Blog : Philosémitisme

Des étudiants juifs de la London School of Economics et des membres de la Palestinian Association de l'université se sont affrontés lors de la "Semaine Israël apartheid".
Lundi, des manifestants anti-israéliens ont monté un simulacre de check-point avec une tour de contrôle à l'extérieur d'un bâtiment du campus. Ils y arrêtaient les étudiants et demandaient leurs documents d'identification. Ils auraient également harcelé des étudiants juifs.  Des contre-manifestants, de l'Association des étudiants juifs, ont jeté des ballons remplis d'eau sur les manifestants pro-palestiniens déclenchant une échauffourée. Un étudiant juif au moins aurait été blessé, selon le Jewish Chronicle. Le service de sécurité de l'université a dû intervenir pour séparer les manifestants.
"L'Union des étudiants juifs a toujours été opposée à ces faux check-points car leur but est d'intimider des étudiants juifs", a indiqué un porte-parole à Jewish Chronicle. "Ces simulacres visent à réduire une situation grave et complexe qui existe entre les Israéliens et les Palestiniens à des provocations théâtrales et sont un facteur de division ici sur les campus britanniques". 
Jay Stoll de la JSoc décrit le déroulement des faits:
1. The Palestine Society put posters up around campus for the Day of Action. Posters include Mandela quote on Palestinian plight. Posters also refer to Israel a racist, apartheid construct from its inception in 1948, directly comparable to South African Apartheid. 2. Mock ?checkpoint' erected in front of key University thoroughfare, spanning around 10ft in width, accompanying watchtower. 3. ?Checkpoint' surrounded by around 10 students, including LSESU Sabbatical Officers and Part Time Executive officers. Most wearing high visibility jackets with Tsahal, or IDF, written on the back. Imitation guns are brandished at the checkpoint.
4. Students are very briefly delayed entering the thoroughfare, being asked for ID. This is largely peaceful and the protest continues to run its course like this throughout the day. 5. Jewish/Israeli students email complaints that they are being publicly castigated them as Israelis, or as ?students of privilege' in front of other students, by those wearing the high visibility jackets. Formal complaints are made. 6. The demonstration stages mock conflicts at the ?checkpoint', with Palestine society members, male and female, being dragged along the floor kicking and screaming. This takes place repeatedly. 7. LSE Security Staff warn those running ?checkpoint' that there have been complaints, and issues over preventing access. 8. Some SU members attack ?checkpoint' with water balloons, party poppers, shouting ?death to Israel' and ?Hamas' as they do it. The attack partly collapses the wall. Balloons hit several students wearing high-vis jackets. 9. A few students, presumably those running the ?checkpoint' charge at those throwing the balloons. Two members proceed to attack the same individual, throwing a water balloon back and then kicking him repeatedly. The LSE Security is there in seconds to break it up. 10. The SU releases a statement, initially with accompanying Palestine Society logo, states all violence should be condemned, defends the right to peacefully protest on campus. 11. Societies, Palestine and Israel, release statements, condemning the actions of one another.