ising Racism in University Campuses
Known for its outstanding educational institutions, Israel has attracted many Chinese students in the past few years. Israel’s top university Hebrew University of Jerusalem is known for its sizable proportion of Chinese students. Since the outbreak of Coronavirus, the university campus has become a popular station for targeting Chinese students.
In a closed
WeChat group at Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Chinese students shared their disturbing racist encounters in the campus and outside the campus premises. A member of the group said that “people cover their noses when they see me,” while the other was forced to contend with people shouting “Coronavirus!” at him.
Another university student, shared his concern that Israelis “are really afraid that we (Chinese students) might spread the virus to them” He also complained of people “shouting ugly words and making exaggerated body gestures.” He further added that the public comments such as “China, Ni Hao” have been replaced with “Sini Sini Corona.” Racism is not just limited to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem but extends to other universities as well. A Japanese student at Al-Quds University in Jerusalem expressed her distress of being mistaken for a Chinese person and how her fellow students have been maintaining distance from her and accusing her of having the virus.
The problem of racism towards East Asians is not a new notion in Israel, but has become even more prominent with the outbreak of Coronavirus. The blunt of bigotry extends to anyone who shares any similarity in physical features to that of an East Asian person. Even the Indian Israelis were not spared of this prejudice.
Deadly Attacks on the Indian Israeli, Hailing from North East India
Due to the outbreak of the Novel Coronavirus, several accounts of racism and xenophobia have been reported and documented around the world. In a recent
incident involving a member of the Bnei Menashe, who immigrated from North East India to Israel, was attacked due to increasing hostility, hatred and fear towards a certain physical appearance. This unsettling event happened in Tiberias, when Am-Shalem Singson walked past two men in the streets. These men judged him for being Chinese and started yelling “Corona-Corona” and “Chinese” at him. In wake of the incident, Michael Freund, founder of Shavei Israel that looks after the Bnei Menashe Jews amongst others, stated “The coronavirus does not distinguish between different types of Israelis based on their skin or the shape of their eyes and neither should anyone else.”
The small Bnei Menashe Jewish community is horrified from the event. The community leaders have condemned this act of “racism, bullying and harassment because of their skin, color or race.” After witnessing the harrowing event, Jews of Bnei Menashe who once believed in a Jewish state that wasn’t racist, are now contemplating to “think again.” This incident is not first of its kind, and people have been reporting of uncomforting racism against them. The COVID-19 pandemic has set forth a series of increased violence, discrimination, xenophobia and racism towards people based on descent and appearances that requires deliberate action around the world.