{"id":44681,"date":"2024-07-12T01:49:54","date_gmt":"2024-07-12T08:49:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/?p=44681"},"modified":"2024-07-10T10:02:28","modified_gmt":"2024-07-10T17:02:28","slug":"non-jews-must-speak-out-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/2024\/07\/12\/non-jews-must-speak-out-now\/","title":{"rendered":"Non-Jews must speak out now"},"content":{"rendered":"

As a student at the University of British Columbia, I want the Jewish community to know that the encampments at universities across Canada do not reflect all students\u2019 values. In my view \u2013 and I have spoken with many other students who feel the same way \u2013 these encampments are not places of peaceful protests but instead places that allow for the exclusion of students who hold different views and the spreading of antisemitism. Advocating for Jewish students on campus has become controversial, and I want to change that.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The student protesters at these encampments have resolutely turned their back on any form of dialogue. The recently disbanded encampment at UBC, for example, was set up on April 29 and, as early as May 9, a statement from the encampment\u2019s Instagram \u2013 Peoples University for Gaza UBC \u2013 read \u201cF*** a discussion, we want divestment\u201d in response to their perception of UBC president Dr. Benoit-Antoine Bacon\u2019s handling of their demands.<\/p>\n

At UBC, openness to discussion with Jewish students of differing views has never been demonstrated, and only self-proclaimed anti-Zionist Jews were allowed into the encampment. The anti-Zionist group Independent Jewish Voices was allowed in, with the group having taken part in protests against Hillel BC on campus. From what I saw, if a Jewish student identified as a Zionist and tried to engage in dialogue or enter the encampment, they were intimidated off the premises.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On May 31, I created an Instagram post from my personal account (@zaranybo) titled \u201cA Canadian non-Jewish ally\u2019s response to the university encampments.\u201d That post has received more than 1,200 likes and hundreds of shares. I prepared myself for an onslaught of hate comments, but, instead, I have received only support.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the statement, I share two photos that were taken at the UBC encampment: a sign saying \u201cZionists F*** Off\u201d and \u201cF*** Colonization, another saying F*** KKKanada, F*** Israel.\u201d These signs were prominently displayed on the outer fence for all passersby to see. The encampment was demonizing Israel and trying to convince my peers to believe Hamas propaganda and antisemitic rhetoric.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"photo<\/a>
One of the signs that were posted on the fence of the encampment at the University of British Columbia. (photo by Zara Nybo)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I see such encampments as tiny, hypocritical echo chambers for my peers to radicalize in. It is my understanding that it is illegal to protest with a face mask or face covering under the Canadian Criminal Code and yet they do so. The encampment at UBC took university equipment and furniture to use as barricades. UBC is on unceded Musqueam land, thus the encampment was \u201ccolonizing\u201d Maclnnes Field, against the law and on unceded land. The protesters were doing exactly what they contend Israel is doing to Palestinians.<\/p>\n

From the response to my Instagram post, I realized that students across Canada are hungry for a community of students who are against the hypocrisy of the encampments and willing to speak out. I received a direct message from a student at the University of Toronto who felt they\u2019d gone crazy, watching their peers spew pro-Hamas rhetoric. I also received an outpouring of support from many Canadian Jews, thanking me for standing against antisemitism.<\/p>\n

After the first statement was so well received, I posted another one \u2013 \u201cThe time is now. Non-Jewish allies need to stand up.\u201d We, as Canadian university students, have been silent for too long. I hold us collectively accountable for our silence. I know that it feels difficult for my peers to speak out. Understandably, they fear ostracization from their social circles and other repercussions. However, I challenge that, it should not be controversial to speak out against hate.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What if social media had been around during the 1930s and 1940s? If we in Canada had seen the Jewish buildings being targeted then, saw that Jews were no longer allowed to attend school, and saw \u201cno Jew\u201d zones created, would we have said something? Would we have done something?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Across Canada today, synagogues are being targeted, Jewish schools are being targeted, and the elders and children attending both are the target. If we believe we would have spoken up in the 1930s and 1940s, then we need to speak up now. We cannot let history repeat itself on our watch.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It is vital that other non-Jewish students speak out, whether that is on social media or in their friend groups. Even though it feels nerve-racking to have a \u201ccontroversial\u201d or differing opinion from our friends, we must speak up nonetheless. Social media is a tool we can each use on an individual level to create a collective paradigm shift.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To post or reshare support for Israel or call for the release of the hostages can create a rift in our friends\u2019 online echo chambers. Social media algorithms work by showing users posts similar to what they have previously liked, reinforcing a certain worldview for users. This is what we call confirmation bias. If one person can alter that echo chamber, even with one post, it can begin to change what\u00a0 <\/span>individuals see on their feeds. With the amount of disinformation and terrorist propaganda circulating, this small action can make a difference.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the BC high school curriculum, we learned of the Nazis, antisemitism and the death camps. I always believed I would have risked my life to hide a Jewish family, but now I see it\u2019s easier for most of us to be quiet in the face of antisemitism.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After seeing my peers\u2019 reactions and lack of courage to stand with the Jewish community after Oct. 7, I no longer believe that if social media had been around during the Second World War it would have made a difference. Many people knew then what was happening in Europe, even though media was less immediate and visually powerful, and people certainly know now what is happening. Yet, most of us are silent still.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019ve reached a point where standing up for Jewish people and against antisemitism seemingly require an in-depth understanding of the Middle East\u2019s complex political history. This is a harmful conflation and double standard for fighting antisemitism \u2013 any other form of racism does not require this level of knowledge.<\/p>\n

In my speech at the launch of Be An Upstander<\/i> for Upstanders Canada on June 23, I said, \u201cI\u2019d like to tell you that the extreme anti-Israel rhetoric we are seeing on campus is not going to change the reality in the Middle East \u2013 but it is making life for Jewish students in Canada difficult and, in many cases, dangerous.\u201d This is the truth. These protests aren\u2019t going to change the outcome of this war, but they are creating a nearly unbearable campus culture for Jewish students.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But I am hopeful. After the outpouring of support for my statements on Instagram from Canadian university students, I believe that, if more of us speak out against antisemitism, others will follow. There is still time to change the deafening silence of the non-Jewish community since Oct. 7.<\/p>\n

Now is the time. Canadian non-Jewish allies need to speak up. How much more do our Jewish peers have to go through before we believe it\u2019s gotten bad enough to sacrifice our comfort for our integrity?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Zara Nybo<\/b> is a third-year student at the University of British Columbia. Connect with Zara via Instagram: @zaranybo<\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As a student at the University of British Columbia, I want the Jewish community to know that the encampments at universities across Canada do not reflect all students\u2019 values. In my view \u2013 and I have spoken with many other students who feel the same way \u2013 these encampments are not places of peaceful protests […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":44684,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[801,23381,3556,309],"class_list":["post-44681","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-op-ed","tag-antisemitism","tag-encampments","tag-ubc","tag-university-of-british-columbia"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44681","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44681"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44681\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/44684"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44681"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44681"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44681"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}