A pro-Israeli lobby group, has begun a program to pay Canadian and American university and college students to agree with Israeli policy and to voice pro-Israeli sentiment in classroom discussion, and in grassroots organization with other campus groups.
The program, organized by the pro-Israel lobby group Stand With Us Campus, offers $1000 per year to pro-Israeli students or to students who may be enticed to go along in order to receive the prize of $1000 (source). In exchange for this money, students are to, in Stand With Us Campus‘s own words, “build relationships with their campus groups and individuals” to influence discourse in favour of Israel and then (again, in their words) “report back to SWU campus staff to evaluate program effectiveness and network among themselves to ensure consistency.” (source)
So the next time you hear an undergraduate student in class claiming that Israel is only defending itself when the Palestinian/Israeli death toll is more than 14-to-1 in Israel’s favour, just think: he or she might actually be getting paid to say (and believe) such arguments.
According to Stand With Us Campus‘s literature, so far, the following Canadian and American universities and colleges have a student or students (or “Fellows”, as they call them) who are being paid to advocate Israeli policy in their discussions and in their extra-curricular campus activity.
(Canadian schools listed in bold)
Columbia University
Cornell University
Florida Atlantic University
Florida International University
Indiana University
Johns Hopkins University
Lawrence University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
McGill University
Miami Dade College
Northern Illinois University
NYU
Queens College (CUNY)
Rice University
San Diego State University
San Francisco State University
San Jose State University
Santa Monica College
State University of New York at New Paltz
Swarthmore College
Syracuse University
The George Washington University
The University of Texas at Austin
Towson University
University of Arizona
University of California, Irvine
University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Riverside
University of California, San Diego
University of Florida
University of Michigan
University of New Mexico
University of North Texas
University of Oregon
University of Pennsylvania
University of Southern California
University of Vermont
University of Victoria
University of Windsor
Wayne State University
(source)
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Note: The images used in this piece are curtosy of Information Clearing House‘s photographic archive of images of the most recent Israeli incursion into Lebannon (the one that was planned months before to await provocation). WARNING: If you click the above link to Information Clearing House, the images you will see are much more graphic than the images included in this post. The images selected for inclusion above were selected because they were generally much less gruesome than the worst of the images of Israeli attacks.
Paulitics 
The National Post’s Barbara Kay has recently reported on another campus initiative aimed, as she puts it, at ‘taking back the campus’ from the ‘hate merchants’ and ‘ideological missionaries’ who have turned university campuses, in her view, into ‘ground zero for the dissemination of Israel-hatred into the general culture.’
The full piece–long on rhetoric, short on evidence–is here:
http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2007/11/28/barbara-kay-taking-back-the-campus.aspx
that is a lie israel don’t pay to grop !!!
but the Palestinian fire yesterday 20 kasam rocket on israel !!!
they burn bush picture
I would think that is bordering on treason. As someone is paying citizens to support some other countries policies regardless of their own countries policies. It is really treading in dangerous waters, getting young adults to spread another countries propaganda, attempting a buy their loyalty and getting them to act as political agitators and activists in another countries interests. If these students in order to earn money stage a political protest and say obstruct traffic, are they now conducting economic warfare at the behest of their paid foreign masters as a punishment for their fellow countrymen not supporting the ideology of a foreign power. Any secular country really does have to stand back a take a long hard look ant any religious fundamentalist country, whether it be the United States and the Chistian right, Arab countries and fundamentalist Islam or Israel a fundamentalist jews (it is defined as a Jewish state not a secular freedom of religion state). You would have to take a long, very hard, look at any local citizen who supported the idea, as their loyalty to their fellow citizens would be highly questionable.
Death figures don’t say who is defending themselves. I bet you if the Arabs stopped attacking Israel, Israel would stop attacking them. As it is right now, Israel could do a lot more damage to it’s neighbors than it currently does, a heck of a lot more. Some Islamics, however, are attacking them with every means at their disposal and openly calling for the destruction of the Jewish state, I am glad the Israelis are the ones with the power.
The death toll at the start of the latest intifada was 14-to-1 in Israel’s favour. Since the opening months, the death toll has dropped somewhat, to only 3 Palestinians killed for every 1 Israeli killed.
Moreover, aside from the grossly disproportionate death tolls which demonstrate that Israel is not ‘defending’ itself, Israel is illegally occupying the territory in violation of numerous international laws and decrees including UN Resolution 194 which Israel itself promised to abide by as a condition for its admittance.
The Arab league has offered full peace with Israel on numerous occasions including twice in the past 3 months and Israel has turned them down, just as Israel turned the offers of peace down in Taba. The entire world has been in favour (and has expressed this opinion in writing numerous times) of a two-state settlement. The only two exceptions to this global consensus are the United States and Israel.
So your point doesn’t seem to have much empirical validity to it.
Jeremy – if I break into your house, and declare your kitchen, living room, bathroom, and your kid’s bedroom as “my” territory, because I’m homeless and my great-grandfather lived in the neighbourhood when he was still around (irrespective of whether or not the racist, colonialist cops give me a nod), and you try to get me out of your house, and I kill your kid and rape your wife, how the hell is that “self-defence”? Because you attacked me? Told me to leave? Maybe took a swing at me? Even if in desperation you came at me with a knife?
Moreover, am I really benevolent if I give you back the kid’s bedroom because it’s dingy anyway, and let you use the bathroom once in awhile?
“Jeremy – if I break into your house, and declare your kitchen, living room, bathroom, and your kid’s bedroom as “my” territory, because I’m homeless and my great-grandfather lived in the neighbourhood when he was …”
Wow I didn’t realise that you were so pro-Israel. Jews and Muslims both did this. Only palestinians comitted a few dozen massacres while doing it. But hey, it’s all in allah’s writings.
They claim it has to do with this “ayat” :
“muslims are the lowest beasts in the face of god” (quran 8:55, with one word changed)
In other news the ONLY muslim country that hadn’t outlawed homosexuality (Turkey) has decided to change policy. So what do you progressives do ? Blame Israel for repression. One can only wonder what your true motivations are. But I like to just assume it’s stupidity.
Oh and I’m not paid. Could you point me to said group ? I’ve been meaning to buy an iphone …
Tom – are you seriously suggesting that in 1948 the majority of attrocities were committed by the PALESTINIANS who were the ones kicked off their own land, or are you being facetious?
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