On Monday, an event organised by the Society for International Affairs (SOFIA) with Israeli Ambassador His Eminence Ze’ev Boker was cancelled after a protest organised by Students for Justice in Palestine TCD. Following chanting and blocking of the lecture theatre where the event was to be held, it was cancelled “amid security concerns”.
The response has been rapid and aggrieved. Provost Patrick Prendergast himself has stated that the action of protesters “represents the antithesis of what Trinity stands for”, adding that “universities should be able to facilitate the exchange of ideas”. This is a common theme in the commentary surrounding the event: that the Ambassador’s right to free speech has been infringed upon and that the aggression of shutting the event down destroys any culture of debate in a university, which should be a key environment for vibrant discussion. Though the argument of “free speech” is in many ways a misnomer – the Ambassador still retains his rights, as he runs no risk of judicial persecution – it demonstrates how the discussion has been corrupted. Though Students for Justice in Palestine intended to make a statement about the actions of Israel in Palestine, hoping to support human rights and show solidarity, they have instead transformed the discussion into one of free speech. This is entirely counterproductive to their aims.
Nobody is talking about Israel or Palestine, except in the most incidental way. Instead of furthering discussion about Israel or Palestine or even the ambassador himself, the group have instead shone a light on their own activism. If protest is meant to further a conversation on injustice, their actions failed. The boycott, divest and sanction movement promoted by Students for Justice in Palestine is still so fledgling and new in Trinity that to move immediately to aggressive protest only serves to alienate individuals who are unsure of or unaware of the issues, as well as corrupting a discussion which should centre on the Palestinian struggle and allowing groups like the Israeli Embassy and conservative US media outlet Breitbart to become dominant voices in its aftermath.
Simultaneously to the Ambassador’s talk, People before Profit and the Metaphysical Society (Metafizz) hosted a panel discussion on the boycott, divest and sanction movement in conjunction with Students for Justice in Palestine’s Palestine Action Week. This is the focus that may ultimately pay more dividends: centring the discussion on education and awareness long before considering such escalatory measures as protest that prevents the occurrence of scheduled events.
While the parameters of this parallel are different, the group could learn from Fossil Free Trinity’s successful divestment campaign. Presenting divestment as the simple, logical option that College could hardly ignore led to increased awareness and positive feeling towards their goals. For Students for Justice in Palestine, who are aiming to encourage the student body to support the boycott, divest and sanctions campaign and associated actions against Israel, taking such pronounced and extreme measures means they lose control of the discussion and cannot usefully promote their aims.
