Israel's ambassador to UK accuses LSE of fuelling extremism with book on Hamas
Israel's ambassador to Britain has accused a leading university of 'providing a platform for Hamas propaganda' by hosting a book launch.
Tzipi Hotovely has called for the London School of Economics (LSE) to cancel a talk about the book Understanding Hamas: And Why It Matters, on Monday, warning it would 'grow support' for the terrorist group among students.
Its synopsis describes the Palestinian terrorist group as 'a widely misunderstood movement whose involvement in a just resolution of the Israel/Palestine conflict will be critical'.
In a letter to Larry Kramer, the president of the LSE, Ms Hotovely wrote: 'I am deeply concerned that the event is providing a platform for Hamas propaganda – a terror organisation proscribed under United Kingdom law.
'I worry that by promoting such a book, which sympathises with and justifies the survival and existence of Hamas, will only serve to grow support for a brutal terror organisation among your students and beyond.'
She expressed 'sincere hope that you will reconsider allowing the event to go ahead'.
The Home Office has already pre-warned the event's speakers that they will face the 'full force of the law' if they praise Hamas at the book launch.
In her letter Ms Hotovely drew attention to one passage in the book which appeared to deny the Oct 7 attacks.
It reads: 'Israeli claims about what happened on Oct 7 have since been proven to be false. They have been proven even to be deliberate lies designed in order to justify what the Israelis were going to do as a revenge attack on Gaza, which we were seeing happening for the past eight months nearly.'
Another passage in the book argues that 'demonisation efforts' against Hamas 'impede diplomacy and keep the [Palestinian] populations suffering colonial rule or military occupation trapped for decades in devastating conflict at the hands of their far more violent and heavily armed oppressors.'
The book claims 'the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has been subjected to intense vilification'.
'Branding it as 'terrorist' or worse, this demonisation intensified after the events in southern Israel on Oct 7, 2023.'
Ms Hotovely said going ahead with the talk will put Jewish students at risk as she called for it to be cancelled.
She told Mr Kramer: 'Your Jewish and Israeli students will be feeling anxious and fearful for their own safety at this moment in time.
'The past 17 months have been deeply traumatic to Jewish people in the UK and around the world. Indeed, cases of reported anti-Semitic incidents rose by 148% last year – with university campuses specifically seeing a rise in anti-Jewish and anti-Israel hatred.'
Ms Hotovely, who has served as Israel's ambassador in London since 2020, told the LSE's president: 'The university should not be endorsing this event, let alone organising it through its Middle East Centre. Nor should the university allow this event to go ahead on its premises. Therefore, I encourage you to cancel the event.'
Hamas has been a proscribed organisation in Britain since 2021.
Expressing support for a proscribed terrorist organisation is illegal under Section 12 of the Terorrism Act 2000.
An LSE spokesman said: 'Free speech and freedom of expression underpins everything we do at LSE. Students, staff and visitors are strongly encouraged to discuss and debate the most pressing issues around the world.
'We host an enormous number of events each year, covering a wide range of viewpoints and positions.
'We have clear policies in place to ensure the facilitation of debates in these events and enable all members of our community to refute ideas lawfully and to protect individuals' rights to freedom of expression within the law. This is formalised in our Code of Practice on Free Speech and in our Ethics Code.'
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