Executive Summary
Hotspots of antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment on US campuses 1
Executive Summary
There has been recent widespread concern about antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment on US college campuses. Attributed to the rise of the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions( BDS) movement, reports of antisemitic incidents on campus have increased. The impact of these incidents, particularly on Jewish students, but also on the overall campus climate, is unclear. In 2015, we found that a substantial portion of Jewish students reported having been exposed to antisemitism and hostility toward Israel, but that the extent of the problem varied considerably across campuses. The present study aims to assess the current situation and identify“ hotspots”— campuses where antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment are especially acute. The study also aims to understand the relative prevalence and particular manifestations of hostility at different campuses, and the ways in which hostile climates influence the lives of Jewish students. This report is based on findings from a spring 2016 survey of Jewish undergraduate students at 50 US campuses.
One key finding of the present study is that in terms of hostility to Israel and antisemitism, university campuses are quite different from one another. In addition, hostility to Israel experienced by students at some campuses does not appear to diminish their emotional connections to Israel.
Specifically in terms of the variation in antisemitism and anti-Israel hostility across campuses:
�
CUNY-Brooklyn, Northwestern, and many of the schools in the University of California system, are“ hotspots” where the majority of Jewish students perceive a hostile environment toward Israel, and over one quarter perceive a general environment of hostility toward Jews on their campus. On these campuses it appears that the high rates of antisemitic harassment and hostility are largely driven by hostility toward Israel.
� At Wisconsin, Rutgers, and Illinois, hostility toward Jews and antisemitic harassment are relatively high but do not seem to be highly connected to criticism of Israel. At these schools, more traditional antisemitic stereotypes and tropes, rather than criticism of Israel’ s politics, seem to be driving the perceived hostility toward Jews.
� There are many schools where antisemitism and hostility to Israel are negligible. Respondents at several large private universities, including U of Miami, Wash U, and Syracuse perceive very little hostility toward Israel, and virtually all of these respondents disagree that there is a hostile environment toward Jews.
� One of the strongest predictors of perceiving a hostile climate toward Israel and Jews is the presence of an active Students for Justice in Palestine( SJP) group on campus.
In terms of the relationship between hostile environments and students’ connections to Israel, the study found that:
�
Even when they experience antisemitism and hostility toward Israel, Jewish young adults’ connection to Israel remain strong. Neither the presence of an SJP group on campus nor being on a campus which is generally perceived as having a hostile environment to Israel are related to the strength of students’ connection to Israel.