsolidarity with Israel and educate the wider community on campus. For moreinformation check out: http://israelunityweek.org/

-Prepare for BDS/ DIVESTMENT CAMPAIGNS Channel the student outrage from divisive campaigns like IAW and BDS intopositive action! Register for an account at our Divestment Website atwww.standwithus.com/divestment and get exclusive access to the mostcomprehensive database of materials and strategies to fight BDS. We willpartner with you and support your efforts throughout this difficult process if it comes to your campus.

BE PREPARED! For your reference, here is the email alert sent by IsraelApartheid Week (IAW) International:

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Start Your Planning for IAW 2014

It is almost time for the 10th Annual Israeli Apartheid Week!

IAW is an annual international series of events held in cities and on campuses across the globe. The aimof IAW is to educate people about the nature of Israel as an apartheid system and to build Boycott,


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Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaigns as part of the growing global BDS movement. IAW offers people around the world an opportunity to partake in something truly global.

In the U.S. the dates are February 24-March 2. Here are some ideas and things to keep in mind as youmobilize for IAW:

Organize a film screening. Find film suggestions here or contact the IAW-USA coordinators [email protected] for suggestions.

Arrange a lecture, workshop, rally, or protest. There are many speakers ranging from academics, politicians, trade unionists, and cultural activists that you can bring to your event. Again [email protected] and they can connect you with local speakers.

Organize a BDS action. IAW is meant to strengthen your BDS work so choose activities this week that willbuild towards and strengthen your local campaigns. You can find BDS resources atwww.endtheoccupation.org/bds. Consider highlighting various BDS wins from the past few monthsincluding Veolia losing a Massachusetts commuter rail contract and Staples in Norway no longer sellingSodaStream.

Be creative! Draw attention to Israeli apartheid with a mock Israeli Apartheid Wall or checkpoint, a flashmob, a concert, poetry reading, street theater, etc. Make the connections to BDS targets when doingthese actions. Building a mock wall? Include a panel about companies constructing it like Elbit andCaterpillar. Erecting a mock checkpoint? Highlight biometric scanners, which Hewlett Packard sells to theIsraeli military. Hosting an event about settlements? Raise awareness about SodaStream and itsexploitation of Palestinian land, labor, and resources. Discussing Palestinian prisoners? Feature G4S,which provides security systems for Israeli prisons. It is very important to make it clear in anything you plan what you want people to do. Contact us if you need help with this.

Like USA Israeli Apartheid Week on Facebook and follow @IAW_USA on Twitter for more ideas and

updates.

Whatever you plan for IAW, make sure to let the IAW-USA coordinators know so they can list your actiononline!

Email them at [email protected] and send them your images and videos too.

Looking forward to seeing all the amazing actions you put together!

StandWithUs Is committed to your success on campus!

Please let us know how we can be of assistance, and keep yourCampus Coordinator updated on what you are planning!

Documents

Israel Apartheid Week 2014-1