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Aug 28, 2017

Fighting Through Education: A Way to Beat the BDS



Fighting Through Education: A Way to Beat the BDS
With the increasing rise of anti-Semitism and anti-Israel activity across the world, the most notorious group being the BDS, it’s important to have the proper tools to fight these blatant lies. Unfortunately, many in the West have become accustomed to ‘fighting’ online, also known as being a ‘keyboard warrior.’ While many of these people have the right intentions, most don’t understand enough about Israel in order to properly engage these nefarious individuals. And, this is really a shame.
It’s 2017. Knowledge and education are at our fingertips. No, this doesn’t mean opening Google, finding the first blog, and reciting this as fact. Facts need to be credible. Anyone can have a blog. But, there is a wealth of information out there from reliable sources, such as Jerusalem U’s ‘Israel Inside/Out’ video series, that educate people about Israeli society, history, conflicts, and even innovations.
Why This is Important
If you’ve been paying attention to foreign politics, there has been a recent change in US attitude to Israel. However, this can change in a heartbeat and the majority of the world’s governments still seem eager to gang up on Israel. To make matters worse, the media on a whole is at best slightly anti-Israel and at worst heavily anti-Israel. Either way you look at it, Israel is largely portrayed in a negative light on TV screens worldwide. The icing on this (stale) piece of cake is the BDS on college campuses, thus completing the ultimate trifecta.
Changing government opinion and behavior toward Israel can happen through diplomacy. Changing the media’s opinion can happen with the help of Hasbara and articulate government officials who are invited onto the various media networks for interviews. But fighting the BDS, which is the single most underrated opponent of Israel? This is a serious issue.
Ask yourself this: how are we currently fighting the BDS, specifically on college campuses? The answer is that we aren’t really doing anything (useful). Standing and waving an Israeli flag, or marching through an anti-Israel rally with anti-BDS signs, only incites further hate. The only way to effectively fight the BDS is through education and knowledge of the history and conflict.
The bad news is that these college campuses are supposed to be a place for debate, and yet hate speech is often carried out by BDS supporters and/or members. The good news is that these college campuses are in fact a place for debate and dialogue, and we should use this to our benefit.

By understanding the situation in its entirety and having the appropriate education, we will be equipped with the necessary tools to fight the BDS and other anti-Israel groups. We already understand who’s right and who’s wrong. Let’s use the educational tools at our disposal to defeat our opponents once and for all.


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