Israel debate can 'set the tone' for year

This is a Cross-Post from the Jewish Chronicle

By Marcus Dysch

The Israel Society at the London School of Economics hosted a panel debate on the future of the two-state solution. It is hoped the successful event might pave the way for a more positive approach to Middle East issues on the campus.

By Marcus Dysch

Speakers including Michael Brodsky, director of public affairs at the Israeli Embassy in London, and the Oxford Research Group's Middle East special adviser Tony Klug, discussed attempts to resolve the Israel-Palestinian conflict at last week's session.

Israel Society president Aimee Riese explained: "We were delighted to host a panel of such distinguished speakers. The aim of the event was to present LSE students with a range of Israeli and British Zionist views on the two-state solution and its future.

"We presented a panel with a wide political spectrum, from speakers representing the Israeli government, to those representing the dissenting voices of elements of Israeli civil society, as well as from Bicom and Chatham House.

"The quality of the audience engagement with the panel in the question and answer session hopefully demonstrated a successful forum for discussion.

"It is events such as these which show how discussions at LSE, a campus often portrayed negatively in the news, can instead be productive, mature and engaging. Hopefully it will set the tone for the debate on Israel-Palestine on our campus this year."

More than 120 people attended the session.

LSE has been mired in controversy during the past year, with questions raised over its links to the Gadaffi regime, a senior professor apologising for threatening to slap a Board of Deputies vice-president and students calling for a third intifada against Israel.