Calling Hamas terrorists is ‘dehumanising', academic claims at university book launch
Prof Jeroen Gunning, of King's College London (KCL), told the event that 'labelling' the Palestinian terror group as 'terrorists' leads to their 'dehumanisation'.
The academic was speaking at a launch event for his book entitled Understanding Hamas: And Why It Matters, which was co-authored by Helena Cobban, at LSE on Monday.
The book, which claims Hamas is 'misunderstood', has been widely criticised in recent weeks.
But the university refused to cancel the launch event, claiming it was defending 'free speech' by hosting it.
Hundreds of protesters waved Israel flags as they demonstrated outside the event, which the Israeli ambassador to Britain said would 'provide a platform for Hamas propaganda'.
Prof Gunning, who is professor of Middle Eastern politics and conflict at KCL, said: 'The labelling of Hamas as terrorists has devastating effects.
'I argue that the labelling of Hamas as terrorists has devastating effects. It erases the historical context to the attacks. It facilities the dehumanisation of not just Hamas, but all Gazans.'
Ms Cobban claimed Hamas had been 'systematically misrepresented' in the West since the Oct 7 attacks and said 'resistance to occupation' was permitted under international law.
'I think it's important for us all to recognise the degree to which the corporate media in this country have actually been complicit in the misrepresentation and I would even say the disrepresentation of both Hamas, the movement and its actions,' she said.
'Hamas is not alone in Gaza in mounting resistance. Resistance to occupation, which is actually you know permitted under international law provided that the strictures of international humanitarian law are respected.'
The authors were then questioned by audience members about the claims made in the book, one of whom said: 'Your twisted views of demonisation and vilification in relation to Hamas is a clear attempt to exonerate a terrorist organisation to depict Hamas as innocent and as being unfairly portrayed and misunderstood.'
Prof Michael Mason, director of LSE's Middle East Centre, moderated the debate and at one point noted how the book included 'only one statement that war crimes were committed by Hamas'.
'Throughout the book, war crimes and atrocities are almost only attributed to Israel,' he said. 'Given this moral one-sidedness, why would any reasonable person not conclude on reading the book that it whitewashes the indiscriminate and grievous violence on the Oct 7 attacks.'
But Ms Cobban went on to deny that the book was a 'whitewash'.
'It's a corrective to what has been available, widely available in the corporate media in this country,' she said.
She added: 'I want to underline that I am not saying for one moment that Hamas has not committed violations of international humanitarian law. I know they did.'
A spokesman for the Campaign Against Antisemitism said the book launch was 'an outrageous apology for terror'.
'This is not about truth and open debate: it is propaganda that knowingly or otherwise serves the cause of genocidal anti-Semitic Islamist violence,' the spokesman said.
An LSE spokesman previously 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 individual's rights to freedom of expression within the law.
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