By: Alexandra Cohen

As on many college campuses nationwide, the students at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD prepared intensely for what they expected to be an ominous “September”.  After spending the Summer months sharpening their knowledge of the heating climate in Israeli-Palestinian politics, the Coalition of Hopkins Activists for Israel (CHAI) recognized the importance of catching students right out of the gate as they returned to campus in the Fall.

Leaders of the pro-Israel movement on campus proactively developed a strategy to portray the imminent situation at the UN truthfully, while motivating others to become involved.  With the knowledge that some members of the student body might challenge the apathetic status-quo and raise debates about the pending UN Bid for Palestinian Statehood, CHAI prepared a two-stage campaign to educate and engage the masses.

So that they would best be able to explain the history and implications of Abbas’ unilateral declaration of statehood, CHAI brought Jonathan Schanzer, the Vice President of Research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, to address the student body.  The group co-sponsored the event with College Democrats, College Republicans, Sigma Iota Rho (the International Studies Honor Society), Hasbara Fellowships, and other pro-Israel organizations, attracting a large, diverse and curious audience.  Hasbara Fellows and Co-President of CHAI Ali Cohen, Vice President Rebecca Rubenstein, and Secretary Laura Maschler planned the campaign alongside the rest of the CHAI board.  Other Hasbara Fellows were in attendance.

Students responded positively to Schanzer’s talk, which highlighted key issues and potential dangers of abandoning the normal path to peace through direct negotiations.

Even though some students looked for this event as a resource and honest learning opportunity, others planned to use it as a target for criticism and de-legitimization of Israel.  For the first time in recent history, a small cohort of anti-Israel students attended the event, making their presence known when they abrasively attacked points that Schanzer made earlier in the evening.  These accusations were answered well by the speaker and were quickly hushed by most of the students in the room.  After the event, many students congregated in the aisles of the lecture hall, and took the opportunity to further discuss the positions stated in the lecture as well as the materials and general messages they had taken away from the event.

I witnessed several freshmen defending Israel’s legitimacy, democracy, and persistent pursuit of peace, despite the staunch opposition they encountered by students, who at the end of the night, claimed that they were only there to spark extreme debate and really had no stake in the matters at hand.

Utilizing Hasbara Fellowships’ Friend Request Pending campaign, CHAI was able to spread the messages that Israel wants peace but does not currently have an adequate partner, and that the only way to lasting peace is through direct negotiations.  After Schanzer spoke, students had an opportunity to sign the Real Partners. Real Peace. (RPRP) Statement of Support, which called for direct negotiations and a rejection of a resolution granting membership to the Palestinians at the UN through a unilateral declaration of independence.

When they tabled on campus, students found plenty of opportunities to educate their peers about current events, and most times were able to convince those who were on the fence about the issues to ultimately sign the Statement of Support.  While some were motivated by the free t-shirts, postcards, and pens – this is Hopkins, we like to take lots of notes J - most students who stopped by the table were genuinely interested in supporting the resumption of the peace process through direct negotiations.

Even though much of September was spent preparing and strategizing for “September”, CHAI was able to leave a positive mark on the campus community by developing strong relationships with three student groups and by spreading effective messages to dozens more, who learned about the issues and the messages on their way to class.  They also enjoyed sharing the funny, but informative Friend Request Pending Youtube Video about a tale on “Placebook” to their own Facebook friends.

As they wrapped up the month, CHAI reflected on its efforts, and was treated at their weekly meeting to a special presentation from Hasbara Fellowships’ own Alan Levine, who taught members how to communicate effectively for Israel.  The group hopes to further its mission of painting a positive image of Israel on campus over the course of the semester by developing new coalitions and expanding the base of pro-Israel supporters through a variety of interactive and interesting programming.