Head of Israel group called ‘worse than Hitler’ by Palestine protesters
Campaigners chanted "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" at StandWithUs stall at University of Manchester.
The head of a pro-Israel organisation was reportedly branded “worse than Hitler” by Palestine activists on a leading university campus.
Director of StandWithUs UK (SWU) Charlotte Korchak was confronted by 12 anti-Israel protestors whilst on a stall about antisemitism awareness on Manchester university campus.
Activists also apparently daubed “Israel = Apartheid” and “Free Palestine” on walls outside the student union (SU) building, opposing the stall organised by the university’s Jewish society (Jsoc) with the Union of Jewish Students (UJS) and SWU
In a statement, Manchester J-Soc said its “members were intimidated by protestors” and “a number of students reported feeling unsafe and concerned”. It said it was contacting the university over the incident, which reportedly led to some Jewish students breaking down in tears.
StandWithUs UK Campus Manager, Raffy Lachter said the “anti-Israel mob surrounded, abused and berated students who were participating in an event aimed at combatting antisemitism- brings shame to Manchester University campus.”
The Palestine society told the campus magazine, The Mancunian, it was “outraged by the University allowing a stall like “Stand With Us”, branding it “a racist Pro-Israeli organisation that promotes propaganda”.
“They persist on denial of the Palestinian plight continues to normalise apartheid and the illegal occupation of Palestine.” It also claimed SWU’s presence “led to discomfort and outrage”.
A University of Manchester Students’ Union (SU) spokesperson said: “The University and SU are aware of the event and the SU is contact with both parties to offer support and guidance. Our University is a place for free thought and expression within the law. As such we have a profound commitment to academic freedom and freedom of speech. But the safety and wellbeing of our students is always of the utmost importance to us. If any students feel unsafe on campus they should contact the university immediately, or make us aware anonymously via our report and support platform.”
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