The Best answer to Israel Apartheid Week? IDF Diversity Week…writes Gabsy Debinski
It’s a showdown. Israel Apartheid Week vs IDF Diversity Week; the irony is palpable.
Gabsy Debinski
Campuses across the US and Europe are abuzz with anti-Israel charades to mark the annual ‘Israel apartheid week.’ Colleges boasting top students and renowned for their academic excellence have abandoned rationale and dialogue for a foray of ugly, inciteful protests.
In our state of geographical isolation down under, it is easy to underestimate the extent of this anti-Israel campaigning and the damage caused by apartheid comparisons. But let’s not be mistaken; the effects of Israel-apartheid week plaguing student campuses around the US and Europe are lethal for Israel’s credibility and image.
Student blogs have told of mock checkpoints, separation walls and anti-Israel symbols across British and French campuses. Meanwhile back at UCLA (University of California Los Angeles), which boasts the largest enrolment figures in the state of California, the Undergraduate Students Association Council put forward a resolution calling for divestment from five American companies that are supposedly used by Israel to breach Palestinian human rights in the West Bank and Gaza. According to the TOI these companies include Caterpillar, General Electric, Hewlett-Packard, Cemex and Cement Roadstone Holdings. After an all-night meeting the UCLA student council rejected the motion by a narrow vote of 7-5. But this was only after university funds and resources were wasted on this defamatory campaign.
Israel-apartheid week, and its ensuing hoo-ha, has not changed. The same allegations of an ‘apartheid wall’ separating Jews from Palestinians and calls for boycotts of companies that support Israel pervaded this year. While the tactics are the same the responses are not. Pro-Israel students are hitting back with a renewed sense of anger and activism which shows that social media really is the new frontline for fighting back against political threats.
The comeback is all about #Rethink2014. This grassroots initiative has grown exponentially in the last 48 hours. What’s its aim you ask? To debunk the unfounded claims of Israeli apartheid and launch the voices of young European Jews who are sick and tired of being passive.
In just a few days the Rethink2014 FB page has received over 3,200 ‘Likes’ and has over 500 Twitter followers (link here). The campaign is all about adding your own response to one small phrase: ‘I oppose Israel apartheid week because…’
So what are you waiting for? Get on their Facebook and Twitter pages and tell the world why you oppose Israel apartheid week. Remember to hashtag: #Rethink2014 and #ZionestFedAus.
This campaign has indeed gone ‘viral.’ It is a credit to the young people who feel motivated, empowered, strong and feisty enough to come together as individuals and as a group to respond.
We may be far away, but this should not prevent us from contributing to the war of words that is being waged across the ocean.
Now juxtapose this campaign with another launched this week; IDF DIVERSITY WEEK which “celebrates the differences that unite Israeli soldiers.”
While students across Europe and the US are busy preaching hate the IDF is continuing its outstanding efforts to integrate minorities into the army and wider society. In spite of vile claims of Israel’s racism and rejection, remarkable stories of diversity, friendship and unity within the IDF are popping up on social media, reminding me of why Israel is a true beacon of hope in the most hostile of regions.
I implore you to visit the IDF Blog where stories reflecting the army’s diverse culture abound. It is surely the best response to those who recklessly throw around the ‘a’ word.
Here are some interesting facts that I learnt on the website about diversity in the IDF:
1. At military swearing-in ceremonies, soldiers may pledge an oath of allegiance on whatever holy book they desire; the Old Testament, Christian Bible or Koran.
2. The IDF gives special privileges to minority soldiers to help them meet religious requirements and other needs. The military respects all religious holy days equally and provides additional ‘religious’ leave to soldiers of all faiths and religious backgrounds.
3. Israel is one of 24 countries that embraces and encourages gay people to openly serve in the military. Sexual orientation does not stand as a barrier to receiving promotions or joining elite units. Just this week the IDF was ranked 9th most gay-friendly army in the world.
4. The Equality Amendment to the Military Service Law (added in 2000) states that “the right of women to serve in any role in the IDF is equal to the right of men.” Over 1,500 female combat soldiers are drafted each year and the army is constantly trying to improve its opportunities for women. 92% of all positions are currently open to women and Major Oshrat Bachar recently became the first woman to command a combat battalion.
5. Druze men and women are not compelled to serve in the military but have the highest draft rate in Israel, with 82% of Druze males joining the IDF because they want to contribute to the country they love.
Israel is a nation of immigrants and the IDF epitomizes this ethos of embracing diversity. Testimonies from Jews, Muslims, Christians, Druze, Africans, Arab Israelis, heterosexuals and homosexuals who have served in the IDF prove this entirely. Read and share these 16 stories of diversity in the IDF for the sake of truth and integrity.
So, if you need somewhere to start on your contributions to #Rethink2014, try this: ‘I oppose Israel apartheid week because… Israel is a melting pot that not only tolerates diversity, it embraces and encourages it.’
Gabsy,
You sound like a wonderful young lady but somewhat naive.
Israel is supposed to be a Jewish country but even now the American rant of “plurality”, “plurality” appears to have infected the IDF.
All manner of appeasement, trying to be fashionable and politically correct will get Israel nowhere. The anti-semites of this world could not care less about the “IDF Diversity Week”, nor do they care less about Israel’s high tech achievements involving life saving tecgniques, nor do they care less about Israel rushing like it always does to provide medical assistance to Muslims who are terrorised by their own people. All this means diddly squat as can be seen from what’s going on in campuses around the world, including Australia.
The answer is for Israel to once and for all get up off its knees, stop aplogising for issues it owes no apology for, stop making concession after concession to a mercilous enemy. All this is seen as a sign of weakness which unfortunately is exactly what it is. Having said that, there will no doubt be the multitude of comments babbling on about Israeli strength in showing compassion to all, capitulation after capitulation and the benefits of “plurality”.
The way Israel is going, by not acting forcefully on all fronts will see its demise sooner rather than later. The country faces 170,000 rockets aimed at her according to Israel’s Chief of Military Intelligence , Major General Aviv Kohavi and still it does not mount a pre-emptive strike to eliminate these rocket launchers wherever they are located, be it Gaza, Lebanon or West Bank with the understanding that if there is collateral damage in the raid, then so be it. The IDF is taunted daily by rock throwing Arab youth and just pleads with them to stop throwing rocks as “you have hurt some of our soldiers”, as if the Arabs care less, that was their intention. The officer corps seems to have lost the will to treat these people in the only language they understand.
Now along comes little Gabsy telling us about some “IDF Diversity Week” and what the IDF is doing to be seen to be politically correct.
The only thing the IDF needs to do is to state its case and act in the only language terrorists understand, that is, lethal force.
The only thing Israel needs to do is to finally get up off its knees and cease making useless concessions like releasing murderers so that a bunch of thugs will turn up at so called “peace talks” run by a US President who, in my opinion, is no friend of Israel and who was helped into office by a foolish American Jewry whose eyes were closed and appeared to be deaf.
Israel must do a 180 degree turnaround and be able to state its case effectively. Unfortunately it is so divided a nation that the will and the steel spine don’t seem to be there.
The facts of life are that the time to unite and do something is now before those 170,000 rockets are airborne.
So please Gabsy, spare us the warm and cuddly stuff about the IDF. Someone there too needs to turn the culture around and make it again a force that means what is says and is feared by its enemies.