http://www.varsity.co.uk/news/1988

A controversial academic, infamous for his condemnation of Israel, spoke on Monday night at Clare College, Cambridge.

Dr Azzam Tamimi, director of the London-based Institute of Islamic Political Thought, had been invited to talk by the University’s Islamic Society. He discussed the consequences of the Gaza conflict, changes in the region, and the possibility of an amicable resolution.

The talk went ahead despite protests from the University’s Jewish Society and the CU Israel Society, who last week cancelled a talk by the historian Benny Morris following accusations of “Islamophobia”.

“Cambridge University Jewish Society contacted the Islamic Society as soon as we heard that this event was going on,” Rob Mindell, CU Jewish Society President, told Varsity. “We explained the upset Azzam Tamimi would cause to many Jewish students, in his advocacy of suicide bombings, his praise of ‘the jihad of Hamas and Hizbollah’, and his belittlement of the Holocaust.”

“The decision to invite Azzam Tamimi was the Islamic Society’s decision to make, it’s just a shame they chose to continue with the talk despite being fully aware of how it would make Jewish students and others feel.”

Dr Tamimi has been accused of anti-Semitism and support for suicide bombings in the past. In 2004, he claimed that “sacrificing myself for Palestine is a noble cause. It is the straight way to pleasing my God and I would do it if I had the opportunity.”

He spent the majority of his Monday night speech focusing on Israel. Stating that the conflict in the Middle East is “purely political”, he argued that the founders of Zionism were “all atheists and secular” who worked with the Nazis to remove the Jews from Europe.

“The Holocaust served the Zionists. Without the Holocaust Israel could never have come to existence.”

Disputing the right of the Israelis to settle in the Middle East, he argued that “it is a racist thing to claim that God has given any land to anybody. God is not a real estate agent.”

“This project is about Europe wanting to prolong its influence in the world, using a community of people to promote this function at the expense of somebody else – as they did in Northern Ireland.”

“Unfortunately the Israelis get away with all this rubbish they throw at the face of the world.”

Nonetheless, Dr Tamimi maintained that the conflict should be ended, stating that “it would be much better if we lived in a world where nobody killed anybody.” He believes that this could be achieved by acknowledgement of what has happened.

“Just like Europeans acknowledge what was done to the Jews in Europe, the world must acknowledge what was done to the Palestinians.” He added later, “we must sit down and talk.”

However, Dr Tamimi also stated that one should “fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you.” Fatah, the political party who seek a peaceful resolution, he described as “collaborators” with the Americans and Israelis.

When asked whether suicide bombings and rocket attacks can ever be justified, Dr Tamimi argued that “a community under siege that is punished collectively is driven to desperation in trying to protect itself and restore its rights. Don’t blame the victims, blame the oppressors.”

The talk was not well received either by the CU Jewish Society or the Israel Society. Alex Cohen, Co-President of CU Jewish Society, who was present at the event, said: “The talk confirmed many of our worst fears. The sole aim of the talk seemed to be a basic denial of Israel’s right to exist using some rather spurious ‘historical’ references.”

The CU Israel Society Committee stated that they believe “in direct, healthy, honest contact with other societies in promoting peaceful approaches to sensitive issues that connect us. Our events and actions this term reflect this.

“When we find out – indirectly – 24 hours before their arrival that somebody is coming to campus to attempt to rationalise the indiscriminate killing of Israeli Jews, our approach is threatened by the speaker, the society inviting him/her and the student union allowing it. We urgently propose a meeting between all involved.”

However, one student present at the talk described Dr Tamimi as “passionate”. Another defended the right of the Islamic Society to invite him. “It’s important that we recognise the right of free speech,” she said. “As a University, we should be the principal forum for this kind of debate.”