Today, the National Union of Students (NUS) reversed their 4 month old policy on Israel/Palestine. The old motion "Freedom for Palestine" (http://bit.ly/lFWkP3), which had been passed with numerous suspected procedural flaws had initially called for a boycott of all Israeli goods/institutions and for the NUS to affiliate to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), although these were voted out during the debate.
However the motion used hardline rhetoric that failed to stand up to any scrutiny of the facts. The motion made grossly exaggerated links between the Trade Union Congress (ie grown up, real-world unions) and the NUS, forgetting that the roles of the organisations are different in many crucial ways.
The motion failed to take into account the complexities in the conflict, and resolved to campaign against the "siege on Gaza", to link with the Islamic University of Gaza and to send students on future convoys to Gaza. My friendly, liberal union had official policy to send British students to support the Hamas-led regime, the proscribed group in many nations around the world, including the UK.
However, the most chilling part for me and other supporters of a genuine peace in the Middle East was the first resolution, which called for the "right to return for all refugees". Due to the unique definition of a refugee amongst the Palestinians as opposed to anyone else, anywhere else in the world, this was effectively calling for millions of Palestinians, the majority of which were 2nd, 3rd or 4th generation "refugees", who had been born, educated, worked, loved, lived and so on in other countries, or even under the Palestinian Authority, to have free access to Israel. No mention has been made, either in this motion or in any other statement from the far-left groups who proposed it of a similar statement, or reparations for the almost identical number of Jewish refugees who were forced out of various Arab states at the same time.
This motion called for the destruction of Israel as a Jewish state through insidious demography, and therefore supported a one-state solution.
Nevermind that roughly 2/3 of Israelis & 2/3 of Palestinians are pro-2-state. Nevermind that to fail to allow for self-determination of the Jewish people, but allowing for Palestinian self-determination is clearly Antisemitic. Nevermind that the International Community, through UN votes clearly established a 2-state solution. Nevermind that bilateral negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians have come very close to a final status agreement on numerous occasions.
The warped sense of morality of the Far-left allowed them to think that they, and they alone were allowed to dictate policy to Israelis and Palestinians.
Today, the National Executive Committee overturned this policy and instituted a new motion "Dialogue on Israel-Palestine" (http://bit.ly/qjLH0o). This policy starts off by discussing the belief in self-determination that is fundamental to our society and student politics in particular. It reaffirms the understanding that both sides have narratives that are worthy arguments, and both sides have behaved atrociously to one another at times during the previous century. The tone of the motion though, is respectful of British student political tradition - of respect for alternative views, of abiding legality and of a desire to maintain dialogue to improve the outcome.
This motion explicitly states:
"The self-determination of one people cannot be at the expense of another. 'Two viable states, for two peoples negotiated bilaterally is the practical way of expressing both these competing rights, which has the potential to achieve peace in the near future."
It specifically affirms the rights for both Israelis and Palestinians to self-determination. The motion also accepts that, contrary to what some may believe, the NUS are not the major mover in the region, and that their primary duty of care is to the students at British campuses. A racist, divisive policy, that mandated the Union to send students into physical harms way cannot be said to be in the student body's best interests.
The new policy resolves to educate, debate and explore the complexities of the situation whilst remaining respectful of the 2 equally valid perspectives. It does not seek to whitewash crimes by anyone, and asks politicians and universities to make constructive steps towards a genuine, lasting peace.
I'm proud to have this policy represent me at my union. I'm proud of the activists who worked tirelessly to ensure that right won out over wrong. I'm proud of the student body who didn't accept the hijacking of their facilities by vile, extreme minorities who aim to sow as much disharmony on campus as possible; who came together to overthrow, emphatically, the racist, illegal, hypocritical policy that existed previously.
The uni year has only just started, but I'm already proud of what students have achieved.
