London, England (Thursday, January 25th) – University College London made headlines in 2016 when riot police had to stop members of UCL Palestine Society from attacking Jewish students who were attending a speaking event with Israeli human rights activist Hen Mazzig. Undeterred, the students brought Mazzig back to speak at UCL on Thursday night.
As Jewish students waved Israeli flags and sang Jewish songs, members of the UCL Palestine Society resumed their hatred, shouting falsehoods and slanders against Hen Mazzig and the Jewish state.
The UCL Palestine Society also vilified Hen Mazzig in a series of social media posts leading up to the event, branding him a “war criminal”, despite his former work as a Humanitarian Officer in the IDF, coordinating aid for Palestinians.
An image with Mazzig’s face on it was posted by the UCL Palestine Society with “WAR CRIMINAL” above his head. Demonizing allegations such as this fall under the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA)’s definition of antisemitism.
What is more disturbing, UCL Student’s Union also posted the Palestine Society’s image on their Instagram account last night.
Tamara Berens, a student at Kings College London, said, “It’s appalling that the UCL Union, which is supposed to support and represent the voice of all students, would even consider posting such a blatantly anti-Semitic poster. What action will UCL take against the union to enforce that such hatred is not welcome?”
UCL barred Jewish students from colleges outside UCL from attending the event, a move that many saw as discriminatory and a violation of freedom of speech.
Aviva Slomich, International Campus Director for CAMERA, said, “Students standing up for Israel know that the facts are on their side, and that’s why they continue to stand up to those who use intimidation and hate to promote their false views.”
“This was obvious here in London where, despite yet another active demonization campaign by the UCL Palestine Society, the Jewish community came together to shine a light of hope and support for everyone who values freedom, morality, and peace; the same values that Israel exudes to its core,” Slomich said.
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About CAMERA on Campus UK
CAMERA on Campus UK is a division of the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA), and is dedicated to educating students and promoting the facts about Israel on campuses.
