British MP Storming Out: ‘I Don’t Debate with Israelis’ (Video)
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George Galloway stormed out rather than debate Israeli at Oxford University
Photo Credit: Yori Yanover
George Galloway, the British member of Parliament who represents the district of West Bradford in Northern England, stormed out of the room at Oxford University last night in the middle of a debate when he learned that his opponent – a student who had just begun speaking – was Israeli.
The topic being debated at Oxford’s Christ Church College was: “Israel Should Withdraw Immediately From the West Bank.”
Galloway had already spoken in favor of the motion when the student who opposed the motion, Eylon Aslan-Levy, began to speak. Aslan-Levy made it clear that his disagreement with the motion was not the question of withdrawal, as he favors an “end to the Occupation.”
But what Aslan-Levy pointed out was the critical word in the debate topic, “whether Israel should withdraw immediately. Overnight. Unilaterally. Without any guarantees from the Palestinians to match such dramatic concessions by calling an end to this century-old conflict.”
The student went on to explain how everyone should have learned a lesson from the Disengagement – the unilateral withdrawal of all Israelis, living and dead, from Gaza in 2005 – which Aslan-Levy said he supported at the time. He explained why:
An immediate withdrawal denies Israelis and Palestinians the two essential goods that a peace treaty would secure: firstly, a framework for safety, security and cooperation; secondly, binding promises by each party to irrevocably terminate all claims or states of belligerency against the other. To forego the one chance to sign for peace on the dotted line would leave the region vulnerable, insecure, and in a perpetual state of war.
This is the lesson from the disengagement from Gaza in 2005, which I supported – out of the same misguided faith that the cards were in Israel’s hands. Israel uprooted over 8,000 settlers and evacuated the military – but without a pledge from the Palestinians not to fire rockets at Israeli towns over the very border to which Israel had just withdrawn. We wanted peace: we got war. We mustn’t make the same mistake again.
As the student uttered those words, Galloway shouted out: “You said we! Are you Israeli?”
When Aslan-Levy said he was, Galloway responded, “I’ve been misled, sorry. I don’t recognize Israel and I don’t debate with Israelis,” and then flounced out of the room, followed by his wife.
The video of the end of the exchange shows a mixed reaction by students who were in the audience – some laughing, some clapping – it is unclear if they were clapping because Galloway stuck to his “principles” or because Aslan-Levy maintained his composure.
Galloway defended his actions in a Facebook posting: “I refused this evening at Oxford University to debate with an Israeli, a supporter of the Apartheid state of Israel. The reason is simple: no recognition, no normalisation. Just boycott, divestment and sanctions, until the apartheid state is defeated. I never debate with Israelis nor speak to their media. If they want to speak about Palestine – the address is the PLO.” More than 3500 “liked” his post and over 1500 posted comments, many of them vilely anti-Semitic.
Galloway later added on his Twitter feed, “Christ Church never informed us the debate would be with an Israeli. Simple.”
Yes, simple. A member of the British government refused to appear with someone because of their nationality. Aslan-Levy called Galloway’s action racist and unacceptable.
In an interview with The Daily Mail, the Israeli-British student said Galloway should be barred from the House of Commons. “He clearly had a problem not because I am Israeli – I’m sure he would have talked to an Israeli Arab, he didn’t want to talk to me because I am an Israeli Jew,” Aslan-Levy said.
Galloway has long been a rabid opponent of the Jewish State. He claims Hezbollah is not a terrorist organization and has publicly met with Hamas leaders. He also was an organizer of the “Viva Palestina” “aid convey” to Gaza in 2009.
The head of the Oxford Debating Society, in his understated British way, expressed disappointment that Galloway stormed out of the debate.
Galloway had been a member of the British Labour Party, but was expelled in 2003 when he was found guilty of “bringing the party into disrepute” for, among other things, referring to the Labour Party as “Tony Blair’s Lie Machine.”
tell a friendAbout the Author: Lori Lowenthal Marcus is the US correspondent for The Jewish Press. She is a recovered lawyer who previously practiced First Amendment law and taught in Philadelphia-area graduate and law schools.
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Gallowboy's cowardice and Anti-Semitism is vile, as his whole personna is vile. An ugly, pasty pansy boy who thought it made him look cool to his muslim groupies…too bad we don't have a new Kahane…gallow would be running all right..
Is "pansy" supposed to mean "gay?" Are you are a bigot? Yes, you are.
Michael D Blum Why is it a comment always becomes "biggoted or racist". If you can't handle comments try another channel. Nanette was only making a comment, she probably wouldn't correlate "pansy" with "gay"…takes a biggot to try that.
pansy only means a man with no "cojones"…i am not against you Michael and I did NOT mean gay….I meant: with no COJONES.
Christy: thank you and if you think about it, Michael doesn't seem to mind at all that Galloway hates Jews….he is probably a lover of Galloway….no matter…Thank you, Christy.
You look Chineese or philipino to me lady and not from the M.E…
Michael D Blum What's wrong with being a bigot. It's just a lefty word that has no real meaning.
Michael D Blum What's wrong with being a bigot. It's just a lefty word that has no real meaning.
The hysterical man should be sent to a prayer session to be exorcised from his evil-spirited disposition rather than to any Parliament session.
Is jesus white or Dark ? I`m sure you do not know the answer because you have been brainwashed and indoctrinised.Jesus enemies are sitting right now in jerusalem and you are helpping them with your begot and ignorance…
???
Mossad should pay this psychopath a visit… if you catch my drift. Make it look like autoerotic asphyxiation.
The UK Labour Party did kick him out a number of years ago.
He's too left wing even for those ars***les.
The UK Labour Party did kick him out a number of years ago.
One of the tragedies of the current international economic meltdown is it brings out the worst in people. For those in Europe, it's a stunning reminder that they have learned nothing of the past. "Blame the Jews"was the mantra in 1930's and 1940's Europe and it produced horrid results. People like Mr.Galloway are tragic examples that they have learned nothing from the past. What would be far more productive is to get all fellow countrymen together Jews, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, and everyone else together to work on a common problem, in this case the economy, in order to come up with viable solutions. By doing this it will help solve a problem, improve peoples lives, increase prosperity, and ultimately return to a better standard of living. More importantly, it will show Jewish people don't have horns on their head or didn't drink the blood of Jesus, they are regular people who struggle just like everybody else. In addition, it will show Jews can be a source of solving problems and are not not the cause of problems. I will be writing Mr.Galloway and his letter will not be quite as diplomatic as this one.
Gallowboy was out witted and he knew it. Shallow solipsistic people always run when confronted with a mirror of themselves. Hurrah for Israel.
You must be dreaming lady ! G Galloway is a very smart man he can sense the conn from affar.He was set up by the School but he tuned the table arround.GG is very famous but that guy is no one.
Christy, you've nailed it! He was too scared to face real debate.
“He clearly had a problem not because I am Israeli – I’m sure he would have talked to an Israeli Arab, he didn’t want to talk to me because I am an Israeli Jew,”.
That about sums it up.
Obviously he envisioned himself loosing the debate, no politician would EVER walk away from a debate they expected to win.
Galloway proved how totally incompetent he is. Glad he does not live in my country. I would personally debate him back to under the rock he crawled out from under.
GGalloway is a smart and independant men.Talking to a land grabber is like talking to a looter, Criminal or a terorist.Just because some idiot Arabs recognised that entity it has put the rest of us in front of the fait accompli and changed all the realities on the ground geographical or historical.The entity appartheid became a state and the historical palestine was wipped of the map.So when somebody outspoken like Galloway sit with this terorist it is like safocating the cause of Palestine -which belong to Jewish, Christian and Muslims-and giving oxygen to a zionist.No one has the right to negotiate on behalf of the palestinians and the eastern european Jewish Russians or else have to negotiate with the Palestians including Jewish and Christians.And frankly the Guy is British and he does not sound middleeastern. Wake up people.
".Talking to a land grabber "???
Israel belongs to the Jewish People…G-d says so as well as the Balfour Declaration.
Mr. Galloway's policy is simply this "I only debate with people who agree with me, that way I am always right".
Yeah, least resistance, no hustle.
Yeah, least resistance, no hustle.
Yeah, least resistance, no hustle.
Yeah, least resistance, no hustle.