The Last Word

The SSI team covers a complex topic which has recently come to a turning point. The Arab and Israel foreign relations have been enduring the normalization process for quite some time, and most recently with the groundbreaking Abraham Accords between the UAE and Israel. We will discuss the history and challenges of normalization between the Arab states and Israel, giving examples of successes and challenges in approaching and reaching normalized relations with insight from special guest speakers!

Though campus life may not be kicked into full gear this semester, SSI is still going full force! We have launched our campus coordinator program for next semester, we've begun our virtual learning through the SSI-U series, we've added 3 new chapters in the USA, 11 Argentinian schools and 1 in Mexico!  With campus restrictions still underway, we’ve been very active online, hosting 22 webinars (access on our youtube channel and website), with more to come, and rapid growth on our social media presence! It's a good time to be an SSI-er!

What has SSI been doing all semester?  From the largest National Conference ever, to the Eyal Dror Tour, UNDENIED program, GROW Israel campaign, our Lecture series, Bomb Shelters, and MORE! SSI has had the busiest semester yet, and we invite you to join us in a summary of the nonstop work on our campuses! 

Do you ever wonder HOW these anti-Israel groups are relative to the causes they latch on to?  Do the progressive movements have equality in their oppressions, or have the anti-Israel activists manipulated these topics to further their own agenda?  SSI goes over the idea of intersectionality, and why anti-Israel groups have hijacked the narratives of oppressed minorities for their own advantage

It seems as though anti-Israel activists are always stuck in their ways.  We see students trying tirelessly to convince them that Israel is not the antagonizer, but the epitome of diversity and democracy. In this episode, SSI hears from a former anti-Israel account, Abe Haak, who has dedicated his new pro-Israel outlook as his life mission, noting that in some cases a change of perspective IS possible. There are endless reasons why EVERYONE should support Israel, and SSI lays it all out for you in this episode.

As the topic of Israel heats up on campuses, decision makers in student government hold key positions in determining the campus climate towards the Jewish state. In this episode SSI discusses accounts of severe bias against Israel in student governments, actions to be taken on the offense and defense of Israel within it, and SSI’s vital role in electing active representatives to these institutions, supporting and encouraging students in their advocacy efforts both in and out of student government. 

Increasingly on campuses we hear about professors expressing their personal anti-Israel views in class, making bias statements, using bias teaching materials, or even openly confronting pro-Israel students. In this episode we review some examples, including personal encounters of bias by Ilan Sinelnikov, the co-founder of SSI, and two student leaders from our movement, Eden Litvin and Shira Elovic. We also discuss potential responses and what actions students can take when encountering such bias. 

A unique project of our movement is the Van Campaign, where a team of SSI activists travels between college campuses, some of which are famous for having an anti-Israel atmosphere. We engage in conversations about difficult topics, such as the Palestinian Authority payment of salaries to terrorists, that anti-Zionism is a form of Anti-Semitism, and more. We encounter a wide range of responses, often challenging freedom of speech in leading academic institutions.   

In this episodes hosts Ilan and Elan review the Israeli governmental system, discuss how it is different from the American system, why Israel is having 3(!) elections in a single calendar year, and review all the different Israeli political parties. The episode also includes an update on SSI's 5th National conference at Columbia University, and the speaking tour with Eyal Dror, head of IDF's Operation Good Neighbor where Israel provided medical treatment to thousands of Syrian civilians.