OT:

For any of you interested in either Israel Advocacy or in the going-ons of the radical left on University campuses…

Daniel Freeman-Malloy the (unfortunately, Jewish) head of the Solditary for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR) group at Toronto’s York University has written himself something of a manifesto describing the struggle between pro- and anti- Israel forces on that campus.

He is perhaps best known for having sued York University and winning an undisclosed settlement from them (rumored to have been in the $700k range) for their taking disciplinary action against him after he organized an unlawful anti-israel rally several years ago.

Ever since that lawsuit, York University has been very loathe to take any disciplinary action against anyone and the campus is now a virtual anarchy, with controversial rallies taking place on a very regular basis.

I think it is interesting to see what he has to say, and I think other Lizards will find it equally fascinating.

RTWT:

By strategy and habit, Israel advocacy organizations seek to undermine progressive political initiatives regarding Israel/Palestine by relying on a twofold strategy of (1) direct, physical disruption of events and (2) institutional pressure to bring about disciplinary action against Palestine solidarity activists and organizations by the school’s administration. These two tracks increasingly form part of an integrated campaign of intimidation and repression.

There is presently an opportunity to drastically weaken the capacity of Israel advocacy organizations to regulate campus politics at York. An Israel advocacy backlash is inevitable, and its general contours can already be identified. Considering the historical backdrop of this backlash may be helpful in developing strategies to overcome it.

This article outlines the history of York University’s association with Israel and Israel advocacy, a record closely linked to the development of the broader politics of Israel advocacy in Canada. As the current furor over Israeli Apartheid Week amply demonstrates, the broadening of Palestine solidarity activities on Canadian campuses involves tense interaction with Israel advocacy organizations on a variety of fronts. Examination of the situation at York, historically the site of concentrated and extreme Israel advocacy organizing, may thus be relevant beyond York’s campus.