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The Vital Role of Dialogue on Campus: A Jewish Student Reflects on Recent Events
University of Exeter. Photo: Wikipedia.
Nearly 13 months after October 7, 2023, and amid the ongoing Gaza war, I find myself increasingly concerned about the lack of open discourse, particularly among those who identify as anti-Zionist on our campuses.
Many of the people who oppose Israel’s existence simply don’t know or understand the history, and there is an urgent need for constructive conversation on campus and elsewhere.
One such incident occurred at the University of Exeter on February 7, 2023, notably before the events of October 7th, where Yoseph Haddad, an Arab-Israeli activist and a foremost advocate for Israeli-Palestinian coexistence, was chased off campus with chants of “We don’t listen to racists” and “Apartheid off campus.”
This event has stuck with me in its utmost significance, since Haddad provides a nuanced and much-needed perspective, discrediting the accusation of Israeli apartheid and racism — since all citizens under Israeli law are treated equally, and all residents of Israel have a right to human dignity and freedom regardless of their religion or ethnicity.
The protesters ignored this and failed to engage in what could have been a thought-provoking and informative session, showing a lack of interest in reflecting on their preconceived beliefs about how “evil” Israel is perceived to be.
Following October 7th, university societies such as Friends of Palestine or Students for Justice of Palestine have continuously campaigned for a boycott of any university collaboration with Tel Aviv University, as seen in my own university — the University of Exeter.
Not only is the notion of boycotting Israel antisemitic –– demonizing and singling out Israel and its citizens among all other nations — but is also based in falsehoods. After engaging in my own dialogue with the university, I found that no such partnership between the school and Israel exists, only further highlighting a troubling trend — the commitment to blind protest over informed discussion.
One cannot overstate the importance of dialogue, especially in our universities — places that are supposed to be safe havens of further learning, where different viewpoints are not only heard but listened to and engaged with. This refusal fosters a hostile environment of division and an abundance of echo chambers, where assumptions thrive, leading to an increased polarized campus atmosphere, alienation of potential allies, and complete avoidance of meaningful discussion.
Further, this lack of open conversation on university campuses poses a larger threat for wider society, with overly simplified labels of “colonizers” or “apartheid supporters” being thrown around carelessly. Words like genocide have become intertwined in people’s daily vocabularies, without fact-checking and openly engaging in the debate, again: commitment to protest over discussion.
My own frustrations with this closed conversation has only fueled my passion for Zionism, a perspective I feel compelled to advocate for amid this hostile and inaccurate climate. Protests full of lies, calling us “spies” and “baby killers“ is something that we cannot tolerate.
Speakers and activists such Adiel Cohen are the advocates we need. People like this help work for peace and resolution, routinely refuting antisemitism and debunking anti-Israel propaganda, rather than stoking conflict and division. Cohen is a powerful example of how conversation can lead to change and understanding.
Our goals are reminiscent of each other: peace and the ability to live and exist in our shared land, and it’s only through debate and discussion that these ideas are realized.
The complexities of the Israel-Gaza conflict must lead to us prioritizing conversation and dialogue. We need to create spaces to hear our voices and room for civic discussion — and foster the environments needed to conduct real change.
Molly Phillips is a 19-year old Jewish student at the University of Exeter, and a CAMERA on Campus Fellow.
The post The Vital Role of Dialogue on Campus: A Jewish Student Reflects on Recent Events first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Germany’s Halt to Arms Exports to Israel Is Response to Gaza Expansion Plans, Chancellor Says
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz attends a cabinet meeting at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Aug. 6, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Liesa Johannssen
Germany’s decision to curb arms exports to Israel comes in response to Israel’s plan to expand its operations in the Gaza Strip, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Sunday in an interview with public broadcaster ARD.
“We cannot deliver weapons into a conflict that is now being pursued exclusively by military means,” Merz said. “We want to help diplomatically, and we are doing so.”
The worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza and Israel’s plans to expand military control over the enclave have pushed Germany to take this historically fraught step.
The chancellor said in the interview that the expansion of Israel’s operations in Gaza could claim hundreds of thousands of civilian lives and would require the evacuation of the entire city of Gaza.
“Where are these people supposed to go?” Merz said. “We can’t do that, we won’t do that, and I will not do that.”
Nevertheless, the principles of Germany’s Israel policy remain unchanged, the chancellor said.
“Germany has stood firmly by Israel’s side for 80 years. That will not change,” Merz said.
Germany is Israel’s second-biggest weapons supplier after the US and has long been one of its staunchest supporters, principally because of its historical guilt for the Nazi Holocaust – a policy known as the “Staatsraison.”
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Newsom Calls Trump’s $1 Billion UCLA Settlement Offer Extortion, Says California Won’t Bow
California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks at a press conference, accompanied by members of the Texas Democratic legislators, at the governor’s mansion in Sacramento, California, U.S., August 8, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Carlos Barria
California Governor Gavin Newsom said on Saturday that a $1 billion settlement offer by President Donald Trump’s administration for UCLA amounted to political extortion to which the state will not bow.
The University of California says it is reviewing a $1 billion settlement offer by the Trump administration for UCLA after the government froze hundreds of millions of dollars in funding over pro-Palestinian protests.
UCLA, which is part of the University of California system, said this week the government froze $584 million in funding. Trump has threatened to cut federal funds for universities over anti-Israel student protests.
“Donald Trump has weaponized the DOJ (Department of Justice) to kneecap America’s #1 public university system — freezing medical & science funding until @UCLA pays his $1 billion ransom,” the office of Newsom, a Democrat, said in a post.
“California won’t bow to Trump’s disgusting political extortion,” it added.
“This isn’t about protecting Jewish students – it’s a billion-dollar political shakedown from the pay-to-play president.”
The government alleges universities, including UCLA, allowed antisemitism during the protests and in doing so violated Jewish and Israeli students’ civil rights. The White House had no immediate comment beyond the offer.
Experts have raised free speech and academic freedom concerns over the Republican president’s threats. The University of California says paying such a large settlement would “completely devastate” the institution.
Large demonstrations took place at UCLA last year. Last week, UCLA agreed to pay over $6 million to settle a lawsuit by some students and a professor who alleged antisemitism. It was also sued this year over a 2024 violent mob attack on pro-Palestinian protesters.
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Trump Nominates State Dept Spokeswoman Bruce as US Deputy Representative to UN
FILE PHOTO: U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce speaks during her first press briefing at the State Department in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 6, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo
President Donald Trump said on Saturday he was nominating State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce as the next US deputy representative to the United Nations.
Bruce has been the State Department spokesperson since Trump took office in January.
In a post on social media in which Trump announced her nomination, the president said she did a “fantastic job” as State Department spokesperson. Bruce will need to be confirmed for the role by the US Senate, where Trump’s Republican Party holds a majority.
During press briefings, she has defended the Trump administration’s foreign policy decisions ranging from an immigration crackdown and visa revocations to US responses to Russia’s war in Ukraine and Israel’s war in Gaza, including a widely condemned armed private aid operation in the Palestinian territory.
Bruce was previously a political contributor and commentator on Fox News for over 20 years.
She has also authored books like “Fear Itself: Exposing the Left’s Mind-Killing Agenda” that criticized liberals and left-leaning viewpoints.
In a post after Trump’s announcement, Bruce thanked him and suggested that the role was a “few weeks” away. Neither Trump nor Bruce mentioned an exact timeline in their online posts.
“Now I’m blessed that in the next few weeks my commitment to advancing America First leadership and values continues on the global stage in this new post,” Bruce wrote on X.
Trump has picked former White House national security adviser Mike Waltz to be his U.N. envoy. Waltz’s Senate confirmation for that role, wherein he will be Bruce’s boss, is still due.
Waltz was Trump’s national security adviser until he was ousted on May 1 after he was caught up in a March scandal involving a Signal chat among top Trump national security aides on military strikes in Yemen. Trump then nominated Waltz as his U.N. ambassador.