Twelve students at UC Davis met just before Thanksgiving to educate themselves on how to communicate for Israel and the proceeded to discuss the new Israel group they plan to launch at the start of winter quarter. They are already setting long term goals and considering events! Additionally, one student activist and leader of the new Israel group, Yael Steinberg, wrote an op-ed this week that was published in The Aggie, UC Davis's student newspaper. This was written in response to a previous op-ed criticizing Israel via commentary on the alleged Jewish star graffiti found on a Palestinian mural on campus earlier this quarter.

Over to the west, UC Berkeley students have also recently responded to an anti-Israel, bordering anti-Semitic, op-ed about Iran, Israel, and American Jewry, printed in their student newspaper. Tikvah executive and Israel Inside/Out graduate Rick Chen, wrote an excellent response highlighting the American-Israel relationship and the compelling reasons for it.

Students this week have done an incredible job utilizing the media to respond to anti-Israel propaganda. The next step is to pro-actively continue to write op-eds highlighting the positive aspects of Israel, and ultimately to control the message without having to do it from the defensive position. Good job to all those students who have taken the initiative to make their opinions heard - keep it up!