Israeli ambassador to UK flees London university event amid pro-Palestine protests
The Israeli Ambassador to the United Kingdom Tzipi Hotovely was forced to flee an event at the London School of Economics on Tuesday evening due to a large protest led by pro-Palestinian activists.
The activists were protesting against Hotovely’s presence, a video released on social media showed.
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The protesters chanted, “Aren’t you ashamed?” as the official, clutching a flower bouquet, was evacuated under heavy security trying to get her into a vehicle.
The Israeli ambassador was invited to London School of Economics’ student union to partake in a debate forum, online news media the Times of Israel reported on Wednesday.
The protest targeted Hotovely, preventing her from taking part in the debate, saying that she had “advocated for settler colonialism, engaged in Islamophobic rhetoric and has perpetuated anti-Palestinian racism.”
The move instigated widespread opposition from pro-Palestinian activists and other groups for “platforming racism,” the Times of Israel reported.
The Israeli embassy has not yet commented on the incident.
“This is deeply disturbing, I am so sorry Ambassador Hotovely,” tweeted UK vaccine minister and Conservative MP Nadhim Zahawi.
The controversy behind Hotovely’s appointment stems from her being a member of former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party and was appointmented by him to the post after serving as the country’s settlements minister.
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