Ambassador Hotovely was escorted to her car as police officers kept back protestors.
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The Israeli ambassador to the UK has called the protests at a London university where she gave a lecture as “antisemitic”.
Ambassador Tzipi Hotovely was invited by the London School of Economics (LSE) debating society to give a talk.
“What we’re seeing here is, this is anti-Israel, but it’s also antisemitic,” Ambassador Hotovely told Times Radio.
She said that campuses were spaces for dialogue and debate and not for silencing people: “They were trying to intimidate me and I’m not intimidated,” she said.
“I’m actually going to do even more conferences than I was planning because I can see how much the problem is serious.”
What happened at the event?
Footage emerged on Tuesday evening online, with protesters shouting “shame on you” to Ambassador Hotovely.
She left the event with a police escort who attempted to keep order.
???? | NEW: Israeli ambassador Tzipi Hotovely fleeing the London School of Economics
She had been invited to give a talk on “Perspectives on Israel and Palestine”.
Organisers LSE for Palestine said despite reports the protests were peaceful and accused Ambassador Hotovely of being an “anti-Palestinian racist”.
The Met confirmed they had attended the event but that no arrests had been made.
Ambassador Hotovely is seen as a hardliner and has described herself as a “religious right-winger”. She rejects Palestinian claims to any part of the West Bank, Gaza or East Jerusalem, and is a former Minister of Settlement Affairs.
Demonstrators marched to various universities in central London demanding they divest from “all companies complicit in Israeli violations of international law” and that they sever “all links with complicit Israeli institutions”. Credit: Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
“Unacceptable” – UK government
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss called the treatment of the Israeli ambassador “unacceptable”, while Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi described the footage as “deeply disturbing”.
Home Secretary Priti Patel tweeted that she was “disgusted”.
LSE confirmed that they had been made aware of reports of threats of violence after the event and that they are reviewing their processes.
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HeadlineIsraeli ambassador condemns LSE protest as antisemitic
Short HeadlineLSE protest 'antisemitic' - Israeli ambassador
StandfirstTzipi Hotovely said the encounter will not put her off giving lectures and that she won't be intimidated.
The Israeli ambassador to the UK has called the protests at a London university where she gave a lecture as “antisemitic”.
Ambassador Tzipi Hotovely was invited by the London School of Economics (LSE) debating society to give a talk.
“What we’re seeing here is, this is anti-Israel, but it’s also antisemitic,” Ambassador Hotovely told Times Radio.
She said that campuses were spaces for dialogue and debate and not for silencing people: “They were trying to intimidate me and I’m not intimidated,” she said.
“I’m actually going to do even more conferences than I was planning because I can see how much the problem is serious.”
What happened at the event?
Footage emerged on Tuesday evening online, with protesters shouting “shame on you” to Ambassador Hotovely.
She left the event with a police escort who attempted to keep order.
???? | NEW: Israeli ambassador Tzipi Hotovely fleeing the London School of Economics
She had been invited to give a talk on “Perspectives on Israel and Palestine”.
Organisers LSE for Palestine said despite reports the protests were peaceful and accused Ambassador Hotovely of being an “anti-Palestinian racist”.
The Met confirmed they had attended the event but that no arrests had been made.
Ambassador Hotovely is seen as a hardliner and has described herself as a “religious right-winger”. She rejects Palestinian claims to any part of the West Bank, Gaza or East Jerusalem, and is a former Minister of Settlement Affairs.
Demonstrators marched to various universities in central London demanding they divest from “all companies complicit in Israeli violations of international law” and that they sever “all links with complicit Israeli institutions”. Credit: Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
“Unacceptable” – UK government
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss called the treatment of the Israeli ambassador “unacceptable”, while Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi described the footage as “deeply disturbing”.
Home Secretary Priti Patel tweeted that she was “disgusted”.
LSE confirmed that they had been made aware of reports of threats of violence after the event and that they are reviewing their processes.
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