By Sarah Lefsky 

In the past few years, anti-Semitic incidents on college campuses have made headlines in various cities across the country. The Anti-Defamation League, whose mission is "to stop the defamation of the Jewish people [and] to secure justice and fair treatment to all," documents and responds to anti-Semitic incidents around the world, including on American college campuses. In its 2007 report, the ADL reported 260 anti-Semitic acts on North American campuses.  

Outright anti-Semitic hostilities remain an unfortunate reality. During the month of October, 2007 several swastikas appeared in various locations across the George Washington University campus. However, more commonly, recent acts of anti-Semitism arise in response to the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 

This past February, approximately twenty Jewish students at York University in Toronto were essentially "held hostage" in the campus' Hillel office when an anti-Israel protest got out of hand. The Jewish students, who had peacefully met with a pro-Palestinian group on campus just hours before in order to promote dialogue, were then confronted with yelled threats and hostile anti-Israel and anti-Semitic comments by a group of 100 classmates. One student, Orit Tepper, said after the intimidating incident, "I have never in my life felt threatened and hated like I did that night." 

In the months following Israel's recent war in Gaza, anti-Semitism across the world has markedly increased. Protests, demonstrations, and even hate crimes have occurred in many cities, and college campuses are certainly not immune. While open debate and criticism of the actions and choices of Israel's democratic government are welcomed and part of healthy discourse in academic environments, anti-Israel sentiments often conflate into anti-Semitism.  

Beginning on March 1,2009, campuses across the globe participated in Israeli Apartheid Week, a series of events that aims "to educate people about the nature of Israel as an apartheid system and to build Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaigns," according to the organization's website. In light of the events in Gaza, Israeli Apartheid Week is especially relevant this year as students on both sides of the conflict became more vocal and emotional. 

Labeling Israel as an apartheid state, comparing Israel to the Nazis, and other anti-Israel claims, however, often lie dangerously close to traditional anti-Semitism. While anti-Semitic vandalism, inflammatory comments, and intimidation of Jewish students continue to be a jarring reality on campuses, the most common manifestations of anti-Semitism in recent years tend to arise from anti-Israel sentiments, such as the incident at York University.  

A few months ago, the Islamic Alliance for Justice, a group on Cornell's campus, erected a controversial, pro-Palestinian display of black flags on the arts quad. This sparked heated debate amongst pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian students, various panels to discuss the conflict, and a flood of op-ed pieces and articles in The Cornell Daily Sun. While the backlash did not include any violence or explicit anti-Semitism, the arts quad display and subsequent dramatic events led to a charged environment and overall anti-Israel climate on campus.  

Students are often unaware of how easily anti-Israel discourse can expand into outright anti-Semitism. Organizations such as Hillel and the ADL work with students and universities to deal with anti-Semitism on their campuses and to promote safe, constructive relations.