donderdag 11 februari 2010

Studenten verstoren speech Danny Ayalon op Oxford universiteit en roepen "Slaughter the Jews"

 
Dit is helaas geen uitzondering. Het lijkt erop dat iedere keer wanneer een pro-Israel spreker wordt uitgenodigd om op een universiteit wat te komen spreken, de pro-Palestijnse lobby er in slaagt dat ofwel de zaak gecanceled wordt ofwel een en ander zodanig wordt verstoord dat de spreker zijn verhaal niet meer fatsoenlijk kan doen. Er worden geregeld pro-Palestijnse sprekers uitgenodigd op universiteiten, en uit onderstaande verklaring blijkt dat studenten soms nog nooit de Israelische versie hebben gehoord. Dat zal dus in de toekomst waarschijnlijk niet verbeteren, want de meeste universiteiten kiezen voor rust in de tent en dat lijkt met een pro-Israelische spreker uitgesloten.
 
RP
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Press Release: Deputy FM Ayalon looking into possibility of pressing charges against student who shouted "Slaughter the Jews" at Oxford Union event
(Communicated by the Bureau of Deputy Foreign Minister Ayalon)
10 February 2010

Deputy Foreign Minister Ayalon looking into possibility of pressing charges against student who shouted "Slaughter the Jews" at Oxford Union event

 
On Monday night, Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon was invited by the Oxford Union to speak at an event at the university. During the speech one student shouted extreme abuse at the Deputy Foreign Minister including Itbach Al-Yahud (Slaughter the Jews). The event was caught on camera and subsequently shown on Israeli television Channel Ten. The Deputy Foreign Minister is looking into the possibility of pressing charges against the student for what is tantamount to a call for genocide.

"This demonstrates our new policy on hatred and racism and we will have zero tolerance for anti-Semitism, something that should have happened a long time ago," said Deputy Foreign Minister Ayalon.

Another protestor carrying a Palestinian flag started walking towards Ayalon before security intervened and he was ejected from the hall. Another student shouted at the Deputy Foreign Minister that "we will do to you what we did to Milosevic". Other students shouted, both inside and outside the hall, "Palestine will be free, from the River to the Sea", which by its meaning, calls for the destruction of the State of Israel. After the event several students attempted to physically assault the Deputy Foreign Minister but were prevented from doing so by security.

Speaking to the students, Ayalon was able to relate Israel's point of view on many issues that many felt had rarely been heard in such a setting. Ayalon received applause at the end after taking extremely hostile and abusive questions and patiently dissecting and answering them one by one. After the event, several students approached the Deputy Foreign Minister and thanked him for giving a narrative that they felt they had never heard before.

Ayalon corrected many students' assertions on history, international law and United Nations resolutions and told them that: "If I manage to convince you to go and learn the truth from the history books then this will have been a successful event." During his speech, Ayalon called for historic reconciliation between all of the peoples in the Middle East.

The Oxford Union released a statement on the events of Monday night, please see the link below
http://www.oxford-union.org/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/3941/Daniel_Ayalon_Statement.pdf


Mr. Ashley Perry
Media Advisor
Deputy Foreign Minister's Office
Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs
+972 (0) 50 620 3197
ashley.perry@mfa.gov.il
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Statement from the Oxford Union

9th February 2010

Last night, Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon visited the Oxford Union to give an address and answer questions on the topic of "Hopes and Challenges for the Middle East." Whilst the vast majority of the audience behaved in an orderly and responsible fashion, some members continually interrupted the speech, and one individual in particular appears to have made a directly anti-Semitic remark. These individuals exceeded the principles of free speech that the Society upholds. They and their remarks are not representative of this Society, nor the vast majority of the audience. The Oxford Union will not tolerate this kind of behaviour by its Members.

This morning, the Union's President launched an investigation aimed at identifying the Members who disrupted the event. The Union will be taking disciplinary action against these Members, in accordance with the Society's rules.

The President praised the work of the security and local police on the night and expressed his gratitude for their help, as well as that of the Israeli embassy, in coordinating the event. The event was attended only by those members of the University who hold Oxford Union membership. Local protesters were not admitted onto the Union's premises.

The Oxford Union believes in the rights of free speech and protecting our invited speakers' ability to express themselves in an orderly and disciplined environment. We further believe that our Members have the right to challenge and question the speakers in keeping with the Society's expectations of good conduct. Last night was unprecedented. A disorderly minority disrupted and prevented the speaker from holding the floor where he had been invited to speak.

The Union will be taking immediate steps to ensure that all members are made aware of the high levels of decorum that the Oxford Union expects and that the moderators are trained effectively to enforce the rules of the Society.

The Oxford Union will be apologising to Mr Ayalon for the actions of its Members and thank him for the professional way in which he handled the situation.


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IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis
Website:
www.imra.org.il

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