Ambassador of Israel, H.E. Mark Regev was prevented from speaking at City, University of London on Wednesday night, after his talk was cancelled because of security concerns.
In a joint statement with the Union of Jewish Students (UJS), Jewish students in the City and Cass Israel Society said they were “appalled” Ambassador Regev was forced to cancel, accusing the university of “refusing basic security requirements” as outlined by the police.
The statement said: “Israeli diplomats have spoken on campus more than 150 times over the past four years, where all host institutions have managed to balance freedom of speech with the legitimate right to peaceful protest. It seems City have deliberately failed in their obligation to do both”.
The statement added: “We are appalled by the levels of intimidation and bigotry to which Jewish students have been subjected, and today’s cancellation only reinforces this already unacceptable situation”.
Ambassador Regev said he was concerned by the events and added that he looks “forward to visiting soon and engaging with students so they may have an opportunity to hear an Israeli perspective, too”.
There have been many appearances by Mark Regev and members of his team at universities this year, without any being cancelled. However, there were pro-Palestinian demonstrations at some of these events, with the most notable being at Queen’s University, Belfast. City University students passed an Israel boycott motion earlier this year.
The University have yet to comment on the incident.
