‘Apartheid Israel’ week at Oxford and ‘Freedom of Speech’
Oxford University is this week holding an “Israeli Apartheid week.” Hosted by the Palestinian Society, flyers state it is to commemorate the “30th anniversary of the international convention on the suppression and punishment of the crime of apartheid.”
Ilan Pappe from Haifa University, an advocate of a one-state solution and boycott of Israeli institutions, will speak on “Resisting Apartheid: Divestment and Solidarity” on Friday. Chairing the meeting is Prof. Steven Rose, a major supporter of an academic and cultural boycott of Israel.
Other speakers include Prof. Gabi Piterberg from University of California at Los Angeles, who spoke on Monday night on “Zionism and Apartheid.” Piterberg, an Israeli anti-Zionist, added his signature to a petition in 2003 calling for divestment from Israel.
Karma Nabulsi, a politics fellow at Oxford and former PLO representative, will talk about “Palestinian Resistance.” In a recent article, Dr. Nabulsi’s accused Britain and Europe of “funding Israel’s occupation and expansion.”
On Tuesday night participants saw a film about an Israeli activist who married a Palestinian and founded a theater group in Jenin, where she taught children to express anger, bitterness and fear through acting and art.
“Arna’s Children” recounts the story of her son returning to Jenin, after Arna’s death, to find out what happened to the children.
Jewish students voiced their concern by writing to the university’s vice chancellor. Karen Bagan, co-president of the Jewish Society, said:
“If it had been a Palestinian awareness week, people would have been excited, but this simply is a direct attack on Israel and says they don’t want dialogue.” Last month Oxford University Jewish Society held an “Israel awareness week” that included events such as the “Israeli-Palestinian bereaved families for peace” forum.
Jewish students were told that while their concerns were understood, there was insufficient evidence for them to intervene as “there needs to be a high level of provocation.”
A spokesperson for the University of Oxford said in a statement, “A number of events are being held by an unofficial student society this week. The proctors have considered the complaints, from students and others, in the context of the University’s Code of Practice on the Freedom of Speech, which allows the free expression of opinions within the law, and have seen no evidence that there has been a breach of the code.”
Abdel Razzaq Takriti, media spokesman for the Palestinian Society, said:
“We are simply stating our belief and explaining that Israel is an apartheid state, to encourage people to take a stance and increase public pressure on Israel to change its apartheid policies.”
[source: JPost]
I’m surprised that every time a Palestinian tries to educate the world what is going on his occupied land, the Jews jump in and call that inflammatory, and wonders why Palestinians don’t open dialogue. Of course this is smart at their side, but if talking about Palestine and Palestinians under the occupation is inflammatory, then what do we call the Israeli crimes?
Yes, we want to build bridges and we want to engage in dialogue, but the problem is that Israel keeps on bombing the bridges, and claiming that they have no peace-partner.
Unless and until the world knows who is the occupier and who is occupied and what does the occupation look like; I don’t expect the world to place pressure on Israel. Also, our Israeli friends should be reminded that “you make peace with your enemy, not with your friend.” Therefore, if you are really looking for just-lasting peace, stop calling Hamas names that will lead you nowhere but miss again and again, a new chance for peace.
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11 Comments on “‘Apartheid Israel’ week at Oxford and ‘Freedom of Speech’”
The Israelis are now (or have been trying for years) trying to do to the Palestinians what Hitler did to them during WWII.
I had a relative (a Jew) killed in WWII and she was counted five times as a holocaust victim. (sister, mother, aunt, cousin, grandmother) Funny how the numbers jumped from 500,000 casualties just after the war to more than 6 million. In those numbers were Gypsies, crippled, mentally incompetent, etc. all counted as Jews.
He who wins the war writes the history.
Actually, I have now calmed down and an prepared to tell the truth about the inner depths of the Israeli soul:
I get up in the morning, conspire to achieve world domination, have a cup of tea, conspire a bit more…
Opps . forgot! The milk in the tea is flavored by the blood of bayoneted Palestinian children. I know I should be keeping my supply of this blood to bake my Passover matzot in a couple of months time, but you know, it really is such a pick-me-up I just couldn’t resist breaking intot my supply!
Gordon,
You must have noticed that I’ve deleted one of your comments which were actually nothing but a personal attack on kimmy, while your other comment is approved (although I don’t agree with).
Therefore, if you are here for personal attacks, you are requested to stop it and find some other place to rant.
Do not sound so sanctimoniuos my friend. The internet is a dangerous thing is it not - On the one hand, it spreads deranged ideas such as Al-Qaida propaganda (I am not referring to you here)and; on the other hand, it allows naughty people like me to voice their legitimate opinions. First of all ,about the commnent you censored - It is quite legitimate to heap ridicule on a Holocaust denier. Secondly, you accuse me of ranting and raving or some such like. Now: What are your protaganists doing if not that? The views propounded are mere bestiality, crowned in political correctness are they not? In the Middle East, there is certianly a state of confrontation that I - not you I claim (although I hope I am wrong)- wish to be solved. However, to equate Israel’s actions with SA apartheid is quite absurd (not to mentionm ill-informed). The problem from the Palestinian side is not going to be solved as long as the Arab society will not tolerate a non-Islamic sovereignty abd chucks off Iranian-type extremism (whiuch as I said, ay be spread via the internet. Apart from that, I am sure that many of Israel’s actions can be legitimately criticized along the line, but you must understand that we do not intend to tolerate the following” a) Being blown up however justified you may think this is and will the therefore, tut ttr tut. react by using armed forced if this stips us being killed; b) Ashkenazi Jewish Israelis are not going to return to the totally alien and hostile environment of Europe; c) Sephardic Jewish Israelis do not,I am afraid, appear to be in too much of a hurry to return to savoring the delights of returning to reside in “super tolerant” Islamic countries. So do you intend to continue the battle to wipe us off the map or not?
I will end off by reiterating what you call “a personal attack” by stating that Holocaust deniers are demented creeps.
Oh and by the way, as long as you keep, er to put it politely, non representative Jews and Israelis (such as Ilan Pappe and Prof. Steven Rose) out of the picture, as well as course vilanious Holocaust deniers suchas your friend Kimmy whoom you accused me of so wickedly attacking, and if you criticize Israeli actions in a coherent manner, you are doing a service not only to humanity at large but to enhancing the moral standing of Jews in Israel - I like many think the “occupation” is morally corrupting, but so no end in sight meanwhile. But is this what you actually intend to do?
Gordon,
kimmy is not my friend (nor you are), this is just a cyberspace, and I like to keep my space free of personal fights as much as I can to keep discussion objective and healthy. We might not agree, but we don’t have to be enemies or make new ones, we both already have many to handle.
Thanks for understanding!
I AM NOT A HOLOCAUST DENIER. I question the number of Jews who were killed! My great aunt was counted many times as a victim. I am a person of Jewish descent and I question your reasoning of adding cripples, mentally ill and Gypsies to the Jewish death tally!
I do not deny the holocaust, just the way the numbers were tallied.
I still remember the old maps that showed Palestein and not Isriel.
You now have your promised country. Don’t treat the Palestinians as Hitler treated you!
Don’t go on with your race as being the persecuted race. This is wearing thin. Keep blaming the Palestinians and you will lose the world for support. WORK WITH THEM!
“DO unto others as you would have do unto you”.
This is the same with Muslems, Jews, Christians, Bhuddists, Hindu’s, Confusionists and many more. Almost all religions are the same. Live with it!
I found out today that Islam and the word for peace in Hebrew come from the same origin. Try to work with that.
Gordon try to work with me? I am not religious. I am not a Jew now. I am not a follower of Islam. I am a follower of peace amongst all people.
I really dislike (I didn’t say hate) Bin Laden and Bush.
What we need is an open dialogue to understand each other and stop this wave of hatred. If everyone carries this on it will only lead to more deaths.
This cycle has got to stop!
Haitham,
I would accept your remarks with more equanimity if they had also been directed at Kimmy, who obviously gets his accounting estimates from the President of Iran - His figure of half a million was actually the number of Gypsies alone who were murdered in the Nazi extermination machine,and not counting some ten million others who included WITHIN them some 6 million Jews. I suggest you do not besmirch what I hope are your humanitarian endeavors - in which I wish you success - with undesirable fellow travelers.
Regards,
Gordon.
My remarks are not for you only, Gordon, but for everyone in this discussion.
Gordon,
Now you are bringing up talk about equations, then please explain your view on these equations:
1) why is Israeli apartheid better than South African apartheid was? Do you deny that Palestinian Israelis have restricted legal rights compared to Zionist Israelis, that using road blocks and settlements to isolate Palesitian towns can be compared to South African bantustans/homelands, or that Zionist landgrabbing by building a wall and settlements on Palestinian land can be compared to AfriKaans landgrabbing?
2) why is Israeli Zionazism more justifiable than the German Nazism was? Do you think that comparing the Occupied Territories with Theresienstadt is without merits, that there is a significant difference between Zionazis destroying Palestinian homes/property and German Nazis confiscating/destroying Jewish assets, or that Zionazi contempt/disregard for the lives of Palestinian civilians is righteous compared to German Nazis’ contempt/disregard for the lives of Jews was?
3) Why is state sponsored terrorism by Israel justifiable when Palestinian terrorism is not? Do you think that there are laws that gives Israelis the right to disregard the sovereignty of other independent countries in order to assasinate/abduct political oponents on their soil, to carry out political assasinations in densely populated Palestinian areas with air-to-ground misiles, or to hold up ambulances at roadblocks to ensure that a person in a medical emergency will either die, or in the case of a woman, give birth before the ambulance can reach a hospital?
Though there is no exact definition of Terrorism, it is definitely not limited to the act of suicide bombing, but is generally accepted to include definitions from ‘intimidation for political gain’ to ‘unconventional use of violence against civilians’. Though I do not agree with most of the policies of the USA, I do subscribe to the definition of Terrorism by the US Department of Defense: “The calculated use of unlawful violence or threat of unlawful violence to inculcate fear; intended to coerce or to intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious, or ideological.”
4) Why do you think that Ashkenazi Jewish Israelis consider Euope alien and hostile? I hope we can agree that WWII is long over and that Europe has come to terms with the atrocities committed in those crazy times, but why are you mentioning ‘Ashkenazi Jewish Israelis’ instead of just Isrealis or Zionists for that matter?
The Nazis significantly decimated the Jewish populations in Europe, but only a minority went to Israel after the war while the majority decided to stay in their native Europe (or some to the USA) where they are part of society and not alienated. Do I smell a hint of Zionist agenda here? You will probably call me Anti-Semitic, but that perverted propaganda shit does not bite on me. Part of my family is Jewish and I have several Jewish friends. However, like most Jews in Europe they are not Zionists!
I am aware that the Zionists have been very adept at spreading the propaganda that critizising Zionism in any way is anti-Semitism, but we both know that it is a crock of shit! Fact is that Zionism is a political organization that is a little over hundred years old; a political organization that happens to have Jewish members, but it is NOT all Jews who are Zionists. Could it be that you consider Europe alien and hostile towards Zionism because a proportionally larger portion of the population is well-informed and is able to see through the smoke screen of the Zionist extremists and therefore side with those Palestinians who denounce terrorism?
You were the one who brought up the distinctions between Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews, but is it not a fact that, relatively speaking, a larger part of the latter have chosen to live in Israel while it is only the smaller part of the former? Is it not a fact that the state of Israel would not have existed had it not been for the POLITICAL organization of the Zionists? Imagine if either the Gypsies, the homosexuals, or the handicapped who were also victims of Hitler’s Endlösung had been been the group with the most clever political organization behind them, then Israel would not be ‘The Jewish State, but the Gypsy State, the Gay State, or the Handicap State! I am not mentioning the Communists, because they had Eastern Europe and took Central Europe as well.
5) Personally, I do not deny the Holocaust and I do believe in the rule of international law, so I accept the internationally recognized borders of Israel regardless of whether I agree with the way they were created or that Israel is under the leadership of Zionist extremists (Zionazis).
However, what continues to puzzle me is that I simply cannot understand Israeli mentality when you (in general) demand that Palestinians must recognize Israel’s borders even though you are clearly showing that you do not recognize Israels’ borders yourself?!?
I am not all-knowing, so please point out where my opinons aer based on ignorance!
What I am saying is: You cannot fight fire with fire and since you happen to be the occupyer then you will have to take the first several steps towards the occupyed if you really want a solution that can be accepted by both parties. Do you really think any of the European resistance movements would have stepped forward to put down their weapons if Hitler had said “If you are good boys and girls and stop the resistance fighting, then we will find a good solution for you.”?
ALL Palestinians are not terrorists, but if you continue your oppressive regime then you will continue to not accomplice a peaceful solution.