This academic term has taken me across Great Britain, from Aberdeen and St Andrews to Exeter; from Belfast to Southampton and Cambridge. The embassy participated in over 50 academic events on 25 campuses, engaging with thousands of students in solo talks, debates, meetings with unions, as well as staff and various departments.
Unsurprisingly, I've met some radically different people, with divergent views. I've witnessed the work of dedicated students at JSocs and Israel societies, showcasing Israel's achievements. I've seen attempts by anti-Israel societies to "no platform" us, and when that failed, to disrupt events by force.
Among our critics, there were a few unforgettable highlights, such as the Southampton "Israel is a rogue state" debate, where I pointed out that perceived Israeli actions considered problematic, were in fact also in use by the UK and the United States, only to be told that they too are considered by the audience to be "rogue"; or the student that recommended that "we Jews" return to Europe, where apparently we had all come from; or the Exeter debate on boycotting Israel, where I mentioned that Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas himself rejects a boycott, only to be told that "he doesn't know what's best", or alternatively, he is being "coerced by Israel".
Overall however, the experience of being on campus as an official Israeli representative was a tremendously positive one. Massive interest by students, coupled with knowledgeable, intelligent questions, made for some great dialogue, benefiting all who took part. No interruptions, no significant protests, common sense prevailing on the whole; a good example was the recent LSE debate where students voted overwhelmingly for a two-state solution, over a one-state concoction advocated by anti-Israel academics.
It seems to me that the minority of Israel-haters, those who reject dialogue and would not even sit in the same room with us, are losing ground. The voices calling for exclusion are frowned upon, seen to be part of a general problem across campuses, whereby so called "controversial" topics are silenced by a loud, extreme minority. This has less to do with Israel and more to do with the need to uphold freedom of speech on campus, as more and more people are beginning to understand.
Within the pro-Palestinian community, engagement is increasingly seen as the reasonable way to achieve progress; Palestinian Society representatives joined my events at both University College London and Cambridge, listening to what we had to say.
Meanwhile, academics affiliated with the boycott movement have been forced to hold a discussion on whether to join events with Israeli representatives, following decisions by prominent members within their group to share panels with us, which angered hardliners who oppose any dialogue.
The Palestinian Ambassador at Cambridge recently defined our main goal as "overcoming mutual distrust"; indeed, this is an important challenge, which is why it isn't surprising that we're seeing a shift away from protests and division, toward dialogue and inclusiveness.
As the bilateral relationship between Israel and the UK grows stronger, reflected in increased trade, cultural exchange, academic and research projects, so is our campus engagement growing; we will be there again next term, with renewed resolve to present Israel's case for peace, and the crucial, shared values it stands for in today's shattered Middle East.
Off topic, a last word about the much discussed Yachad-sponsored poll. Putting aside methodology and the phrasing of questions; for me, what were missing were the questions that were not asked: How can the Jewish community support the goal of achieving peace? What can we do against those working to delegitimize Israel?
According to the survey, a clear majority of UK Jews believe they have a right to judge Israel even though they do not live there. I would argue that a close affinity to Israel goes hand in hand with self-reflection on how best to support it, as well as how to criticize it without playing into the hands of its enemies.
In my mind, being a friend of Israel never meant avoiding criticism, but it has always meant looking at the wider picture, in which Israel is still facing tremendous challenges, both in the Middle East and in the international arena. Indeed, judging by the answers to the survey, British Jews understand this very well.
Yiftah Curiel is a spokesman of the Israeli embassy in London
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