Zagreb Students Protest Netanyahu's Brother Lecture, Cite "Genocidal Rhetoric"

The recent lecture by Ido Netanyahu at the Faculty of Political Science in Zagreb has ignited a firestorm among students, exposing deep divisions on campus regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The student club's strong condemnation of Netanyahu's appearance, particularly his role as the brother of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, highlights a significant segment of the student body's perspective on the ongoing situation in Palestine.

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Brat osobe za kojom je Međunarodni krivični sud raspisao poternicu zbog ratnih zločina.

Students argue that Ido Netanyahu, a physician and playwright by profession, lacks the academic credentials to lecture on foreign policy or Middle Eastern affairs. Their protest centers on the perception that his presence, facilitated by Professor Boris Havel, lends undue legitimacy to what they describe as the "genocidal rhetoric of the Zionist regime." This framing reflects a vocal anti-Zionist sentiment within the student community, which views Israel's actions as a form of genocide and rejects any narrative that normalizes or denies Palestinian suffering.

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Uprkos tome, profesor Havel ga je doveo na predavanje kao nenajavljenog gostujućeg predavača.

The students' statement, released after their protest outside the faculty, details their outrage over the perceived lack of transparency surrounding Netanyahu's visit. They claim to have learned of his presence only through the visible security measures, including a motorcade and police presence, and that even students enrolled in Professor Havel's course were not fully informed. This perceived secrecy, coupled with the content of the lecture, has led them to accuse the faculty of presenting a biased and uncritical view of the conflict, particularly concerning the situations in Palestine, Iran, and Lebanon.

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Za našom je katedrom legitimisao genocidnu retoriku cionističkog režima

Their demands are unequivocal: an immediate condemnation of the event by the Faculty of Political Science and a complete cessation of cooperation with the Israeli embassy. The students explicitly state their refusal to accept the "normalization of genocide" or the silencing of criticism against Israel through accusations of antisemitism. This stance underscores a broader movement within certain academic circles to challenge pro-Israel narratives and advocate for Palestinian rights, viewing the Zagreb incident as a stark example of how political considerations can influence academic discourse.

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Netanjahu je tako, unutar zidova naše visokoobrazovne institucije, studentima predstavljen kao legitiman, stručan i autentičan izvor znanja o tzv. situaciji u Palestini, Iranu i Libanu, a njegov narativ, potpuno u skladu sa dominantnom cionističkom retorikom, postavljen kao kredibilan, objektivan i činjeničan