BICOM

The British Consul-General to Jerusalem, Sir Vincent Fean was forced to cancel a speech at Bir Zeit University in Ramallah yesterday after angry protests disrupted his visit.

Sir Vincent had been scheduled to meet the university’s head Dr Khalil al-Hindi and then deliver a lecture on Britain’s policy in the region and the prospects for peace. However, he was forced to leave the campus before his scheduled speech after he appeared to be mobbed by angry Palestinian students waving flags and banners who then surrounded his car as he was driven away. Although the Consul-General was unharmed, his car was lightly damaged. A spokesman for the British consulate told AFP, “We take our security extremely seriously.”

The protestors appeared to be demonstrating about a series of issues, ranging from the plight of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention, to Britain’s historic role in the region. The Telegraph reports that one protestor held a banner declaring “I am a refugee because of Balfour,” in reference to the 1917 Balfour Declaration issued by the British government which declared support for a national home for the Jewish people in what is now Israel.

Kamal Assaf, chairman of Bir Zeit University’s student council defended the protest saying, “Britain’s colonialist policies stand with Israel and ignore our cause.” Dr Ghassan Khatib, a senior university official called the demonstration “unjustified” and said that students could have protested “in a more civilised manner.” Meanwhile, the British consulate released a statement saying, “Sir Vincent had hoped to underline Britain’s deep commitment to the creation of a Palestinian state, and the urgency of progress on the peace process in 2013 … Sadly, such a dialogue was not possible on this occasion.”