Uni investigation into anti-Israel protest (From Gazette)

Mob rules the campus

The students union should realise Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East, where it's students, both Jewish & Arabs can protest freely.
,
They should be protesting about Syria,-80,000 civilians murdered by Assad + 750,000 refugees.

These student are clearly right wing fascists, opposing free speach & democracy.

A bunch of anti-semites alive and well and living in my town. Did my dad fight a war for these scumbags?

Calling them anti-semites when they're quite clearly not makes light of a complex conflict.
Personally I feel that the ambassador should have been allowed to speak, and the audience should have been allowed to respond and form debate. I appreciate however that emotions run high on both sides of the conflict, and quite a few people are against the policies of Israel (I appreciate that both sides cause troubles, but the weaponry used by Israel greatly outweigh the arsenal of the Palestinians, the likely cause of a skew in support). I'm not sure whether the anti-semite response is just a lack of understanding or an attempt at stiring up a harsh response?

My understanding is that the arabs want to see the total destruction of Israel, whilst the Israelis want to live in peace. If that isn't anti-semitism then I am a monkey's uncle. This refusal in Colchester is pro the anti-semites, if not downright anti-semitic. ...and we welcome these arabs to our country and allow them to suppress free speech and the likes of wormshero pussyfoot around the subject for fear of upsetting anybody. What a wimp!

That's purely because your understanding of the subject (or at least your summary) is apparently narrow. You've tried to sum up a complicated conflict in once untrue sentence, and subsequently branded a group of people anti-semites because they don't adhere to your view. Also, last time I checked weighing up on the facts and deciding that both sides have their own reasons to blame wasn't really equivalent to being a wimp. As I stated, I don't think the protesters should ever deny someone their free speech, and that discussion and debate is far better, but as they're protesting an ambassador to a state which has used unjust force in recent years I hardly think you can brand them that way. I do however think they've set a bad example, as someone who believes that conflict can be resolved with discussion over time.

Jess Jephcott wrote:
My understanding is that the arabs want to see the total destruction of Israel, whilst the Israelis want to live in peace. If that isn't anti-semitism then I am a monkey's uncle. This refusal in Colchester is pro the anti-semites, if not downright anti-semitic. ...and we welcome these arabs to our country and allow them to suppress free speech and the likes of wormshero pussyfoot around the subject for fear of upsetting anybody. What a wimp!

if it is the case that the Israelis want to live in peace case then why do they build walls, segregate communities, ethnically cleanse areas for Israeli settlements, shell children with white phosphorus, deny supplies to the Gaza area ?

Frankly the state of Israel has become not very much different to main protagonist in the conflict it was born from. and the world sits on its heels as we don't want to upset them because of the Jewish vote in the US.

How long before we see concentration camps and the "final solution" to rid the area of the arab menace? Will you just stand by and watch it happen again?

I think that you need to re-examine your, apparently rather limited, understanding of the matter.

Colonel Kurtz wrote:
Mob rules the campus

agree
" The students union should realise Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East, where it's students, both Jewish & Arabs can protest freely.
""
They should be protesting about Syria,-80,000 civilians murdered by Assad + 750,000 refugees.
agree..

These student are clearly right wing fascists, opposing free speech & democracy.”"
agree to that also. +1
and further to those above,
"" A bunch of anti-semites alive and well and living in my town. Did my dad fight a war for these scumbags?""
agree to that too.

we all have a right to free speech, at any time, but to have mob rule for those who we "believe" to be taking further education is just not on.
let the mobs take a week off,
stop there funds for that week,
then let them reassess that those in Israel who have very little to live on, yet carry on with there lives.

mobs of troublesome uni students need correction, urgently!

I liked the part where you refered to the students as "right wing fascists" and then claimed they "need correction, urgently."

Indeed.

Jess Jephcott wrote:
My understanding is that the arabs want to see the total destruction of Israel, whilst the Israelis want to live in peace. If that isn't anti-semitism then I am a monkey's uncle. This refusal in Colchester is pro the anti-semites, if not downright anti-semitic. ...and we welcome these arabs to our country and allow them to suppress free speech and the likes of wormshero pussyfoot around the subject for fear of upsetting anybody. What a wimp!

this is a very very poor understanding of the situation in the middle east. you are a goon, do some research.

this isnt a matter of one persons freedom of speech being violated. this man was a representative of the israeli government, as such he speaking on behalf of the israeli government. the students union of essex voted to boycott israel, a disruptive protest was the logical conclusion of all of these factors. anti semitism did not come into it.

jeffbridges wrote:

Colonel Kurtz wrote:
Mob rules the campus

agree
" The students union should realise Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East, where it's students, both Jewish & Arabs can protest freely.
""
They should be protesting about Syria,-80,000 civilians murdered by Assad + 750,000 refugees.
agree..

These student are clearly right wing fascists, opposing free speech & democracy.”"
agree to that also. +1
and further to those above,
"" A bunch of anti-semites alive and well and living in my town. Did my dad fight a war for these scumbags?""
agree to that too.

we all have a right to free speech, at any time, but to have mob rule for those who we "believe" to be taking further education is just not on.
let the mobs take a week off,
stop there funds for that week,
then let them reassess that those in Israel who have very little to live on, yet carry on with there lives.

mobs of troublesome uni students need correction, urgently!

Firstly, we must differentiate between a protest against the policies of the state of Israel and anti-semitism. The protesters were addressing the vice-ambassador of Israel in his function as representative of Israel not as a holder of religious believes. Everyone that was present distances themselves from fascist ideologies whatsoever.
What happened at that demo was a protest against the segregation policies and terrorist acts in Palestinian territory. We demanded the right for Palestinians that have been granted to them by the United Nations in numerous resolutions. We also condemned the apartheid wall that has been built.

Secondly, the protest was precisely to demand our right to freedom of speech. We voiced that students were excluded from the decision to invite the ambassador at first place. After the decision taken by some lonely people in the Human Rights and Government Department the majority was not even invited to attend the talk (three selected modules were). What you now call the violation of free speech was actually the attempt to uphold that very virtue at the University. We will not allow that people that raised their opinion gets persecuted by their own university - that is pure cynicism. I made my choice to study here and I want to have the right to voice my opinion in an environment that is free of police man that keep me from going in my lecture theatre! Solidarity with those on the black list of our university!

" Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East, where it's students, both Jewish & Arabs can protest freely."
watch this and dare to tell me that what you just said is true:
https:// www. youtube.com/watch?v=
zQXV1VNLsv4

bog306 wrote:
" Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East, where it's students, both Jewish & Arabs can protest freely."
watch this and dare to tell me that what you just said is true:
https:// www. youtube.com/watch?v=

zQXV1VNLsv4

Now ask yourself, who exactly is the gang?

Let's get a few facts right.
1. The deputy ambassador was only going to speak, he was not going to answer questions or engage in debate.
2. Jews and Arabs are equally Semitic peoples, being descendants of Shem, son of Noah. Therefore "anti-semitic" means anti-Jewish and anti-Arab.
3. It is true they have regular democratic elections in Israel, as they did in apartheid South Africa, but only members of the chosen ethnic group are allowed to vote. This is not a democracy in any normal sense.

Colonel Kurtz wrote:
Mob rules the campus

They are a bunch of wackos that can't protest the same way in Gaza! More than they love the Arabs they hate the Jews!

The Israelis have as much right to a homeland as anybody else. If they are not able to live peacefully with their neighbours because of attacks by their neighbours, what are they supposed to do? They build a wall around themselves and closely monitor the arabs that live amongst them. Seems sensible to me. Not all arabs are nasty people. All the Israeilis seem to be guilty of, to my mind, is by retaliating after being attacked to remove the perceived threat against them. They have big money behind them and weaponry to defend themselves. Thank goodness for that because, had they not, the arabs would have destroyed them a long time ago. The two sides need to get together and find a compromise. The actions of the scumbags at Essex University shows just how far down the ladder of civilisation the arabs are. Don't come to my country unless you can live with tolerance of other people's faith, as I do.

Boris is of course quite right, anti-Semitism is a prejudice against Jews and Arabs. And to assume all Jewish people support Israeli apartheid and ethnic cleansing, is a very racist position indeed.

Like the boycott of South African apartheid in the past, the call for the boycott comes not from a meeting of Essex University's Student Union, but from those being oppressed, this time from within Palestinian civic society. The students were showing their solidarity with the oppressed, against the oppressor. Unfortunately, in contrast, the line being taken by university bosses, is doing the university's global reputation for human rights a great deal of harm.

Ok, I think that people need to get some persepective:

1) I dont agree that the killing of civilians is right, by either side, yet the loss of 3 people to a rocket does not mean you can kill 1000+ INNOCENT CIVILIANS with Planes, Tanks etc. And use weapons like white phosphorous! If it was any state but Israel doing this, the whole world would be outraged!
2) Israel is an apartheid state, with laws governing the Jewish People seperately from the Arab citizeins. Last time I checked this country disagreed with apartheid, and it is not anti-semmitic, in the same way it is not racist, to disagree with such measures.
3) The building of settlements on occupied soil IS ILLEGALL! Plain, simple Geneva Convention Wbreach! Oh and 30+ UN Resolutions on it, so Israel is in the wrong on this one as well!
4) No one has a problem with Jews or Israelis, in the same way people never had a problem with the ordinary working German. People do have a problem with Zionism, in the same way people had a problem with the Nazis!
5) It matters not if you build a ghetto the size of a suburb, or the size of Gaza. You build a ghetto, thats it! If you then cut it off from the land which supplies its food, from any other food supply, medical supply etc, then you are committing ethnic cleansing. Admittedly, not by gassing anyone, or shooting anyone, but by starving them to death!
6) Israel itself impinges on peoples human rights, especially freedom of religion. It has gone out of its way to make access to holy sites difficult, as well as restricting access to seminaries in the west bank.


It was right of the SU, in line with its democratically determined policies, to protest against the visit of an ex israeli miltary officer (so a former member of a military who has gone out of its way to committ open and unchallenged war crimes), who just 5 days previously had been told by his head of state that if he said anything against Israels action he would be fired (memo sent to all their diplomatic staff world wide).

So please, before you decide to sound off and say things, do some research!

Thank goodness my son is not at Essex University. He is studying hard for his degree, that will guarantee he gets a job, & ensures he does not end up a loser in life like those idiots in the photo.

The University proctor - " whose role is to oversee the disiplinary process ", must undertake the following, in respect of his "investigation procedure over concerns the demonstration was in breach of University policy on freedom of speach" - :

1) Identify all students who stopped free speach. The photo above will assist.

2) Clarify with security officials the circumstances in which the Ambassador had to flee from the mob.

3) Expel the so called students.

4) Apologise on behalf of Essex University to the Ambassador, & invite him again to speak at Essex University, to prove it allows freedom of speach.

PS : In the meantime Syria has slaughtered 80,000 civilians, + 1million refugees. Hamas executes gays & Fatah members in Gaza. Egyptians & Tunisians protesting against Islamic suppression of their freedom are killed in the streets - but not 1 comment from the disgraces Essex students union !

Jess Jephcott wrote:
The Israelis have as much right to a homeland as anybody else. If they are not able to live peacefully with their neighbours because of attacks by their neighbours, what are they supposed to do? They build a wall around themselves and closely monitor the arabs that live amongst them. Seems sensible to me. Not all arabs are nasty people. All the Israeilis seem to be guilty of, to my mind, is by retaliating after being attacked to remove the perceived threat against them. They have big money behind them and weaponry to defend themselves. Thank goodness for that because, had they not, the arabs would have destroyed them a long time ago. The two sides need to get together and find a compromise. The actions of the scumbags at Essex University shows just how far down the ladder of civilisation the arabs are. Don't come to my country unless you can live with tolerance of other people's faith, as I do.

You clearly need an education, and are possibly the biggest racist on this thread of comments.

Yes, the palestinians have defended themselves, in a similar way to the way in which the french resistance defended themselves from the Nazis. Just because we put our own, external perspective on a situation does not make it right, or match the facts.

Israel is the aggressor, and Zionism (just as when PALESTINE was a region of the empire) is the big problem. Noone who was on that protest, or who has spoken about it has been against Jews, but everybody has been against Zionism, a political perspective of a pure homeland for a singular race of people (I wonder where that has been heard before).

And Yes to those saying israel is a democracy - was not also South Africa? Was not also Germany when Hitler came to power? Was not Italy under Mussolini? Derbia when killing albanians in Kosovo? Egypt and Tunisia before the arab spring? The answer is yes, and so being a democracy does not prevent you from committing atrocities!

Open the cage!!

To compare Israel with Hitler and Mussolini shows just how warped these people are. Sadly they are in my country spouting their hatred. Of course, the freedom of speech that we afford them will be their undoing.

It's a huge, complex issue, but really you'd have to have a very poor understanding of history (or deliberately ignore facts in order to push a racist anti-Arab agenda) to deny that the treatment of Palestinian people by the state of Israel has been abymsmal.

I think the headline is misleading - these students were not anti-Israel (or anti-Semite - which as has been pointed out does not solely apply to anti-Jewish sentiment) - they are protesting against the Zionist State who perpetuate fear and hatred of Arab people to justify the use of weapons against them.

If you're cool about soldiers shooting kids for throwing stones then fair enough - but don't try to paint yourself as some champion of human rights.

p.s. "Of course, the freedom of speech that we afford them will be their undoing.”

You're absolutely free to say that - no matter how silly a sentence it is.

Jess Jephcott wrote:
To compare Israel with Hitler and Mussolini shows just how warped these people are. Sadly they are in my country spouting their hatred. Of course, the freedom of speech that we afford them will be their undoing.

Jess: On the two discussions on this subject I've only seen one person who really does need to be much more careful, and that is you. While the racism you've expressed above (even if it is only a wind-up), is pretty despicable, at least you haven't stooped as low as last week. There your comment (which I won't repeat in full), '(ethnic group) are naturally (derogatory word(s))' was not only straight out of 1930s Nuremberg, it is something if you chose to write on a placard and parade around town, would almost certainly see you arrested, and convicted of a hate crime. Similarly, you must hope that if somebody takes exception to that comment on here, they merely complain to the Gazette, and not the police.

I'll defend your right to make many unpalatable comments. But you do not have the right to publicly express racial hatred. That is rightly a crime, and you need to think carefully before posting, or that big gob of yours will see you up in the new magistrates court. Saying you didn't really mean it, you were only trying to wind-up lefties, will not be a defence..

hursthill wrote:
Thank goodness my son is not at Essex University. He is studying hard for his degree, that will guarantee he gets a job, & ensures he does not end up a loser in life like those idiots in the photo.

The University proctor - " whose role is to oversee the disiplinary process ", must undertake the following, in respect of his "investigation procedure over concerns the demonstration was in breach of University policy on freedom of speach" - :

1) Identify all students who stopped free speach. The photo above will assist.

2) Clarify with security officials the circumstances in which the Ambassador had to flee from the mob.

3) Expel the so called students.

4) Apologise on behalf of Essex University to the Ambassador, & invite him again to speak at Essex University, to prove it allows freedom of speach.

PS : In the meantime Syria has slaughtered 80,000 civilians, + 1million refugees. Hamas executes gays & Fatah members in Gaza. Egyptians & Tunisians protesting against Islamic suppression of their freedom are killed in the streets - but not 1 comment from the disgraces Essex students union !

Right, so students peacefully protesting outside the lecture theatre (and not just the ones who took part in the disruptive protest), should be disciplined, in the name of 'freedom of speech'?! So in other words, you're all for 'freedom of speech', so long as nobody says anything you disagree with. If he's anything like you, I think we can all be thankful your son isn't at Essex. He wouldn't be bright enough to get in in the place.

6079 Smith W wrote:

hursthill wrote:
Thank goodness my son is not at Essex University. He is studying hard for his degree, that will guarantee he gets a job, & ensures he does not end up a loser in life like those idiots in the photo.

The University proctor - " whose role is to oversee the disiplinary process ", must undertake the following, in respect of his "investigation procedure over concerns the demonstration was in breach of University policy on freedom of speach" - :

1) Identify all students who stopped free speach. The photo above will assist.

2) Clarify with security officials the circumstances in which the Ambassador had to flee from the mob.

3) Expel the so called students.

4) Apologise on behalf of Essex University to the Ambassador, & invite him again to speak at Essex University, to prove it allows freedom of speach.

PS : In the meantime Syria has slaughtered 80,000 civilians, + 1million refugees. Hamas executes gays & Fatah members in Gaza. Egyptians & Tunisians protesting against Islamic suppression of their freedom are killed in the streets - but not 1 comment from the disgraces Essex students union !

Right, so students peacefully protesting outside the lecture theatre (and not just the ones who took part in the disruptive protest), should be disciplined, in the name of 'freedom of speech'?! So in other words, you're all for 'freedom of speech', so long as nobody says anything you disagree with. If he's anything like you, I think we can all be thankful your son isn't at Essex. He wouldn't be bright enough to get in in the place.

(...disruptive protest inside)

Smith W says....

"He wouldn't be bright enough to get IN IN the place."
"(...disruptive protest inside ) "

??

Either Smith W has been drinking, or his education ended when he was 9 !!

hursthill wrote:
Smith W says.... "He wouldn't be bright enough to get IN IN the place." "(...disruptive protest inside ) " ?? Either Smith W has been drinking, or his education ended when he was 9 !!

No, my formal education ended when I graduated with my second degree . But yes, there was a couple of words missed out, the first of which '...inside' I corrected immediately, due to the fact it was important to the situation. I didn't bother with the second, because even without the missing 'there', the meaning was clear to all but the sort of idiot that claims to be for 'free speech', so long as people don't say anything they disagree with.

Nothing that Colchester Police do will surprise me. I was in court only recently because of them. This country has gone soft. I suggest that Smiffy takes a look at Google and looks up the word holocaust before accusing me of racism. It is a disgrace that anybody in this country would defend those that attack the jews. My dad fought a war to put an end to the Nazis and their ilk.

Jess Jephcott wrote:
Nothing that Colchester Police do will surprise me. I was in court only recently because of them. This country has gone soft. I suggest that Smiffy takes a look at Google and looks up the word holocaust before accusing me of racism. It is a disgrace that anybody in this country would defend those that attack the jews. My dad fought a war to put an end to the Nazis and their ilk.

This surely remains a wind-up, Jess. I think you're a bit of a character, I rather enjoy our arguments, and as a result, I simply don't think you're so stupid as not to see the language you used was straight out of Nazi Germany, other than the fact that one Semite group is being replaced by the other Semite group. Perhaps I'm wrong, because you have been daft enough to post comments which you seem to accept, could see you locked up.

Of course, it is a disgrace that anybody in this country would defend those that attack the Jews. But that's the National Front, and those who lump together all Jewish people with the ethnic cleansing and apartheid policies of Israel. Again, I'm assuming that both your anti-Jewish and anti-Arab comments are merely a wind-up. But once more I repeat my friendly advice. This anti-Semitism will get you into trouble.

I cannot understand why a coward that hides his true identity behind a false name would think this a wind-up. You are a traitor sir, whoever you are.

Jess Jephcott wrote:
I cannot understand why a coward that hides his true identity behind a false name would think this a wind-up. You are a traitor sir, whoever you are.

Jess: Considering you've been commenting under a false name for years, and only in the last few weeks have used your actual name, the phrase: 'pot, kettle, and black', comes to mind. As for the acusation of traitor, I am not the one using the anti-Semitic language of Nazi Germany. Left or right, that war was meant to unite us all against anti-Semitic hatred.

"Peaceful protest", really?
Shouting down someone whose opinion you don't agree with reminds me of those old jokers who burned books they didn't agree with.
Enlightened or dim witted?

Jess Jephcott wrote:
Nothing that Colchester Police do will surprise me. I was in court only recently because of them. This country has gone soft. I suggest that Smiffy takes a look at Google and looks up the word holocaust before accusing me of racism. It is a disgrace that anybody in this country would defend those that attack the jews. My dad fought a war to put an end to the Nazis and their ilk.

You have no idea nor the critical faculties to ever understand the sacrifice of those that lived through the Second World War and will forever remain in obscurity on what your ancestors fought for.

zt00013 wrote:

Jess Jephcott wrote:
Nothing that Colchester Police do will surprise me. I was in court only recently because of them. This country has gone soft. I suggest that Smiffy takes a look at Google and looks up the word holocaust before accusing me of racism. It is a disgrace that anybody in this country would defend those that attack the jews. My dad fought a war to put an end to the Nazis and their ilk.

You have no idea nor the critical faculties to ever understand the sacrifice of those that lived through the Second World War and will forever remain in obscurity on what your ancestors fought for.

Good comment there by ZT and, earlier, by Winston Smith. The fact is that Sdapeze frequently admitted that his comments on this website were meant as wind-ups, so it is in that spirit that we must interpret his blinkered comments here.
Nobody that Sdapeze disagrees with here is anti-Jewish. We are anti-Zionist and there is a world of difference. Back to school, Sdapeze, try and understand the difference.