Students protest against IDF colonel who helped Syrians
V A RETIRED Israeli soldier who helped thousands of Syrians receive treatment in Israel has been met with angry protests from students during a week-long speaking tour at British universities.
Lieutenant colonel Eyal Dror gave talks at King’s College London and Warwick University about how he set up the Israel Defence Forces humanitarian mission Operation Good Neighbour in the Golan Heights.
The mission, which came to an end in 2018, brought injured Syrians over the border for treatment in Israeli hospitals.
But his visits to both universities, which were being hosted by Israel education organisation StandWithUs, was “hijacked” according to the group.
Videos of Lt Col Dror’s presentation at Warwick University show protesters chanting “shame on you” at the visitor.
Responding to the disruption of his talks, Lt Col Dror said: “My message to the UK is one of cooperation across people of all faiths for the benefit of people in need — Christians, Muslims and Jews working side by side to deliver hope to a generation of Syrian civilians who were victims of a tragic, bloody war. This message has the power to combat prejudice.”
Raphael Wein, StandWithUs UK executive director, said: “It is truly sickening to protest a presentation by an amazing humanitarian, Israeli Lt Col Eyal Dror, who led an effort to treat 1,400 Syrian children and deliver tonnes of aid into an enemy country. Who on earth would protest that?”
He said the students protesting his visit were “extremists” who “won’t allow dialogue, coexistence or education to take place.
“They don’t care about reconciliation. They don’t care about Syrians who are persecuted. They are anti-peace. Despite their efforts to shut it down, the tour continues and audiences are embracing this story of humanity in the Middle East.”
Before his talk, hundreds of Warwick University students had signed an online petition against his talk at the campus.
“In the same week that over 34 Palestinians have been massacred by the IDF, the university has chosen to allow a colonel from that same force to speak on campus,” the petition stated.
The Warwick’s Students’ Union said there had been “considerable unease” surrounding the talk.
The SU said: “All student societies, particularly those with political interests, to think carefully about who they invite onto campus, and to consider the potential impact this has on our diverse range of communities here at Warwick.
“It is all too easy to forget that… the presence of certain individuals on our campus may be threatening to others.”
V SHORTLY BEFORE 8pm on Tuesday night, as news broke that Tottenham Hotspur had sacked Mauricio Pochettino, my phone blew up with a stream of texts checking on my wellbeing.
For those who don’t know, I have been deeply fond of our Argentinian gaucho gaffer almost since the day he swaggered into North London.
Photos of him — prowling the touchline, celebrating with players, stroking his puppy fat-laden cheeks — jostle for supremacy with loved ones on my various screensavers and backgrounds, and take priority most of the time.
Club legend Ossie Ardiles tweeted: “From my personal point of view, life gave me a wonderful present. Unique. His friendship. The friendship of a wonderful, principled man that would last forever.”
It might be mawkish to say it’s like a death in the family. But it’s basically the same as having your dog put down.
Admittedly, I seemed to be in the minority of Spurs fans who wanted to stick with Poch, favouring an overhaul of the playing squad instead.
On the domestic front, things have turned sour since the turn of the year. We are 14th in the table, 20 points behind leaders Liverpool after 12 games. Thankfully, we are still ahead of West Ham, who we play on Saturday.
But I point the finger at Daniel Levy, our chairman, who refused to refresh the squad with new signings for two transfer windows, from January 2018 until this summer. Stasis, as everyone knows, is the kiss of death for a football team.
Which brings me to my point: Mr Levy’s sheer chutzpah in appointing José Mourinho as Poch’s successor.
The man has fought bitterly against almost every chairman he’s worked under — from Roman Abramovich (twice) to Florentino Pérez and Ed Woodward.
Mr Levy himself is notorious for his scraps with coaches who have demanded greater support in the transfer market, most memorably Harry Redknapp (who is not a wheeler-dealer, he’s a football manager).
Even the local MP,
David Lammy, weighed in, saying: “Tottenham is only about four square miles large, we will struggle to contain Mourinho’s ego which is bigger than even our new stadium.”
It just doesn’t make sense, unless Mr Mourinho has been offered a big budget — which would beg the question why funds were withheld from Mr Pochettino.
Not only did he serve us loyally for more than five years — turning down Real Madrid, Paris St-Germain and the Argentina national team — but he also delivered Spurs fans’ greatest moment for more than 30 years in taking us to the promised land of a Champions League final. That was just seven months ago. Let’s be clear — only Mr Levy’s strange obsession with Mr Mourinho has brought us to this.
When he first fluttered his eyelashes towards West London, during the Portuguese’s mid-noughties heyday at Chelsea, he was too big for Tottenham. But now on the way down, we are the last branch for Mourinho to clasp as he tumbles down the ravine.
It is chutzpah not in the Yiddish sense — which can sometimes convey admirable audacity — but in the more Israeli usage, which relates to an offensive disregard for the feelings of others. It will all end in tears, and I hope our travelling support to West Ham cease their booing only to sing Mr Pochettino’s name.
Only a strange obsession with Mourinho has brought us to this’