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🇮🇱 Israel /Culture & Society

Campus Israel launched as alternative for Jewish students facing antisemitism

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified New plan
  • Campus Israel has launched as a new platform to encourage Jewish students from abroad to pursue higher education in Israel.
  • The initiative aims to provide a central resource for English-language degree programs, addressing concerns about rising antisemitism on Western campuses.
  • Israel offers affordable tuition, accessible internships, and a vibrant academic environment, making it an attractive alternative for students seeking identity affirmation.

Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, an Israeli politician and former deputy mayor of Jerusalem, is spearheading the launch of Campus Israel, a new platform designed to attract Jewish students from abroad to study in the country. Hassan-Nahoum, who also serves as a special envoy for trade innovation for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, sees the initiative as a practical response to multiple crises, including rising antisemitism on international campuses and the need for stronger global Jewish leadership.

Why aren’t more Jewish students [from abroad] studying in college in Israel in the many degrees in full English language that we have here?

— Fleur Hassan-NahoumHassan-Nahoum explains her motivation for creating Campus Israel, questioning the low enrollment of Jewish students from abroad in Israeli universities.

Motivated by her experiences with the Abraham Accords, Hassan-Nahoum observed how readily young Emiratis sought education abroad, with some even choosing Israel. She questioned why Jewish students facing pressure overseas were not similarly considering Israel's numerous English-language degree programs. She highlights Israel's vibrant culture of innovation and problem-solving, where students often feel inspired to "save the world."

everybody feels like they want to save the world in one way or another.

— Fleur Hassan-NahoumDescribing the atmosphere on Israeli campuses, Hassan-Nahoum highlights the sense of purpose and innovation among students.

Hassan-Nahoum points out that tuition fees in Israel are significantly lower than in the United States, and the country's compact size facilitates internships at leading companies. The primary obstacle, she identified, was a lack of accessible information. "There wasn’t one place where you could find out everything available," she explained, noting the absence of a centralized site aggregating and detailing degree options for foreign students.

you can essentially get a full degree here for less than the price of one year of tuition in America.

— Fleur Hassan-NahoumHassan-Nahoum emphasizes the affordability of higher education in Israel compared to the United States.

The events of October 7th intensified Hassan-Nahoum's conviction, bringing the issue from an intellectual project to a perceived lifeline. Witnessing what she described as "bile, poison, and indoctrination" on Western campuses, she felt compelled to offer Jewish students an alternative to compromising their identity or hiding. Campus Israel is envisioned as a resource for "curious, adventurous kids" who are "tired of having to pretend as something they’re not, hide or fight."

There wasn’t one place where you could find out everything available.

— Fleur Hassan-NahoumHassan-Nahoum identifies the lack of a centralized information hub as a key barrier for foreign students seeking to study in Israel.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Jerusalem Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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