OXFORD UNION VOTES THAT ISRAEL POSES 'GREATER THREAT' TO REGIONAL STABILITY

ISTANBUL, Nov 17 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- The Oxford Union, one of the world's most renowned debating societies, has voted “overwhelmingly” in favour of a motion declaring Israel a greater threat to regional stability than Iran, following a heated debate featuring former Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh and Geneva-based NGO UN Watch's director Hillel Neuer.

Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported that the debate centred on the motion declaring that Israel is a greater threat to regional stability than Iran, as The Telegraph reported this weekend that the society members backed the proposition by a wide margin.

Speaking for the movement, Shtayyeh argued that Israel's actions constitute the primary source of instability in the Middle East, describing it as “an expansionist colonial state established by colonial powers.”

He went on to call Israel a “pariah state” that “acts above the law,” alleging that it violates UN resolutions and enforces “a colonial regime based on apartheid against the Palestinian people.”

“Brutal occupation, crimes and genocide, … Israel is dragging the region into repeated conflicts,” he said, adding that some Israeli officials believe the country's borders should stretch “from the Nile to the Euphrates.”

“We all should say that Israel is the biggest cause of destabilisation in the region,” he concluded.

The Oxford Union, founded in 1823, has become increasingly scrutinised over its Israel-related debates.

Last year, it passed another motion accusing Israel of being “an apartheid state responsible for genocide,” by 278 votes to 59.

-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU