Press Release: Deputy FM Ayalon looking into possibility of pressing charges
against student who shouted "Slaughter the Jews" at Oxford Union event
(Communicated by the Bureau of Deputy Foreign Minister Ayalon)
10 February 2010

Deputy Foreign Minister Ayalon looking into possibility of pressing charges
against student who shouted "Slaughter the Jews" at Oxford Union event

On Monday night, Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon was invited by the
Oxford Union to speak at an event at the university. During the speech one
student shouted extreme abuse at the Deputy Foreign Minister including
Itbach Al-Yahud (Slaughter the Jews). The event was caught on camera and
subsequently shown on Israeli television Channel Ten. The Deputy Foreign
Minister is looking into the possibility of pressing charges against the
student for what is tantamount to a call for genocide.

"This demonstrates our new policy on hatred and racism and we will have zero
tolerance for anti-Semitism, something that should have happened a long time
ago," said Deputy Foreign Minister Ayalon.

Another protestor carrying a Palestinian flag started walking towards Ayalon
before security intervened and he was ejected from the hall. Another student
shouted at the Deputy Foreign Minister that "we will do to you what we did
to Milosevic". Other students shouted, both inside and outside the hall,
"Palestine will be free, from the River to the Sea", which by its meaning,
calls for the destruction of the State of Israel. After the event several
students attempted to physically assault the Deputy Foreign Minister but
were prevented from doing so by security.

Speaking to the students, Ayalon was able to relate Israel's point of view
on many issues that many felt had rarely been heard in such a setting.
Ayalon received applause at the end after taking extremely hostile and
abusive questions and patiently dissecting and answering them one by one.
After the event, several students approached the Deputy Foreign Minister and
thanked him for giving a narrative that they felt they had never heard
before.

Ayalon corrected many students' assertions on history, international law and
United Nations resolutions and told them that: "If I manage to convince you
to go and learn the truth from the history books then this will have been a
successful event." During his speech, Ayalon called for historic
reconciliation between all of the peoples in the Middle East.

The Oxford Union released a statement on the events of Monday night, please
see the link below
http://www.oxford-union.org/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/3941/Daniel_Ayalon_Statement.pdf

Mr. Ashley Perry
Media Advisor
Deputy Foreign Minister's Office
Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs
+972 (0) 50 620 3197
ashley.perry@mfa.gov.il
===========
Statement from the Oxford Union

9th February 2010

Last night, Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon visited the
Oxford Union to give an address and answer questions on the topic of "Hopes
and Challenges for the Middle East." Whilst the vast majority of the
audience behaved in an orderly and responsible fashion, some members
continually interrupted the speech, and one individual in particular appears
to have made a directly anti-Semitic remark. These individuals exceeded the
principles of free speech that the Society upholds. They and their remarks
are not representative of this Society, nor the vast majority of the
audience. The Oxford Union will not tolerate this kind of behaviour by its
Members.

This morning, the Union's President launched an investigation aimed at
identifying the Members who disrupted the event. The Union will be taking
disciplinary action against these Members, in accordance with the Society's
rules.

The President praised the work of the security and local police on the night
and expressed his gratitude for their help, as well as that of the Israeli
embassy, in coordinating the event. The event was attended only by those
members of the University who hold Oxford Union membership. Local protesters
were not admitted onto the Union's premises.

The Oxford Union believes in the rights of free speech and protecting our
invited speakers' ability to express themselves in an orderly and
disciplined environment. We further believe that our Members have the right
to challenge and question the speakers in keeping with the Society's
expectations of good conduct. Last night was unprecedented. A disorderly
minority disrupted and prevented the speaker from holding the floor where he
had been invited to speak.

The Union will be taking immediate steps to ensure that all members are made
aware of the high levels of decorum that the Oxford Union expects and that
the moderators are trained effectively to enforce the rules of the Society.

The Oxford Union will be apologising to Mr Ayalon for the actions of its
Members and thank him for the professional way in which he handled the
situation.
For further comment contact PRESS@OXFORD-UNION.ORG