Co-Editors Tessa Ndjonkou and Ilaria Riccio peel back the layers of UCD’s response to the Gazan crisis while exploring the college’s accomplishments and controversies.
The ongoing escalation in Gaza has seen the world react and a strong student cohort firmly stand in opposition to the humanitarian crisis we are bearing witness of. Israeli president Netanyahu has only increased his attacks on the Palestinian population, ignoring growing demands for a ceasefire. Despite how strongly some countries - including Ireland - are encouraging the Israeli government to negotiate a ceasefire, the absence of a united front amongst public institutions is exacerbating the divide and leaving lines of communication fraught. The Dáil’s rejection of the Social Democrat motion to expel the Israeli ambassador and to refer Israel to the International Criminal Court has seemingly increased solidarity for Palestine and left many wondering to what extent Ireland is now complicit in the loss of countless Palestinian lives.
As a public institution of higher education, UCD has yet to make an official public statement on its stance on the current humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza. Divisions amongst students and the teaching body are perhaps contributing to this apparent stalemate. Several occurrences on the UCD campus since October 7th show a fragmented response to the geopolitical and civilian cost of the ongoing escalation in Gaza. Even the student demonstration on November 14th cannot be understood without the context of diverging voices that have emerged across the Belfield campus.
As a public institution of higher education, UCD has yet to make an official public statement on its stance on the current humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza.
On Tuesday November 14th at 1pm, the UCD Students’ Union held a Palestinian solidarity rally outside of UCD’s O’Reilly Hall facing the main lake. The gathering was attended by approximately 500 people, students and faculty members alike. Amongst the speakers were Shatha Aljohmani, a UCD student, Professor Kieran Allen of the UCD School of Sociology and a representative of People Before Profit.
Speaking to The University Observer, Engineering and Architecture College Officer Cillian Murphy cited a “good turnout which accounts for students' investment in seeing a ceasefire come about.” When asked about the UCDSU’s next course of action, Campaigns Officer Miranda Bauer assured that the Union's presence would continue to be felt in further protests in solidarity with Palestine. She took the opportunity to remind students of the upcoming UCDSU Palestine solidarity week which will be held from Monday November 27th onwards. The union’s commitment reiterates their historic support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Campaign and their calls for a ceasefire which they reaffirmed in their statement released on October 26th.
Although the rally saw significant buy-in from students and members of faculty, it was deemed insufficient to carry the movement forward and give it the traction it deserves. Indeed, students present at the gathering noted the absence of President Orla Feely and other members of UCD’s top administration: “We’re happy that this event is happening at all, it makes us feel less alone. However, so far only the Students’ Union are actually getting involved, we’d like to see more ‘official’ bodies at gatherings and protests in the coming weeks.”
Although the rally saw significant buy-in from students and members of faculty, it was deemed insufficient to carry the movement forward and give it the traction it deserves.
Whilst UCD’s governing authority was noticeably absent from the demonstration, academic staff has made its voice heard on multiple occasions. For instance, the names of 80 UCD academics feature amongst the signatories of a letter calling for an official boycott of Israeli universities. Published on Saturday November 4th in The Irish Times, the letter condemns the “severity of Israel’s current war on the Gaza Strip”, which Holocaust studies scholars have described as “a textbook case of genocide.” In response, another letter was published in The Irish Times on Tuesday November 7th, in which another cohort of academics - including some from UCD - condemned the proposal of severing ties with Israeli universities, since “Universities are vital bridges for connecting critical and dissenting voices worldwide.”
This statement holds different meanings depending on one’s approach to the matter. Indeed, in their mission statement, Academics for Palestine makes the case for a total boycott of Israeli institutions. Their commitment to this campaign demonstrates an understanding of the creationist power of knowledge production and of who creates “truth”. The panel held in UCD on November 8th, served this exact purpose, while also trying to discern UCD’s academic complicity in this crisis.
Amongst those who campaigned for the severing of ties between Irish and Israeli universities were several UCD academics from various schools, many of which were present in the room. The goal of the evening was to identify the ties UCD has to Israeli universities and companies and to ascertain the best way to act as a collective to support the Palestinian cause in UCD. In his introductory statement, American-Palestinian journalist and lecturer Harry Browne stated: “There are things that can be done that are greatly solidarising and appreciated by our Palestinian brethren.” Indeed, the November 14th demonstration of Palestinian support held on the Belfield Campus was decided during this very evening.
American-Palestinian journalist and lecturer Harry Browne stated: “There are things that can be done that are greatly solidarising and appreciated by our Palestinian brethren.”
Despite this open and radical support for Palestine, UCD is not currently a united front with regards to the current situation in Gaza, as the latest debate held by UCD’s Literary and Historical Society - “This House believes the West has failed Palestine” - demonstrates.
This second UCD attempt at a student-run “Palestine Debate” was contentious the minute it was announced and when mentioned dampened the conversation like an inauspicious downpour.
Unlike its counterpart LawSoc, the LnH chose to conceal the names of the speakers and to close its comment section on social media.
When enquiring about the names of the speakers and guests, this information was withheld from attendees by members of the LnH committee on account of “security reasons”. There was the noteworthy presence of a sizable private security detail with dark clothing and intra-auricular comms devices making the rounds on the second floor of the student centre. Never has a society-run event warranted surveillance of this magnitude.
Never has a society-run event warranted surveillance of this magnitude.
Before students could enter the Fitzgerald chamber, they were systematically frisked and searched. When The College Tribune tried to document these exceptional proceedings, they were made to delete the footage or face expulsion from the chamber. A few short moments after, an Instagram story of the inside of the Fitzgerald chamber, not accounting for the security presence, was uploaded and shared by the LnH Society with their 2960 followers.
The speakers were eventually revealed to be Richard Boyd-Barrett, People Before Profit TD, a longtime pro-Palestine activist and the rebuttal would be dispensed by none other than British-Israeli barrister Natasha Hausdorff.It was later revealed to The University Observer that two other speakers were expected to debate on the eve of November 16th: DCU professor Mark Humprhys and past UCD student Ibrahim Halawa. However, an alleged miscommunication precluded their participation. Halawa and his family members were present at the debate but did not participate formally.
Boyd-Barret could not intervene in the debate without being apostrophised by the pro-Isreali supporters in attendance. It is at this point that LnH auditor Ayman Memom and his committee lost total control of the chamber. Indeed, a physical altercation broke out between a pro-Israel supporter and Ibrahim Halawa’s family members. Footage captured by The University Observer shows a man holding a cerulean Israel shirt and pledging his support to the state. The shirt was ripped away from his hands and thrown on the ground which only further ignited the chaos.
Footage captured by The University Observer shows a man holding a cerulean Israel shirt and pledging his support to the state. The shirt was ripped away from his hands and thrown on the ground which only further ignited the chaos.
In a video that has since gone viral, a young man stood and proclaimed “What we did on October 7th, we will do it again, Allahu Akbar”. In the footage captured by The University Observer, a young Israeli woman responds to his outburst with: “I love everyone, do you have love for me?”
Speaking to The University Observer, one committee member mentioned they knew the subject was contentious and yet did not expect the debate to devolve the way it did. The auditor of the 169th Session, Aymon Memon, when asked whether or not lessons had been learned from the fiasco stated: “The debate had to take place and we will have more debates. We’re fortunate it went ahead in whatever fashion.” These occurrences were so unprecedented that footage has reached ‘X’, formerly known as Twitter, Instagram and Reddit threads where a significant amount of misinformation is actively continuously being spread.
Yet the escalation at the LnH debate did not happen in a vacuum. Indeed, during the SU council meeting on Monday November 6th, diverging opinions amongst the UCDSU executive and the UCD student population over the crisis in Gaza had emerged. At the meeting, UCDSU brought forward a motion of solidarity with Palestine and, by extension, advocating for a ceasefire.
But whilst some council members openly expressed their support for the motion, there were a surprising number of speakers who argued against it. They expressed their concerns that this motion might contradict UCDSU’s claims of being representative of all students. Specifically, there were concerns that this motion would isolate Jewish students and leave them feeling vulnerable when faced with potential antisemitic abuse.
The motion was eventually carried with 81 votes in favour, 1 against, and 10 abstentions. Yet despite the fact that the motion hit its target, the opposition and abstention reveal the extent of the chasm that has formed in UCD on the matter.
UCD’s fragmented response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza has unfortunately left many to draw the comparison with its response to the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. For instance, at the demonstration on November 14th, Kieran Allen pointed out: “It is not right for the university to come out so strongly for the Russia and Ukraine situation, and rightly so, but not to do the same for Palestine. We will not stand idly by.” Another way this dissonance manifested was in the discovery that the posters promoting the UCDSU Palestinian Solidarity Rally were taken down overnight.
UCD’s fragmented response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza has unfortunately left many to draw the comparison with its response to the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Furthermore, this lack of a clear stance has left several Arab and Muslim students wanting: “When we wear Palestinian flags on campus and when we hang them up, we’re met with eye rolls or reprimands, but last year, UCD proudly flew the colours of Ukraine throughout campus”. They also cited the often absent acknowledgement of the war inside their classrooms and the lack of support offered to students who might be experience this war on a personal level: “It’s as if the war isn’t happening at times and for a school that emphasises mental health so regularly, few check-ins are being made with Palestinian students”.
Speaking to the crowd gathered outside of UCD’s O’Reilly Hall, Kieran Allen encouraged Prof. Orla Feely to respond to the letter Academics for Palestine co-wrote with UCDSU and invited students to act according to the nature of her statement. He said, “If the president is not willing to respond on behalf of her institution, there will be some form of escalation that will be decided democratically.” A new gathering has been announced for 1PM on Wednesday November 22nd, which coincides with the deadline given to Prof. Feely to respond.
This is an abridged version of this article; more coverage of UCD's Literary and Historical Society debate and its consequences will be explored in more detail in a separate article.