Israeli diplomat takes questions
Israeli diplomat Michael Freeman took part in a discussion with Stirling students at a controversial event on Thursday night.
Mr Freeman, the Israeli embassy’s counsellor for civil society affairs, spoke to a room of about 80 students in Logie lecture theatre, as protests took place outside.
Students were invited to submit questions at the event which was moderated by Dr Megan Dee, a lecturer in international politics the university.
The event was organised by Stirling University Politics Society and was the first in a series of discussions on international affairs. Topics ranged from Israel’s relationship with Europe to the current Israeli blockade on the Gaza strip.
On the question of a potential Jeremy Corbyn premiership, Mr Freeman stressed that while there may be disagreements, Israel’s relationship with Britain was“bigger than any one person”.
There was a heavy security presence on the campus, as attendees were forbidden from carrying bags or filming the discussion. For security purposes, the location and time of the event were only released an hour before the talk took place.
Fraser Raeburn, president of PolSoc, said: “We were very happy with the event , as our aim as with everything the politics society does is to increase political debate/discussion across the university campus which we feel we achieved and are very privileged to play a part in.”
Outside, pro-Palestine activists from multiple societies picketed the event, calling on students to boycott.
Critics of the event argue that PolSoc are providing a platform to a country responsible for ongoing human rights violations.
Protestors also criticised the students’union for not cancelling the talk after the union cancelled events earlier in the year featuring controversial speakers.
During his talk, Mr Freeman addressed the protestors, accusing them of being anti-Israel.
“They don’t care about the Palestinians in Yarmouk refugee camp in Syria, or the Palestinians in Lebanon who are being denied citizenship,”he said.
Stirling University Labour Society accused the discussion of‘glossing over’ key issues concerning Israel, and that the speaker offered a“biased and unscrutinised perspective” of the Israeli Government.
The society has also called for a motion at the next students’union general meeting to ban “speakers who represent authoritarian governments”.