A ACTIVE CONFERENCE CALL DISCUSSING THE LATEST TRENDS OF ANTISEMITISM AND BDS

The fall semester begins with BDS at the center of campus and national politics. BDS supporting candidates had mixed results in primaries but key figures were successful and will likely be reelected in November. On campus a series of lawsuits have pushed back at BDS support from student governments but the environment for Israel supporters…

As the spring semester ends BDS remains at the center of campus and national politics. BDS resolutions and referendums from students, support from faculty organizations like MESA, and incitement from outside speakers, have worsened the environment for Israel, Jews, and others on campus. But in politics, as midterms approach, BDS is a wedge issue promoted…

As the 2022 midterms approach BDS has been pushed to the center of American politics. Democrats are split between traditional center-left stances on Israel and far-left approaches that have adopted Palestinian style ‘anti-normalization,’ most recently explicit opposition to the Abraham Accords. Anti-Israel extremism in politics and academia has also been propelled by Amnesty International’s declaration…

The fall 2021 semester ends with pushback against the IHRA antisemitism definition growing on campus, the promotion of a BDS resolution by the Middle East studies Association, and evidence that university ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ personnel are strongly biased against Israel. These negative developments must be set against expanding normalization of relations between Israel and…

The fall 2021 semester begins with pushback against teacher’s unions supporting BDS but with the continued threat from ‘ethnic studies’ and ‘critical race theory’ curricula at the K-12 and university levels. And while BDS on campus ramps up, the failure of students, faculty, or other groups to speak out against Taliban oppression is highlighting the…

The 2021 spring semester is concluding with BDS as a full blown political issue not only on campuses but in US state and local elections. At the same time concerted efforts to push back against the IHRA antisemitism definition that includes mention of Israel. Some faculty and students forcefully reject IHRA while alternatives from Jewish…

The year 2021 has begun with unprecedented political upheaval in the US. The widespread deplatforming and cancellation that has resulted in effect extends campus ‘safety’ culture on to society as a whole. The BDS movement has also capitalized by renewing accusations about Israeli ‘apartheid’ and labeling supporters as ‘white supremacists.’ SPME’s Live Briefing Series covers…

The fall 2020 semester concludes with the BDS movement in flux. The Trump Administration has changed the global geopolitical setting for BDS while the prospective Biden Administration is marginalizing its progressive advocates. But campus and local politics continue to be hotbeds of anti-Israel activism. SPME’s Live Briefing Series covers recent BDS developments and gives listeners…

The summer of 2020 has seen unprecedented upheaval in the US and worldwide. After capitalizing on the coronavirus pandemic and the possibility of Israeli ‘annexation,’ the BDS movement continues to make electoral gains and expand its alliances with BLM, all on the verge of the Presidential election. SPME’s Live Briefing Series covers recent BDS developments…

The end of the academic year is an opportunity to summarize BDS developments in higher education and politics. The global coronavirus pandemic, the possibility of Israel ‘annexing’ part of the West Bank, and the most unusual American presidential race in modern history have been the backdrop for dramatic change but also marked continuity, particularly with…