FIRST ON FOX — Hundreds of Jewish and pro-Israel college students gathered in Washington, D.C., this week for a leadership summit to prepare for the coming school year after universities nationwide faced rampant protests against Israel and repeated instance of antisemitism, Fox News Digital learned.
"At the ICC National Leadership Summit, the largest annual gathering of pro-Israel undergraduates, we witnessed the dedication and resilience of 500 students from 153 campuses. This summit empowered a diverse network of young leaders ready to 'Take Back The Campus' after the surge in brazen antisemitism on campus last semester," Israel on Campus Coalition CEO Jacob Baime exclusively told Fox News Digital on Tuesday.
"We are grateful to all our speakers for inspiring and energizing our students to stand up for what’s right. ICC stands firmly with these students as they confront this difficult climate and take back their campuses."
The Israel on Campus Coalition describes itself as an organization that works to inspire American college students and pro-Israel college groups to "see Israel as a source of pride and empower them to stand up for Israel on campus." More than 500 students from 153 campuses gathered in Washington, D.C., this week to take part in the group’s National Leadership Summit, which focused on its theme of "Take Back The Campus."
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Israel on Campus Coalition CEO Jacob Baime during the National Leadership Summit in D.C. (Israel on Campus Coalition)
The summit included a large range of students who support Israel, including undergrads from historically Black colleges, who heard from a bevy of speakers, including former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett; Shye Klein, a photographer and survivor of the Supernova Music Festival; former Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, and others. The summit also included a performance from singer and rapper Matisyahu and Israeli singer Noa Kirel.
The speakers, Fox News Digital exclusively learned, focused many of their remarks on never apologizing for being Jewish, especially in the face of antisemtism, and to remain unified as the war continues raging since Oct. 7.
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Israeli singer Noa Kirel performs during ICC leadership summit. (Israel on Campus Coalition)
"Never apologize for being Jewish. Never apologize for loving the state of Israel," Bennett said during his discussion.
"There’s one single factor that will determine everything: Our ability to unite from within," he added. "… Stand up for Israel. Keep it simple. Stick with truth, and never be silent."
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Former Prime Minister of Israel Naftali Bennett during ICC leadership summit. (Israel on Campus Coalition)
Marc Rowan, the CEO and co-founder of Apollo Global Management, focused his speech on galvanizing students ahead of them entering into a new school year while tensions surrounding the war in Israel continue to rage.
"I divide the fight against antisemitism into three big buckets: 1) legal, political, and economic; 2) hearts and minds; 3) safety and security," Rowan said. "As you return to your campus, and you think about the fight you’re about to undertake, I encourage you to think strategically about this."
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"We are not alone in this fight. We have lots of allies. We have people who believe in merits. We have people who believe in truth. We have people who believe in debate. We have to be really good at building the alliances we need to build," Rowan added.
Apollo Global Management CEO Marc Rowan speaks during ICC summit. (Israel on Campus Coalition)
Anti-Israel protests have been a powder keg situation in the U.S. since shortly after the Oct. 7 terror attack by Hamas. During the 2023-24 college school year, agitators and student protesters flooded college campuses nationwide to protest the war in Israel, which also included spiking instances of antisemitism and Jewish students publicly speaking out that they did not feel safe on some campuses.
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Agitators on Columbia University’s campus, for example, took over the school's Hamilton Hall building, while schools such as UCLA, Harvard and Yale worked to clear spiraling student encampments where protesters demanded their elite schools completely divest from Israel.
An anti-Israel encampment is shown Tuesday, May 28, 2024, on the campus of Wayne State University in Detroit. The school suspended in-person classes and encouraged staff to work remotely to avoid any problems with the encampment. (AP Photo/Mike Householder)
Late last month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu traveled to Washington, D.C., where he addressed Congress. The visit sparked spiraling protests as protesters chanted, "Allahu akbar" outside of Union Station, burned the American flag and scrawled menacing graffiti on statues, including "Hamas is coming."
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A person spray paints on the base of the Christopher Columbus Memorial Fountain as pro-Palestinian demonstrators protest near the US Capitol as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses a joint meeting of Congress on July 24, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Thomas/AFP via Getty Images)
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"Let’s tell our story. Let’s be visible. We have no idea how powerful we are, because we have yet to find our voice. If we all said to the institutions, ‘We’re just not going to take it anymore,’ we would turn the tide pretty quickly," Rowan advised the students.
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"Reach out to those alumni who are willing to back you up and willing to make the cause known. Don’t wait til there’s a problem — go now," he added.