Palestinian ambassador to the United Kingdom Dr Husam Zomlot delivered an impassioned speech at an Oxford Speaks event held at St Anne’s College last Thursday.
Appearing before an audience at the Mary Ogilvie Lecture Theatre, the talk marked the end of the ambassador’s tour around British academic institutions to publicise the work of UK Friends of Palestinian Universities, following recent speaking events at Cambridge and the London School of Economics (LSE). The UK-registered charity, formerly known as Fozbu, has been in operation since 1978 and is dedicated to building “UK and international academic solidarity, partnership, and exchange with Palestinian higher education institutions facing systematic attack”.
In light of Israel’s recent targeting of Palestinian universities, Zomlot’s appearance was underpinned by a call to stand against scholasticide, in order to protect academic spaces in Gaza and the West Bank.
Zomlot, who has served as Head of the Palestinian Mission to the United Kingdom since October 2018, opened by expressing it was “genuinely good to be back in Oxford”. He went on to describe university environments in particular as spaces “where conscience is sharper, where power is questioned, and where young people refuse to accept injustice as normal”.
The ambassador’s speech was tailored to its university audience, thanking students for “fighting to speak truth to power” and comparing recent protests to student opposition in the United States during the Vietnam War. He said: “Your voices matter, I ask you to continue – to ensure that the arc of history bends towards justice, because it does not bend on its own”.
Zomlot made reference to last month’s assault on his alma mater Birzeit University, near Oxford’s twinned city Ramallah. Israeli soldiers attacked the campus on 6th January, coinciding with a planned showing of the Oscar-nominated film The Voice of Hind Rajab. Eleven students were admitted to Istishari Arab Hospital in Ramallah for treatment after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) opened fire with live rounds, sound grenades, and tear gas during classes.
Having just returned from the West Bank, including a visit to Birzeit, Zomlot highlighted Israel’s attacks on all kinds of academic institutions in Palestine, stating that “90% of schools in Gaza have been damaged”, and referencing the destruction of Gaza’s universities. Stating that “what happens in Palestine does not stay in Palestine”, he said: “The dehumanisation must end. That is peace.”
Questioned by Oxford Speaks President Hussain Jeddy about how to prevent radicalisation in Palestine and build a stable peace process, Zomlot dismissed the idea of deradicalisation through education alone. He repeatedly stated that the solution to political instability in Palestine was to “remove the core cause” – Israeli occupation.
Responding to audience questions about how Palestine is portrayed in Western media, Zomlot told Cherwell that “the media wants to deliberately strip things out of context”. He highlighted the role Palestinian young people have played in reshaping public perceptions of the nation through social media. “People are reawakening”, Zomlot added, locking eyes with individuals around the room as he spoke: “Oppression has globalised, and so has resistance to it. That’s why I still have hope.”
