Empire.”21, 22 BLOC reciprocated by attending SJP East’s March conference at Temple University.23 SJP endorsed the self-described radical Marxist group Take TU in its campaign for the
Temple Student Government.24 SJP activists also took part in a “Day of Action” campaign, which
mobilized 33 campus and community organizations to oppose the construction of a new stadium
at the university.25
Anti-Israel activists will continue to use the tools and the language of intersectionality to lend
themselves legitimacy in the eyes of campus social justice movements. Pro-Israel groups must
refocus on building meaningful personal relationships across the campus community, and work to
prevent SJP from appropriating the energy and commitment of student social justice activists for
its own ends.
CONCLUSION
The anti-Israel movement on American campuses is changing rapidly. BDS campaigns are in
decline, and Israel’s detractors are now focusing on a broad range of anti-Israel activities. During
the 2015-2016 academic year, anti-Israel activists disrupted Israel-related events in record
numbers, attempting to silence speakers through verbal harassment. Radical Jewish groups
became powerful forces in the anti-Israel movement, expanding their presence on campuses
across the country and strengthening ties to SJP. These ties have given SJP the legitimacy to
dismiss accusations that their activities perpetrate anti-Semitism.
During the 2015-2016 academic year, ICC observed a modest increase in overall pro-Israel
activity on U.S. campuses. Visible support for Israel, including pro-Israel rallies and demonstrations, increased by more than 151 percent, coinciding with a 36 percent increase in cultural
programming. Pro-Israel activism rose by 29 percent in the Tri-State area, where student
involvement expanded in response to last year’s surge in anti-Israel activity. Pro-Israel campus
activity increased by 32 percent in New England, but dropped or remained constant in other
areas of the country. Despite the significant rise in visible support for Israel, pro-Israel students
proposed fewer student government resolutions, marking a slight decline in traditional forms of
advocacy.
The 2015-2016 school year saw key structural changes in the anti-Israel movement. Detractor
activity declined on the West Coast, and Chicago became the new hub of campus anti-Israel
programming. Whereas undergraduate student governments have not focused as heavily on
BDS as in previous years, graduate student unions have taken up the mantle, crafting sophisti21. http://www.theblackradicaltradition.org/about-us/
22. http://www.theblackradicaltradition.org/program-schedule/
23. https://twitter.com/brtconf/status/714285079493783552
24. https://twitter.com/taketu2016/status/713018987613913088
25. http://temple-news.com/news/stadium-protesters-plan-large-walkout-for-later-this-month/
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