Oxford Union declares Israel an apartheid state responsible for genocide

The Oxford Union, one of the world’s most prestigious debating societies, voted overwhelmingly on Thursday to declare Israel an “apartheid state responsible for genocide,” with 278 votes in favour and 59 against.

The motion sparked a heated debate marked by passionate speeches, interruptions, and accusations from both sides.

The debate, framed around the proposition “This house believes Israel is an apartheid state responsible for genocide,” featured prominent speakers, including Palestinian American writer Susan Abulhawa, Palestinian poet Mohammed el Kurd, and anti-Zionist Israeli writer Miko Peled.

They argued in favour of the motion, while opposition speakers included UK Lawyers for Israel legal director Natasha Hausdorff, Arab-Israeli activist Yoseph Haddad, and Mosab Hassan Yousef, the son of a Hamas leader who provided information to Israel's Shin Bet for 10 years before fleeing to the United States.

The event, heavily attended by Oxford students, unfolded in a charged atmosphere, with frequent interruptions and heated exchanges as speakers were repeatedly challenged by audience members.

‘We did that’

Opposition speaker Mosab Hassan Yousef sparked controversy by questioning whether the audience would have condemned the Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023, had they known about it beforehand.

The response was mixed, with only a few raising their hands.

Yousef accused the majority of the audience of being "terrorists," provoking outrage, and further declared that Palestinians do not exist, claiming the Oxford Union had been “hijacked by Muslims.”

The debate reached a boiling point when opposition speaker Yoseph Haddad, a vocal advocate for Israel, was asked to leave the chamber.

Haddad, known for his provocative approach, used multiple props and posters during his speech and wore a T-shirt featuring an image of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah with the caption: “Your terrorist hero is dead! We did that.”

During Haddad's speech, a Palestinian student from Gaza stood up, expressing personal offence and requesting the union president to remove Haddad. The exchange escalated as Haddad shouted back, prompting the president to issue him a warning.

The student, who studies mathematics and physics, later delivered an impromptu speech during an intermission, adding a deeply personal perspective to the debate.

October 7 attack: ‘Heroic’

Supporters of the motion focused their arguments on human rights abuses and the devastating civilian toll in Gaza.

Palestinian poet and activist Mohammed El-Kurd, after delivering a fiery speech, left the chamber, later referring to the opposition as “genocide deniers.”

Oxford Union President Ebrahim Osman-Mowafy, backing the motion, shared the harrowing story of 19-year-old Shaban al-Daloum, who was burned alive in October during an Israeli airstrike on Al-Aqsa hospital in northern Gaza.

Osman-Mowafy described Daloum’s death as part of Israel’s ongoing "holocaust" against Gaza.

The debate was marked by unconventional moments. Mohammed El-Kurd’s immediate exit after his speech left a palpable tension, while Israeli-American activist and author Miko Peled, another proponent of the motion, described the October 7 attack as “heroic,” leading to uproar from opposition speakers and parts of the audience.

Now in its 423rd day, Israel's war in Gaza has killed at least 44,429 Palestinians and left more than 105,250 wounded.

Founded in 1823, the Oxford Union has a long history of hosting debates on contentious topics, often drawing global attention.

While the debate’s outcome has no direct political implications, it highlights the shifting dynamics of public opinion on Israel's atrocities in Gaza, particularly within academic spaces.