SOAS Palestine society rebuffs pressure to repudiate controversial partners Europal

A student society at London’s School of Oriental and African Studies has come under fire for working with controversial organisation Europal to raise awareness towards a Palestine-focused event. The one-day workshop held as SOAS on March 7 plans to give students “a space in which the challenges facing student advocacy for Palestine” are “openly discussed and interrogated. Europal has faced widespread accusations of hate speech, anti-Semitism and been accused of promoting conspiracy theories about Jewish people. The organisation provides campaigning platforms for Muslim Brotherhood affiliated organisations around Europe. It has helped organise events involving lieutenants of Yusuf Al Qaradawi, the Qatar based ideological leader of the Muslim Brotherhood in Britain, the Netherlands and France that sought to promote its influence among grassroots community organisations. A Facebook event for the workshop says it is being hosted by EuroPal, SOAS Palestine Society, Westminister Sutdents for Palestine Society. The free tickets can be obtained from Eventbrite, which lists EuroPal Forum as the host. SOAS’s Palestine Society, however, insist that Europal “are only assisting in the publicising of the event, and that is where their involvement start and ends”. The society said it was the sole host of the event. The Palestine Society says it is a collective of independent SOAS student activists working together “to insure Palestine’s freedom, justice and liberation”. The involvement of Europal has led to criticism from parts of the Jewish community which has raised concerns over Europal’s endorsement of an 8th trope that Jews are largely, Khazars, or people originating in central Asia. “We are absolutely disgusted that SOAS Palestine Society are hosting a ‘workshop’ on anti-Semitism with Europal, an organisation which peddles the neo-Nazi myth that Jews are ‘Khazars,” said the Union of Jewish Students. “We will be writing to SOAS and to the Palestine Society to demand the event is cancelled,” they added. “Presumably (I hope) SOAS Palestine, co-hosts of the event, don't know the past of this group and will now distance themselves from them & this event. There are many ways to be pro-Palestine without being antisemitic - I encourage Soas PalSoc to find them,” wrote Hannah Rose, a former President of the Union of Jewish Students. Explaining Europal's role, a spokesperson for the Palestine Society at SOAS told The National : "If you look at other events on SOAS Palestine Society's Facebook page you'll see we have other co hosts for many of our events, does not mean they are hosting - it's a common thing student societies do to reach as many people as possible, and maximise attendance. “The same thing was done with Eventbrite - we had technical issues with our hosting of the eventbrite page, but again Europal are ONLY CO HOSTING to help publicise this SOAS Palestine society organised, led, and hosted workshop,” they added. A SOAS spokesperson said the university is committed to maintaining a “neutral platform” and allowing members to express their opinions in “a mutually respectful” manner. “We have a clear and explicit zero-tolerance policy in relation to anti-semitism and all forms of racism. We continue to work with the SOAS community to ensure that people of all faiths are safe and supported in their studies at SOAS,” the spokesperson said. “The event referred to is not a SOAS event, but is one that is being organised by a SOAS student society. We will look to see if any required codes of practice in relation to freedom of speech have been breached by this booking. “Views expressed by individuals or groups at events do not represent a SOAS view or a SOAS endorsement of the views expressed,” they added.

SOAS Palestine society rebuffs pressure to repudiate controversial partners Europal

Controversial organisation Europal helped promote event on SOAS campus