UJS welcome King’s College report into anti-Israel violence

The Union of Jewish Students has welcomed the results of an investigation into violence at an Israel Society event at King’s College London.

In a statement released on Monday UJS said: “We are pleased to see that King’s College London (KCL) has taken the disgraceful incident of violent intimidation at the KCLSU Israel Society event so seriously. Their quick and thorough report will act to reassure Jewish students at King’s that appropriate action will be taken.”

The incident which occurred last month saw two Jewish students holding off a mob of pro-Palestinian demonstrators outside a lecture being given by former head of Israel's Shin Bet security agency, Ami Ayalon.

King’s College released a report on what it called a “swift and comprehensive investigation” last week, concluding that the disruption to the lecture had been intended and that “those individuals who chose to behave inappropriately crossed a line and should be held accountable for doing so.”

The students involved in the protest will be referred to a disciplinary committee, the university said and Mr Ayalon has been invited back to King’s College to speak again.

After the incident occurred on January 19, Mr Ayalon told the JC that the College should show its support for free speech by inviting him back.

He said: “The idea is not to find out who should be blamed. The response should be to show … you can create such an event that will not be violent and the speaker will have the floor to present his ideas and everyone will be able to oppose his ideas and respond.”

The UJS added in its statement: “We look forward to many more events at King’s where a variety of speakers from across the political spectrum can engage in matters surrounding Israel.”

The Board of Deputies also welcomed the report.

Board president Jonathan Arkush and vice-president Marie van der Zyl commended King’s College"for committing itself to disciplinary action against students who perpetrated the disturbances".

They added: "We believe they should receive an appropriate sanction, taking into account the need to deter others from violent disorder in the future.

“This university report highlights the increasingly violent bigotry of Palestinian pressure groups at universities in Britain. Palestine Societies and Action Palestine have now been exposed as harbouring individuals and views with such blind hatred of Israel that they resort to violence against people they disagree with. British society rejects their bigotry, hateful views and attempts to suppress free speech by intimidation and violence.

"Let the Palestinian activist bullies at British universities take note that behaviour like that at King’s will be exposed and made liable to disciplinary sanction. They have not merely lost the argument, but lost the plot. If they think they can bully and intimidate Jewish and other students on campus they could not be more wrong.”