By David Plotkin

Back to school, and right into the most intense period of Israel Advocacy. With many groups actively working to delegitimize and demonize Israel in the campus sphere, Montreal and Ottawa activists are working diligently to have a strong proactive response.

In Montreal, the 2-month old “McGill Friends of Israel” have already grabbed the reigns of advocacy on campus and are working non-stop on programming initiatives. On March 10^th, M.F.I. will be screening the film “The Case for Israel” with Prof. Harold Waller of the Political Science department to mediate discussion afterwards. The week of March 14^th, M.F.I. will also be holding tabling sessions of the Hasbara Fellowships campaign “Support Human Rights? Support Israel.” I commend my fellow club executives, namely Hasbara Fellows Russell Sitrit-Leibovich, Zach Paikin, Michael Morgenthau and Mikie Schwartz, as well as soon-to-be Fellow Ivana Khadoury for their unrelenting commitment to bringing a strong pro-Israel voice to the McGill community. I would also like personally thank Brendan Steven, CJPAC fellow and executive member of Conservative McGill, for all his logistical support. Our professional partnership is very valued.

In Ottawa, the IAC is in full swing planning events and actively training their student leaders to respond to the rigors of tabling. This weekend, the IAC is holding a special Israel Advocacy Training Session for select active leaders. Role playing and interactive discussion will be the main means of imparting the “Dos and Donts” of advocacy on campus. I am thrilled to be taking part in this important initiative. Thank you to IAC board member Etai Hilzenrat for putting this all together.

Fellow activists, the voice of those who wish to discredit our State is only made stronger by apathy and indifference on our end. I commend all of you for your continued commitment to spreading the truth on your respective campuses.

Let’s re-assert our position on the campus narrative.  Israel Wants Peace. Debate that.

- David