http://www.jewishtribune.ca/TribuneV2/content/view/520/35/

OTTAWA – Most media attention on university anti-Israel and antisemitic propaganda has focussed on three major universities in Toronto: U of T, York and Ryerson. But Ottawa Jewish students have suffered too and now they are fighting back.

Called simply ‘Terror Built This Fence,’ the controversial presentation – which was built at York and was on display there for about two weeks before coming to Ottawa – arrived at the Atrium of the University Centre of Carleton University for one day only April 3.

“It was getting ridiculous. We had to do something,” said Jon Telch, a third-year sociology student and vice-president of the Nu Kappa chapter of Alpha Epsilon Pi, a 95-year-old international fraternity for Jewish college men.

“Yes, York is having Israel apartheid day every Friday. But Carleton students are also being subjected to much hatred.”

He explained that the harassment is in the form of hectoring by Arab students at special lectures by Jewish leaders; by graffiti on bathroom walls, and during dedicated weeks such as Holocaust Education Week and Israeli Apartheid Week.

The display itself comprises a 15-foot by 5-foot chainlink fence – a replica of Israel’s Security Fence – with photographs of Israeli suffering on one side, and terrorist beliefs on the other. The Israeli side shows about two dozen graphic colour pictures, including one of an Israeli emergency worker holding up a blood-soaked tzizit. It is hard to hold tears back looking at the photo of four yeshiva boys crying out in agony at the loss of their school mates in the attack last month in Jerusalem. There is a close up shot of a leg pierced with shrapnel.

The opposite side of the fence displays pages of the rhetoric that terror organizations spew, including photographs of smiling children in terrorist garb.

Carleton’s day with ‘Terror Built This Fence’ was pretty quiet, said Telch, except around 5 p.m. “when we were about to close down. At that time, we decided to move the fence in front of the desks for the last 20 minutes because we didn’t get that much publicity. We were not breaking any rules by doing this.”

At the same time, a Palestinian lady who had come by earlier in the day and argued with the organizers came back.

“She brought about 60 or 70 friends and supporters,” said Telch. “I thought this was great, freedom of speech. But the 12 of us ended up arguing with them, about eight [people] to one.”

He said there was no physical violence, but some people began shaking the fence.

“We had one person take off a photo of a suicide bomber, point to it and say, ‘I am proud of what this person accomplished. He is one of my brothers.’

“This is why we did the fence in the first place. These were photos that were not racist. This did not showcase Islamic culture but terrorism in a way that a newspaper would show it.”

Eventually security came and asked the organizers to move the fence to a smaller place in the Atrium.

“Our backs would have literally been against the wall,” said Telch. “I did not want to do this for safety reasons.”

It was closing time anyway. “We took the fence down, to about 25 people cheering,” he noted.

Other than that, it was a quiet day. Students and teachers came by with a variety of comments. Most were supportive. Some said it is time the Jewish students fought back.

Someone came by the display and said what Israel was doing to the Palestinians was a Holocaust. He was told that was ridiculous.

Telch argued with someone who called Israel an apartheid state, pointing out that that was reserved for the South Africa of 20 years ago.

“We had people come and say ‘I disagree’ and walk away. We had some come and say ‘I disagree’ and get in an argument and walk away. The majority were quite relaxed.”

He said the fence will probably come back to Carleton, though there are no dates set. It will be needed, if the past events are an indicator of the future.

“During Holocaust Education Week I saw the most disgusting thing,” said Telch. “Someone took a pamphlet and tore it up in front of a Jewish student. It was just terrible.”