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‘Take Back the Campus’: Hundreds of Pro-Israel Activists Gather in DC for Major Unity Conference
Israel on Campus Coalition Conference 2025. Photo: ICC
Over 500 Jewish and pro-Israel students from across the US gathered in Washington, DC this week to craft strategies for countering the anti-Zionist movement on college campuses and attend lectures by dozens of the biggest scholars and social media influencers in the American Jewish community.
As The Algemeiner has previously reported, Jewish college students face an unprecedented crisis in American academia. Following Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre across southern Israel, higher education saw paroxysms of antisemitic and pro-Hamas protests, as well as acts of violence, vandalism, and assault. Elite colleges such as Harvard University, the University of California, Berkeley, and Columbia University became centers of anti-Zionist agitation, exporting methods and tactics to other campuses and upending the assumptions Jewish Zoomers believed about their place in the progressive movement and, more broadly, the United States.
Held at the Grand Hyatt, the event was the third National Leadership Summit held by the Israel on Campus Coalition (ICC). According to the organization, 153 colleges and universities were represented there.
Founded in 2002, the Israel on Campus Coalition is a nonprofit organization that describes its mission as inspiring college students to defend and be proud of Israel. One of its major initiatives is the “microgrants” program, which helps pro-Israel campus groups organize events about Israeli culture and society. Another, the ICC Community Impact Fellowship, awards college students a $1,000 stipend for completing a leadership seminar in which they are trained in civic engagement, coalition building, and rapidly responding to antisemitic and anti-Israel events on their campuses.
On Tuesday, ICC chief executive officer Jacob Baime told The Algemeiner how Oct. 7 changed college life for Jewish students and how this year’s conference prepared them for what will likely be two more semesters of pandemonium, during which the US will elect its next president and Israel’s wars against Hamas and Hezbollah may escalate into a region-wide conflagration.
“After this explosion of vile antisemitism that we’ve seen on campuses from coast to coast, it’s time to empower Jewish and pro-Israel students to take back the campus — to take it back from these forces of hatred, antisemitism, and anti-Americanism,” Baime explained. “What I said to the students, and I really think that it’s true, is that the challenges are enormous, but there is hope right here. And it’s been really interesting to see how many students want to get up off the bench.”
He continued, “We have 500 people here at this conference, and there’s still a large waiting list also. Logistically, we could not accommodate the surge of interest, which isn’t going to go away. There’s a renewed sense among pro-Israel Americans and students of purpose and identity. The interest and the passion of Jewish students and their friends is at an all-time high, and next year we’ll need to have a much larger gathering to include the student leaders who want to stand up for what’s right.”
The idea of pro-Zionists reclaiming their place in higher education inspired University of California, San Diego student Shani Menna, who attended for the first time, said. She stressed the importance of a speech by Tel Aviv Institute senior fellow and co-founder Hen Mazzig.
“In Hen Mazzig’s speech, he said, ‘If you’re not on the table, you’re on the menu,’” Menna told The Algemeiner. “And it’s true. We saw throughout this year the importance of Jewish student involvement in student government and conversations with administration. Overall, this conference reminded Jewish students of the strength that we have as a people, as well as the strength of the values of democracy, Western civilization, and peace of love — all of these things that have been clouded with all the hate on campus.”
Netanel Crispe, an Orthodox student at Yale University, stressed that the state of college campuses is still perilous.
“It’s a very hard time to be on campus, and we have faced horrific opposition. I gain strength from knowing I have the backing of so many wonderful people,” he said. “A primary concern for everybody on campus is the upcoming election. We recently got a new president at Yale who has yet to be tested, and while a lot of people are trying to give her the benefit of the doubt, there is a lot of concern that we have yet to see any proactive measures being taken by the administration to prepare or address what we expect or what many of the [anti-Zionist] organizations have clearly publicly stated will be a repetition of the previous year’s events — activism, protests, mobs, and encampments.”
Several students who attended the conference noted that many of its speakers — which included Nova Music Festival survivor Shye Klein, Aviva Klompas, Miriam Elman of the Academic Engagement Network (AEN), and Adam Lehman — were highly accessible, sharing advice, book recommendations, and opportunities for further involvement in pro-Israel activism. Social media influencers, who have amassed hundreds of thousands of followers on platforms such as Instagram, proved to be popular with Zoomer students, 50 percent of whom receive daily news from social media.
As The Algemeiner walked through the Grand Hyatt, it spotted one such Instagram favorite who is immensely popular with students, Emily Austin. She was surrounded by students seeking selfies and counsel on how to merge the Zionist and professional components of their identities. During an interview, she told the paper that the students gave her hope that higher education is not lost yet.
“I attend a lot of conferences, but the room of students that gathered for this one were super, super motivated, and they are actually move makers and game changers. Many of them are leading Jewish clubs on their campuses or suing their school for antisemitism,” Austin said. “It was nice to see that students are starting to fight back and defend themselves, because most of my speeches aim at making students feel motivated or empowered, and it seemed that this cohort of students are already strong. It’s refreshing to know that this is our next generation of Jewish leaders.”
Follow Dion J. Pierre @DionJPierre.
The post ‘Take Back the Campus’: Hundreds of Pro-Israel Activists Gather in DC for Major Unity Conference first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Brooklyn Nets Select Israeli Basketball Players Ben Saraf, Danny Wolf in NBA Draft
The opening tip between the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards, at Barclays Center, in Brooklyn, New York, Dec. 13, 2020. Photo: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect
In a landmark night for Israeli basketball, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf were selected in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft by the Brooklyn Nets, marking the first time two Israeli players have been drafted in the same year.
Saraf, a 19-year-old guard known for his explosive athleticism and creative playmaking, was taken with the 26th pick. A standout with Maccabi Rishon LeZion and a rising star on Israel’s youth national teams, Saraf gained international attention with his electrifying scoring and commanding court presence.
With the 27th pick, the Nets selected 7-foot center Danny Wolf out of the University of Michigan. Wolf, who holds dual US-Israeli citizenship and represented Israel at the U-20 level, brings a versatile skill set, including sharp passing, perimeter shooting, and a strong feel for the game. After his name was called, Wolf grew emotional in an on-air interview, crediting his family for helping him reach the moment.
“I have the two greatest brothers in the world; I have an unbelievable sister who I love,” Wolf said. “They all helped me get to where I am today, and they’re going to help me get to where I am going to go in this league.”
The historic double-pick adds to the growing wave of Israeli presence on the NBA stage, led by Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija, who just completed a breakout 2024–25 season. After being traded to Portland last summer, Avdija thrived as a starter, averaging 16.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists. In March alone, he posted 23.4 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game, including two triple-doubles.
“I don’t think I’ve played like this before … I knew I had it in me. But I’m not really thinking about it. I’m just playing. I’m just free,” Avdija told reporters in March
With Saraf and Wolf joining Avdija, Israel’s basketball pipeline has reached unprecedented visibility. Israeli President Isaac Herzog called the moment “a national celebration for sports and youth,” and Israeli sports commentators widely hailed the night as “historic.”
Both Saraf and Wolf are expected to suit up for the Nets’ Summer League team in July. As the two rookies begin their NBA journey, they join a growing generation of Israeli athletes proving that their game belongs on basketball’s biggest stage.
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Iran Denies Any Meeting With US Next Week, Foreign Minister Says
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi attends a press conference following a meeting with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia, April 18, 2025. Photo: Tatyana Makeyeva/Pool via REUTERS
Iran currently has no plan to meet with the United States, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Thursday in an interview on state TV, contradicting US President Donald Trump’s statement that Washington planned to have talks with Iran next week.
The Iranian foreign minister said Tehran was assessing whether talks with the US were in its interest, following five previous rounds of negotiations that were cut short by Israel and the US attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities.
The US and Israel said the strikes were meant to curb Iran’s ability to create nuclear weapons, while Iran says its nuclear program is solely geared toward civilian use.
Araqchi said the damages to nuclear sites “were not little” and that relevant authorities were figuring out the new realities of Iran’s nuclear program, which he said would inform Iran’s future diplomatic stance.
The post Iran Denies Any Meeting With US Next Week, Foreign Minister Says first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Ireland Becomes First European Nation to Advance Ban on Trade With Israeli Settlements
A pro-Hamas demonstration in Ireland led by nationalist party Sinn Fein. Photo: Reuters/Clodagh Kilcoyne
Ireland has become the first European nation to push forward legislation banning trade with Israeli communities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem — an effort officials say is meant “to address the horrifying situation” in the Gaza Strip.
On Wednesday, Irish Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Simon Harris announced that the legislation has already been approved by the government and will now move to the parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade for pre-legislative scrutiny.
“Ireland is speaking up and speaking out against the genocidal activity in Gaza,” Harris said during a press conference.
The Irish diplomat also told reporters he hopes the “real benefit” of the legislation will be to encourage other countries to follow suit, “because it is important that every country uses every lever at its disposal.”
Today Ireland becomes the first country in Europe to bring forward legislation to ban trade with the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Ireland is speaking up and speaking out against the genocidal activity in Gaza.
Every country must pull every lever at its disposal. pic.twitter.com/Z4RTjqntEY— Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) June 24, 2025
Joining a growing number of EU member states aiming to curb Israel’s defensive campaign against the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, Ireland’s decision comes after a 2024 advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) declared Israel’s presence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem illegal.
The ICJ ruled that third countries must avoid trade or investment that supports “the illegal situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.”
Once implemented, the law will criminalize the importation of goods from Israeli settlements into Ireland, empowering customs officials to inspect, seize, and confiscate any such shipments.
“The situation in Palestine remains a matter of deep public concern,” Harris said. “I have made it consistently clear that this government will use all levers at its disposal to address the horrifying situation on the ground and to contribute to long-term efforts to achieve a sustainable peace on the basis of the two-state solution.”
“Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory are illegal and threaten the viability of the two-state solution,” the Irish diplomat continued. “This is the longstanding position of the European Union and our international partners. Furthermore, this is the clear position under international law.”
Harris also urged the EU to comply with the ICJ’s ruling by taking a more decisive and “adequate response” regarding imports from Israeli settlements.
“This is an issue that I will continue to press at EU level, and I reiterated my call for concrete proposals from the European Commission at the Foreign Affairs Council this week,” he said.
Last week, Ireland and eight other EU member states — Finland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden — called on the European Commission to draft proposals for how EU countries can halt trade and imports with Israeli settlements, in line with obligations set out by the ICJ.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar condemned the latest move by European countries, calling it “shameful” and a misguided attempt to undermine Israel while it faces “existential” threats from Iran and its proxies, including Hamas.
“It is regrettable that even when Israel is fighting an existential threat which is in Europe’s vital interest — there are those who can’t resist their anti-Israeli obsession,” the top Israeli diplomat said in a post on X.
It is regrettable that even when Israel fighting an existential threat which is in Europe vital interest – there are those who can’t resist their anti-Israeli obsession.
Shameful! https://t.co/lxm9qm8sM1— Gideon Sa’ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) June 19, 2025
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