The press has exaggerated anti-Israel protests in Manchester
Alarmist reporting of an attack on Israel's deputy ambassador eclipsed growing dialogue between Jewish and pro-Palestinian students.
By Marco Schneebalg
Late last month, Action Palestine protesters tried to attack the Israel's deputy ambassador as she arrived at Manchester University in England to give a talk to students – an event widely reported in the Jewish and Israeli press.
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Pro-Palestinian students protest at Manchester University in the U.K., March 4, 2009 |
| Photo by: Archive |
Violent action like this is unacceptable and I am sure it does anything but contribute to a peaceful solution to the conflict. However, I want to put the events in context.
Britain’s Jewish Chronicle, as well as all of the big Israeli newspapers, reported the attempted attack in an alarmist tone, making no further investigation. Factually, the coverage was accurate. But it neglected to mention that before the incident, the talk went ahead peacefully. As a Jewish student in Manchester, I feel that tensions are lessening, not growing.
Manchester University has for many years been a centre for pro-Palestinian activism. The Students’ Union is twinned with Al Najah University in Nablus, and has passed many motions in support of the Palestinian cause. Last year, during the Gaza War, after a month-long occupation of a university building, the union voted for a boycott Israel.
Tensions peaked in February with the news that Talya Lador-Fresher, Israel's deputy ambassador, was to address the union. Action Palestine immediately organized a demonstration against the visit, claiming that because of the boycott vote, no Israeli spokesperson had the right to speak in the union. Amid a series of protests and counter-protests, the talk was cancelled.
Frustrated by the hostility, a group of like-minded students from both sides came together to create the Manchester Israel Palestine Forum, which I chair. Our aim is to promote dialogue and education on the Israeli Palestinian conflict.
In March, we held our first student forum, themed "Gaza: what next?" After a short movie and a shared hummus break, students gave presentations on the history of Gaza, before asking the 100-strong audience to join the debate. True, not many changed their minds. But we felt that peaceful dialogue was an achievement in itself.
We have gone on to invite speakers to similar events, and when the deputy ambassador finally arrived for a rescheduled visit on April 28, the discussion was calm and constructive – despite what went on outside the building. Security was strict; although some activists shouted at the beginning and protested silently throughout the speech, we felt the speaker was able to get her point across, to the benefit of everyone there.
After her speech, a minority of Action Palestine activists, most of whom had been barred from the hall, surrounded the building in an apparent effort to attack the diplomat. After a ridiculous game of hide and seek with university security, they managed little more than to obstruct her car for a few seconds.
In today’s society, what is often important is not what really happens but how it is depicted in the media. The press had not a word to say about all the positive events on campus that have restored confidence in the value of debate. Instead, they chose to emphasize violence, making the Manchester campus appear hostile and racist. Perhaps the Jewish and Israeli media have an interest in portraying Palestinian activists as aggressive, to reinforce a feeling that 'the whole world is against us' - rather than reporting dialogue and good will.
Jewish students here were shocked at how a marginal event gained so much publicity. In an effort to put things in perspective, I wrote personally to all newspapers that reported it - but got no response.
Activism is important in campus life. Yet I fail to see how a needless attack by some members of Action Palestine could contribute to the liberation of Palestinian territory. What I am sure of, however, is that the incident - and the way it was reported - lent weight to those voices in Israel that oppose any dialogue with the Palestinians, and to an exaggerated perception of British Universities as anti-Semitic.
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And Britain is losing controll of mobs who are allowed to chasde the police and throw shoes.
The Jewish Chronicle report (and the police) confirm that the attack happened when the deputy ambassador entered her car to leave Manchester University "FOLLOWING" the lecture, and Mr Schneebalg confirmed that the Jewish Chronicle report was accurate. The talk did not go ahead peacefully "following the incident" Ms Lador-Fresher said: “They were screaming and shouting. Two of them were on the bonnet trying to break the windscreen. It was very unpleasant. “I don’t think they wanted to kill me but I genuinely believed they wanted to physically hurt me. If I had not had the police and security team I would have been beaten up.”
Yup, it's true. Jews like Goldstone, the author of this article, J Street, etc who are too cowardly to stand up for Israel present the biggest threat to the security of Israel. Ignoring the blatant lack of human rights in Gaza, while focusing on Israel is incomprehensible for anyone, let alone Jews. Let's use this analogy: Say you own a home that has a gigantic hole in the roof where water is pouring in uncontrollably. There are however, a couple much smaller holes that allow only drops of water to enter your house. Which are you going to focus on first, the massive hole (Gaza and the palestinians absolute refusal to aknowledge Israel's right to exist) or the tiny holes?
"lent weight to those voices in Israel that oppose any dialogue with the Palestinians, and to an exaggerated perception of British Universities as anti-Semitic" Perception is often reality. What may seem to you as a minor nuisance may seem a bit more alarming to those a bit realistic about reality.
"The Students’ Union is twinned with Al Najah University in Nablus, and has passed many motions in support of the Palestinian cause." They have one cause and that is the death and destruction of Israel and Jews.
An Israeli diplomat was assaulted. Have charges been filed? Has the University sanctioned the students involved? The fact that you're actually excited to have peaceful dialogue is sickening. That's considered NORMAL in the rest of the world, Marco. It's not something that normal people need to work at in a free society! The atmosphere of racism and violence at your campus is stupefying - attacking visiting diplomats - but instead of dealing with it, of demanding that the University and authorities deal with it, you blame the media for not focusing on your bloody good dhimmi behavior. Stand up for yourself, for G-d's sake!
This guy confirms all the negative stereotypes about British Jews. He is basically unwilling to stick up for Jews and Israel. He minimizes the extremism of the anti-Israel students at his university, and his greatest fear is that the incident will hinder the efforts of Leftist Jews in Israel.
McQueen, perhaps we were not reading the same article, but Marco has "stuck-up for Jews and Israel", to the people who are seen as Israel's most virulent opponents, outside of the Middle East, the pro-Palestinian student body. Perhaps it is time for you to wake up and realize being anti-Palestinian doesn't equal Pro-Israel, and that you can be both Pro-Palestinian and Pro-Israel.
The perspective that is reinforced here has little to do with Isreali or Palestinean behavior in their conflict and everything to do with the perception of British attitudes toward the conflict and the parties involved.
Mr. Marco Schneebalg I would have to say that I am pleasantly suprise that there are Israelis like yourself out there promoting peace even though the Action Palestine showed aggresiveness. I have gone through many Israeli and Arab newspapers with bloggers expressing hate towards each other. As a muslim I thank you for your hard work in providing a voice for both sides and promoting peace even during hard times between our cultures. I hope you continue your work and I will keep doing my part so one day both Israel and the Arab world can finally live in peace. PS. I dont think people understand how frustrating it is that I can not visit my home country, Lebanon, and Israel that I know for a fact is beautiful rich of culture Thanks Wissam Barakat
Dear Mr. Barakat! Thank you for your input! Can you say why you cannot visit Lebanon? I thought that you could be a member of the Christian militia, but you say you are Muslim. And where do you live now?
The world has seen through Israel. It's downhill from here pal. Get used to it.
A BUNCH OF LOOSERS, since they got their rearend kicked out of everywhere, they got nothing else to do but Israel bashing. God is on Israels side and willnot save the queen.
Congratulations, Marco Schneebalg, on neatly framing a very real media problem in Israel. If it wants to help dissipate increasingly rampant paranoia in the Jewish community both in Israel and abroad, the media has an interest in trying to scrupulously report what actually happens, instead of dividing the world into for and against, with an empty abyss in between. In real life, that space is where most of the truth lies. And that's where most of the people are - the silent majority, it's called. They have been thumped into apathy by artfully presented, exclusively black and white positions and have simply switched off in disgust. Reporting the way you have just done would help at least the next generation to learn that the truth has to be sought, not pureed and smugly spoon-fed.
They love jews in manchester. We won't let out lying eyes fool us. Thanks for the 'heads up.'