US, Canadian student leaders visit Israel amid war with Hamas
The Take Action for Israel solidarity mission marks a significant stride in bridging understanding, fostering unity, and combating misinformation, ensuring that voices of reason and truth resonate.
The delegation of student leaders from across North America during their visit to Israel.(photo credit: Courtesy)ByRACHEL COHENTwo dozen pro-Israel student leaders from renowned American and Canadian universities converged in Israel recently to learn, bear witness, acquire knowledge and skills. Their mission: Take Action for Israel. These students, alarmed by the escalating antisemitism and protests against Israel on their campuses, signed up to embark on a personal journey to gain firsthand insights into the horrific events of October 7 and the subsequent conflict. More than a mere fact-finding mission, this endeavor aimed to strategize methods to counter antisemitism and anti-Israel narratives on campus while promoting an understanding of Israel’s position. The students aimed to learn and equip themselves with the tools to combat antisemitism that they are experiencing on campus.
Originating from esteemed institutions such as UPenn, MIT, Cornell, Columbia, Brandeis, Temple, and Johns Hopkins, University of Pittsburgh, and Concordia University, the delegation is spearheaded by IsraelAmbassadors.com and Hasbara Fellowships, all leaders in promoting Israel on campus. Their itinerary included interactions with Israeli dignitaries, officials, families, and soldiers, as well as visits to Israel’s southern regions profoundly affected by the October 7 Hamas massacre.
The hotel where they were staying for the duration of their visit was hosting families evacuated from Israel’s southern and northern regions due to security threats and rocket attacks. This offered the students invaluable opportunities to engage with the displaced families and communities, listen to their firsthand accounts, and gain deeper insights into their experiences.
Jacob Klatzker, a representative from the University of Washington, highlighted the concerning surge of antisemitism on campus following October 7. He lamented the hostile environment at his university and said his campus has been “rampant with antisemitism” since the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks in southern Israel. As the head of the school’s Israel advocacy club, Klatzker said he has been “verbally harassed and very nearly physically harassed multiple times. My life at the University of Washington has become infinitely more difficult, dangerous, and anxiety-provoking.” He emphasized the urgent need for initiatives like this mission.
This particular Israel visit was unique due to the situation, while being immersive and informative. It was designed to provide students with necessary resources, knowledge, firsthand testimonials, and tools to take the information back to campus to make an impact. This included a holistic understanding of the events in Israel on October 7, their subsequent impact, and the profound effects on local communities, such as a testimonial from Millet Ben-Haim, a survivor of the Nova music festival attack at Kibbutz Re’im.
The students are welcomed to the Knesset by MK Danny Danon. (credit: Courtesy)“Telling my story and testimonial to the students was very important to me because I am a survivor of the Supernova music festival. I saw with my own eyes the horrors unfold. The students need to understand that we must speak out and let the world know what happened on October 7,” she said.
The first day encompassed a visit to the southern border communities, such as Sderot, where they met first responders, survivors, and held a briefing in the situation room at the community center. There, they watched security footage of the Hamas attack on October 7. They received briefings from IDF and security officials and listened to harrowing accounts from survivors of the massacre and by the families of hostages who still remain in Gaza.
Michael Eglash, strategic adviser of the Take Action for Israel mission, said of the students’ visit: “One of the main goals of the Take Action for Israel mission is for the student leaders to see firsthand the destruction that took place on October 7, hear from the survivors, the heroes, and be able to articulate what they witnessed back on campus upon their return. They are on the front lines in the battle for Israel and against antisemitism on campus.”
The group were privileged to hear from Lee Kern, an Oscar-nominated writer and film producer, who came to support the students. He shared his insights on how to leverage social media effectively. He offered his tips and techniques in an engaging and interactive session with the student leaders.
Sam Koffler, freshman from the University of Pennsylvania, reiterated the importance of standing by Israel and equipping oneself with the tools to advocate effectively on campus, particularly on social media. He said, “As a student at UPenn, it is an honor to be a part of Jewish students who are returning to Israel in an unprecedented historic mission. It’s important to support the people of Israel and acquire the skills to advocate for Israel on campus.”
For many of the students, the highlight of the visit was a special hearing on antisemitism on US campuses, hosted in the Knesset. The students were officially welcomed to the Knesset by Likud MK Danny Danon, who shared insights on advocating for Israel, drawing from his own challenging experiences as the former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations.
Danon told them that he appreciates the challenges they face on campus and noted that they often do not face “hate and antisemitism from Palestinian groups but sometimes from the institutions themselves, which is very hard.” He said the greatest tool they have is courage. “From my past experience, we must be courageous about fighting for Israel, for the Jewish cause. It’s not easy, but it will help in the future when you become leaders in your hometowns,” he said.
He expressed confidence in the new generation of Israel advocates. “First, we have to realize that hate will be there. It’s not going to disappear. Maybe we will be better prepared for that, or we will be able to fight harder, but hate is not going to disappear,” Danon said. “Antisemitism has been here for centuries and, unfortunately, it will be there in the future as well. But today, the next generation of pro-Jewish and pro-Israel voices are capable and knowledgeable. I felt today that we have great representatives on the ground.”
The students continued their visit to the Knesset with a student-led discussion about antisemitism. There, they strategized with peers from the US and Canada on methodologies to counter campus antisemitism and misinformation campaigns. Cornell University student Ethan Oliner said, “We are here to tell the world as Jewish students that we will not be silent in the face of antisemitism on campus, that we are proud to be in Israel at this historic moment.”
The students were also honored with an audience by President Isaac Herzog and his wife, Michal. Also attending the meeting was Noa Tishby, a Los Angeles-based Israeli activist and actress. The discussion with the president focused on concerns arising from antisemitism on North American campuses.
“You are the frontier in a very important battle,” the president told them.
Michal Herzog, who has been managing a campaign for the United Nations to recognize sexual abuse by Hamas of captive females, urged the students to continue the conversation. She offered words of encouragement and support to the students.
Tishby informed the students that equating anti-Zionism with antisemitism stems from the fact that Israel, as a Jewish state rooted in its indigenous culture and religion, represents the enduring presence of the Jewish people. Despite numerous attempts over centuries to eradicate it, the Jewish community persists and thrives.
Dinah Elmaleh of Concordia University in Montreal, recounted a distressing incident where a pro-Israel display led to physical altercations, underscoring the deteriorating situation for Jewish students. She said that her friends were “physically attacked by pro-Palestinian protesters who screamed ‘Death to the Jews.’” She added that her campus administration is “not doing anything to protect Jews on campus.” However, she also expressed newfound determination, vowing to amplify her Jewish identity and share her eye-opening experiences from the mission.
Toward the end of their stay, the students visited Yad Vashem, where they were hosted and briefed by Dani Dayan, chairman of the Holocaust museum. They felt privileged to read the new book of names of the Jewish people murdered in the Holocaust before they toured the site, where they received an in-depth explanation about the atrocities that occurred decades ago but now seemed more real and present than ever before.
The students gleaned invaluable insights during their visit and will undoubtedly return to the US and Canada more informed and prepared than when they initially departed. The Take Action for Israel solidarity mission marks a significant stride in bridging understanding, fostering unity, and combating misinformation, ensuring that voices of reason and truth resonate on campuses and beyond.
At the close of the visit, Andrew Stein from Columbia University reflected on the mission he and his peers had completed: “After October 7, everything changed on US campuses. I was preparing for a job interview and for the summer. Over a day, we became activists defending our country. We want to show Israel that the US is with them. This visit has been incredible and enabled us to strengthen ourselves and get ready for what we know is coming when we return to campus. We must keep talking about this and standing up for the truth.” ■
