Dear all,
In response to Dr Segal’s letter below, I am sorry to say that Rabbi Aharon Cohen is not an unknown figure in student circles. As the UK leader (as I understand) of Neturai Karta, last academic year Rabbi Cohen came to give a talk (as opposed to a debate with other speakers) at the Cambridge Union on the same subject as in Leeds. The very same week saw a debate being held at the Union about whether Zionism was good for the Jews – I think this was with some involvement from the PSC. And this is in a university which sees less active anti-Israelism than others in the UK.
It is not only academics who are affected and who can play a role here – the student body also has a role in events like these (the Cambridge Union is a student-run society). In the case of Rabbi Cohen, many members of our local J-soc went along on the night to question and criticise what he had to say, outnumbering the non-Jewish audience – I can only urge Leeds Jewish students who support Israel to whatever degree to do the same and, if possible, to make clear their feelings about Rabbi Cohen’s invitation and the fact that he in no way represents the general Orthodox Jewish attitude towards Israel in the student press.
Rachelle Arulanantham, Trinity Hall, University of Cambridge
Editor’s note: Dr. Segal’s letter was published in Faculty Forum 11-11-06:
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He is from Neturei Karta, he spoke last year in Cambridge. The topic was
‘Israel is bad for the Jewish People’, his arguments are the usual Neturei
Karta stuff, but when asked how many Jews in England are in Neturei Karta
he would not answer (there are about 10). I don’t think he did that well. I
also know he spoke to students in Birmingham and that the Rabbi there,
Fishel Cohen, handled him very well (so may be worth contacting him).
Vikki Alexander
(student in Cambridge)
