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Middle East Eye
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
London School of Economics resists Israel ambassador's call to cancel event on Hamas book
A leading British university has resisted a campaign by pro-Israel groups and the Israeli ambassador to cancel the launch of a new book about Hamas. The book, Understanding Hamas and Why That Matters, which is edited by Helena Cobban and Rami Khouri, was launched on Monday afternoon at the London School of Economics amid widespread outrage, with a pro-Israel protest held outside the university. The Israeli ambassador to the UK, Tzipi Hotovely, wrote to LSE vice-chancellor Professor Larry Kramer asking him to cancel the launch, organised through the university's Middle East Centre, accusing it of platforming "Hamas propaganda". She claimed that the launch could "serve to grow support for a brutal terror organisation among your students and beyond". But the university did not back down, with a spokesperson saying: "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.' New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The book's description says that it "provides much-needed insight into a widely misunderstood movement whose involvement in a just resolution of the Israel/Palestine conflict will be critical". "This book does not advocate for or against Hamas. Rather, in a series of rich and probing conversations with leading experts, it aims to deepen understanding of a movement that is a key player in the current crisis," it continues. "It looks at, among other things, Hamas's critical shift from social and religious activism to national political engagement; the delicate balance between Hamas's political and military wings; and its transformation from early anti-Jewish tendencies to a stance that differentiates between Judaism and Zionism." 'Misrepresentation' of Hamas Contributors to the book include Jadaliyya co-editor Mouin Rabbani and academic Azzam Tamimi, author of Hamas: A History from Within. The event, chaired by the Middle East Centre's director Michael Mason, was addressed by Rabbani and co-editor Cobban, as well as Jeroen Gunning, a founder of the field of critical terrorism studies, and international relations lecturer Catherine Charrett. During the event, all speakers condemned war crimes committed by Hamas and the targeting of civilians. Cobban said during the event: "It's crucial for us to recognise how complicit corporate media in this country have been in the misrepresentation - and I would even say the 'disrepresentation' - of both Hamas as a movement and its actions." She added that "resistance to occupation" is "permitted in international law". London university described pro-Palestine protesters as 'dressed as terrorists' Read More » "I am definitely prepared to condemn all attacks that violate international humanitarian law, whether on 7 October or any other day," she said. "However, it's important to note that much of what Hamas did on 7 October involved attacking military targets inside Israel." Gunning argued that labelling Hamas terrorists "erases the historical context of the 7 October attacks... It allows Israel to claim these were irrational, evil, unprovoked attacks, and that it's about hatred and nothing else." LSE has previously been embroiled in controversies related to pro-Palestinian protests on campus. In January, Middle East Eye revealed that students who staged a protest to draw attention to the university's investments in Israel were described as being "dressed as terrorists" in emails between senior staff. Footage of the incident analysed by MEE showed that some protesters had covered their faces with the Palestinian keffiyeh. Last year, the LSE became the first British university to evict its students from an encampment for Gaza after securing a court order to disperse them. LSE reportedly has £89m ($113m) invested in 137 companies involved in possible war crimes in Gaza, the arms industry and fossil fuels.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Calling Hamas terrorists is ‘dehumanising', academic claims at university book launch
Calling Hamas terrorists is 'dehumanising', an academic claimed as a controversial book launch went ahead at the London School of Economics (LSE). 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. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
10-03-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Calling Hamas terrorists is ‘dehumanising', academic claims at university book launch
Calling Hamas terrorists is 'dehumanising', an academic claimed as a controversial book launch went ahead at the London School of Economics (LSE). 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.
