The alternative to BDS? Accepting Olmert’s offer of a Palestinian state consisting of 93% of the West Bank plus land swaps, and with a capital in Jerusalem: http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/haaretz-exclusive-olmert-s-plan-for-peace-with-the-palestinians-1.1970

Michael you don’t seem to have much respect for the hard-work Jewish students have been putting in for years fighting BDS and other anti-Israel activity on campus. I can tell you AUJS has been very successful and the situation on campus has improved drastically in the time I have been involved in AUJS, largely due to that hard-work. Your assessment of the situation on campus is wrong as is your belief that AUJS is doing nothing. In fact, so is your claim that Students for Palestine are running effective advocacy.

You are judging the situation not on results or effective advocacy but on what you like seeing. I can assure you BDS is a far bigger problem on American campuses than Australian campuses, the reality is far from your belief that other organisations are in control and we are failures.

All the best Michael but please think before you criticise. It’s a real shame for all these dedicated volunteers who have achieved so much to then be criticised by a small minority of community members who just clearly don’t get it. That said, we are grateful for the strong support we receive from the majority of the community, without which our work would be impossible.

If there are too few Jewish students to stage protests in safety, why not call on the Jewish security group, of assistance through the Jewish press for more bodies or Jewish alumni?

All,all too much like action and action must be debated and professional advice regarding possible repercussions must be considered, the rest of the community must be consulted and the reaction of traditional or prospective friends considered and political parties consulted and… Did I start this paragraph advocating action???

AUJS claims presence on most campuses in Australia. How do BDS activists not face opposition ? And Sherr’s response does address any of the points raised by Jake Lynch. Nor does Lynch go back on his support for BDS. By the way, what alternative is there to BDS, merely sit back and watch settlements expand ?

Hi Michael. What is difficult for people from outside the university environment to realize is that arguing directly with pro-palestinian protestors does nothing to support a pro-Israel atmosphere on campus.
Their minds are not going to be changed by trying to argue with them as their views are completely set in stone. The ‘curious bystander’ hearing a debate between an AUJS leader and bds supporter rarely occurs as the debate will almost always turns into personal attacks and abuse.

Where AUJS devotes our attention is in working with the 80 % of undecided students, specifically with student leaders. The socialist alternative were deregistered at Monash due to their own incompetence being flagged by AUJS to the student Union.

The context in universities in Australia is very different than the United states, with the student polity being far more progressive and the average student caring very little about Israel. The nature of our political adversary is very different Aswell. Applying the same approach taken on campuses in the usa and transferring it to the australian context runs a strong risk of backfiring, isolating AUJS from the rest of the political landscape and acting as a recruiting incentive for our opposition.