Seven Oxford student societies have released a joint-statement today calling for the “immediate unconditional release of 200+ Israeli hostages illegally held in Gaza by Hamas terrorists, including at least 10 British citizens”. The signatories include the Oxford University Conservative Association, Oxford Labour Club, and the Oxford University Liberal Democrats, the student societies of the three biggest political parties.
The call concerns the 200+ Israelis that were taken hostage by Hamas in the first days of the Israeli-Hamas conflict that began on 7 October. Yesterday, on the 23 October, two hostages were released, bringing the total number of captives freed to four. One of the freed hostages, Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, said that “the story’s not over until everybody comes back.”
The other four societies demanding the release of the Israeli hostages include the Israel Society, the Jewish Society, the Chabad Society, and the Newman Society. The Oxford Israel Society commented: “We are glad that support for the return of the hostages is so broad across the student body. We hope to see them back home, and the perpetrators of these horrific crimes brought to justice.”
On Facebook, the Oxford Israel Society stated: “The call follows a letter by the Oxford PalSoc and other groups which described the massacres of Israeli civilians on 7 October as ‘the result of Palestinians’ long-brewing and well-founded anger in response to Israel’.”
The Palestine Society letter called for “an immediate end to Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza” and was undersigned by various student societies*, including the Oxford Arab Society and South Asian Society.
The full quote referenced above reads: “The events of the past several days did not take place in a vacuum: rather, they are the result of Palestinians’ long-brewing and well-founded anger in response to Israel forcing them to live in an open-air prison for decades.” They further stated that “peace and justice require addressing the root cause of ongoing violence: Israeli settler-colonial occupation and apartheid.”
Commenting on the Israeli hostages, the Oxford University Conservative Association stated: “There are many things in geopolitics that are complicated and know better. Over the past few weeks, we have all been shocked by the violence and barbarism of Hamas against the Israeli people, as well as the lack of response by many in our own country who ought to know better.
“It is now imperative that peace be achieved through the rooting out of the terrorism that has proved a scourge for both the Palestinian and Israeli people.”
The Oxford Palestine Society has been reached out to for comment.
*List of signatories of the Palestine Society letter: Rhodes Scholars for Palestine, Oxford Arab Society, 26 members of the Black Association of Rhodes Scholars, Oxford Bangladesh Society, Oxford Iranian Society, Oxford Pakistan Society, Oxford South Asian Society, Oxford South Asian Ambedkar Forum, Oxford Syria Society, Oxford Sudanese Society, Oxford AhlulBayt Islamic Society, Conveners of the Oxford Critical Theory Seminar, Divest Borders Oxford, and Marxist Society, Socialist Appeal Oxford.
