Edinburgh students shut down lecture by Israeli diplomat
Liam | 03.02.2011 12:43 | Education | Palestine
Edinburgh University Students for Justice in Palestine successfully shut down a lecture last night by Ishmael Khaldi, advisor to Israel's foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman.
The event, hosted by the University's Jewish society and held in Lecture Theatre 1 of Appleton Tower, was re-arranged only the night before after the International Relations society refused to host Khaldi, due to the fact that Palestinian were living under “Apartheid”
The talk was scheduled to start at 5pm but was delayed until 5.30pm, with the organisers citing 'security concerns'. When it did eventually get under way, one SJP member interrupted immediately shouting “Where is the freedom of speech for the 1,500 massacred in Gaza? Where is the freedom of speech for the Palestinian students in Israeli dungeons?”
The event, hosted by the University's Jewish society and held in Lecture Theatre 1 of Appleton Tower, was re-arranged only the night before after the International Relations society refused to host Khaldi, due to the fact that Palestinian were living under “Apartheid”
The talk was scheduled to start at 5pm but was delayed until 5.30pm, with the organisers citing 'security concerns'. When it did eventually get under way, one SJP member interrupted immediately shouting “Where is the freedom of speech for the 1,500 massacred in Gaza? Where is the freedom of speech for the Palestinian students in Israeli dungeons?”
The protesters - approximately 50 people - were the majority of the audience and compromised of students activists, members of the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign and members of the local Palestinian community. The demonstrators proceeded to occupy the platform of the lecture theatre and chanted slogans such “From Cairo to Ramallah, globalise the Intifada”, “Boycott Israel” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”.
University security soon arrived but the peaceful demonstration continued unabated for a further 45 minutes until Khaldi finally got the message that he was not welcome and left the lecture theatre. The majority of the people present in the lecture theatre had made it clear that they were not interested in listening to Israeli propaganda.
Earlier in the day, Edinburgh University Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) hosted US Iraq war veteran Mike Prysner who spoke of the link between US Imperialism and the suffering of the Palestinians. He urged the students present to fight against imperialism and for justice in the Middle East.
President of Edinburgh University SJP, Liam O'Hare, said “We sent a clear message today that those who come to our University to represent an Apartheid state and to defend the dropping of white phosphorous on children are absolutely not welcome. Khaldi works for the openly racist Avidgor Lieberman, a man who has called for the execution of Arab members of the Knesset 1(Israeli Parliament). The recent leak of the 'Palestine Papers' has proven beyond any doubt that Israel does not seek peace and that it is purely a colonial settler state which seeks to indefinitely oppress the indigenous Palestinian population. We will continue to protest events where representatives of a racist state are present and fully support the global campaign of Boycott Divestment and Sanctions against Apartheid Israel until it abides by international law”
President of the International Relations Society, Ledys Sanjuan, said “The IR society had a long discussion about hosting Ishmael Khaldi. At the end we came to the conclusion that providing a platform for a representative of the Israeli state would be at the expense of the millions of Palestinians who live under Apartheid.”
University security soon arrived but the peaceful demonstration continued unabated for a further 45 minutes until Khaldi finally got the message that he was not welcome and left the lecture theatre. The majority of the people present in the lecture theatre had made it clear that they were not interested in listening to Israeli propaganda.
Earlier in the day, Edinburgh University Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) hosted US Iraq war veteran Mike Prysner who spoke of the link between US Imperialism and the suffering of the Palestinians. He urged the students present to fight against imperialism and for justice in the Middle East.
President of Edinburgh University SJP, Liam O'Hare, said “We sent a clear message today that those who come to our University to represent an Apartheid state and to defend the dropping of white phosphorous on children are absolutely not welcome. Khaldi works for the openly racist Avidgor Lieberman, a man who has called for the execution of Arab members of the Knesset 1(Israeli Parliament). The recent leak of the 'Palestine Papers' has proven beyond any doubt that Israel does not seek peace and that it is purely a colonial settler state which seeks to indefinitely oppress the indigenous Palestinian population. We will continue to protest events where representatives of a racist state are present and fully support the global campaign of Boycott Divestment and Sanctions against Apartheid Israel until it abides by international law”
President of the International Relations Society, Ledys Sanjuan, said “The IR society had a long discussion about hosting Ishmael Khaldi. At the end we came to the conclusion that providing a platform for a representative of the Israeli state would be at the expense of the millions of Palestinians who live under Apartheid.”
Liam
Homepage:
http://sjp.eusa.ed.ac.uk/
Comments
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great
03.02.2011 13:07
soas
Should have let him speak
04.02.2011 14:04
You state the majority of people "were not interested in listening to Israeli propeganda" So don't go along then if you can't find the decency to argue your position. Perhaps if you had let him speak it might have challenged your own views - were you afraid of that?
Richard
Well done.
07.02.2011 17:52
These people did a damn good job of keeping apartheid israel's token arab off their campus and the majority of the people at this action were students. I was after all actually there.
Some people think we should have let him speak, I heard what he had to say to the people protesting his presence, a couple of his priceless one liners were: "you're not palestinian" "I'm not a muslim" "this anarchy is what prevents peace"
Frankly I was shocked at the sheer lack of intelligence and tact demonstrated by Mr Khaldi.
And for the record, he was NOT at risk during this demonstration, the fella was flanked by TWO mossad agents and security staff were present before he arrived.
Andres
No free speech for war criminals.
09.02.2011 12:32
Gordon Davie
e-mail:
davie728@hotmail.com
EU Secretary Kim Waldron: 'we can never let what happened, happen again'.'
16.02.2011 14:05
'After the Board of Deputies' senior vice-president Jonathan Arkush intervened, University Secretary Kim Waldron pledged to put measures in place to avoid future disturbances.
Mr Arkush said: "Dr Waldron said to me 'we can never let what happened, happen again'.
"Edinburgh is now working on ways to prevent incidents like this happening in the future. The Board, and UJS, will play an important role in this process."
Mr Abraham and JSoc members also held a meeting with student union representatives and the university's chief chaplain to voice their concerns.
Professor Lorraine Waterhouse, university vice-principal for diversity and equality, said the university disapproved of the demonstrators' actions.'
cormac
e-mail:
conchovor@gmail.com
Homepage:
http://Edinburgh University Secretary Kim Waldron: 'we can never let what happened, happen again'