The Oxford Union has a reputation as one of the world’s most prestigious debating societies and is a bastion of free speech.
But it has found itself at the centre of a censorship row after publishing muted footage of a debate on genocide.
Jonathan Sacerdoti, a Jewish journalist and Oxford alumnus, was heckled and abused during a speech opposing a student motion branding Israel an ‘apartheid state responsible for genocide’.
One woman shouted at Mr Sacerdoti that he was ‘a liar’ before adding: ‘F*** you, the genocidal motherf*****!’
A spokesman for Counter Terrorism Policing South East said it was ‘making enquiries’ into reports of ‘a person expressing support for a proscribed organisation’ during the event.
Mr Sacerdoti has now accused the 200-year-old society of airbrushing out the abuse levelled against him by muting parts of a video of his speech uploaded to YouTube.
Around eight minutes into the footage, he says that Israel has given 700,000 tons of food to Gaza, which prompts shouts from the audience.
The Oxford Union is subject to a police probe following a debate which labelled Israel ‘an apartheid state responsible for genocide’
Alumnus Jonathan Sacerdoti spoke against the motion, but accused the Union of airbrushing out abuse levelled at him after parts of his speech appeared to be muted in a YouTube video of the debate
Mr Sacerdoti making his speech during the Oxford Union debate opposing the motion
The President of the Union, Ebrahim Osman-Mowafy, can be heard saying ‘the speaker is entitled to be heard in silence’ before the audio cuts for almost two minutes – at which point Mr Sacerdoti says he was abused.
Mr Sacerdoti last night uploaded his own video of the event, spliced with an audio recording of his speech and mobile phone footage shot by his husband. It shows how his speech was halted by the chaotic scenes.
Mr Sacerdoti said of the chaos: ‘If students today – and especially those in our premier university – can’t debate and talk rationally and calmly on a contentious issue, then there is a big problem.’
It is the latest in a string of controversial incidents affecting the debating society, which is run by Oxford students. It did not respond to requests for comment.
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk