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‘Bibi Congratulater’ Jack Morewood Hit Backs at Exeter Student Guild

University of Exeter Student and Student Guild candidate Jack Morewood – who was treated horrendously by the NUS and University of Exeter Student Guild for the “crime” of congratulating Israeli PM on his election victory – has hit back.

Dear Sir Steve Smith,

I am writing to you about the National Union of Students’ Conference that took place last week in Glasgow. During this event, you may be aware that I used additional time in a speech to congratulate the Prime Minister of Israel on his election results, to an uproar that I do not believe was fair.

Many things happened in response to my comments about Benjamin Netanyahu, but I was most disgusted and hurt at the statement released by my own Students’ Guild:

Following Jack’s actions, the Guild President and lead delegate reiterated to Jack that he is a representative of the whole student body, and that he is expected to consider their views in what he says and does at conference. There is no place in our institution or in the national movement for hateful comments that may harm or isolate the students that we represent.

This was soon quoted in the student newspaper and circulated among students at the university.

For information, I do not support Netanyahu, but I am deeply offended by this statement for condemning my congratulation as a “hateful comment”, delegitimising a democratic outcome and applying what I can only conclude is a double standard. This should be no more controversial than congratulating Theresa May, Emmanuel Macron or Donald Trump, but instead the Guild has chosen to release a statement that goes against everything we ought to stand for as a university. As someone who has spent time Israel, I hope you find the assertion that this is “hateful” as baffling as I do.

I have been an active member of the Guild, having stood for election many times and poured hundreds of hours volunteering as a member of Guild Council and NUS delegate.

Their entire response insults me.

The Students’ Guild will soon hold a referendum on its continued membership of the NUS, and I hope students make an informed decision. While the Guild’s future in the NUS is uncertain, my future in the Guild is certainly not: I am not comfortable remaining a full member of or holding positions in an organisation that holds Israel to a different standard to other nations.

I therefore ask for the university’s support in holding the Guild to account on this matter.

The only acceptable course of action is for the Guild to withdraw the statement and issue an apology. If this is not done by the end of the week, I will have no choice but to resign my Guild membership entirely.

Yours sincerely,

Jack Morewood

What is also interesting (and telling) to me is the fact the Exeter guild does not seem to think this is worthy of a statement, at same time they blasted Jack for his Bibi congratulations:

An ‘atheist activist’ standing for election in Exeter shocked punters at a city pub by setting a copy of the Quran on fire.

The incident, condemned by city leaders, happened at a heated ‘after party’ in the Old Fire House pub following Katie Hopkins’ visit to the University of Exeter – where he had been handing out flyers.

Frankie Rufolo, 19, admits the inflammatory and offensive act and has been left to question whether it was a step too far, even for him.

The copy of the Quran, the central religious book of Islam, was burned with a candle during a heated political debate.

In Islam, the desecration of its holy text is seen as nothing less than blasphemous and in Middle Eastern counties can see those responsible imprisoned.

Update: The Guild have amended their statement on Jack to remove the offending words, yet no apology to him.

About the author

Picture of David Lange

David Lange

A law school graduate, David Lange transitioned from work in the oil and hi-tech industries into fulltime Israel advocacy. He is a respected commentator and Middle East analyst who has often been cited by the mainstream media
Picture of David Lange

David Lange

A law school graduate, David Lange transitioned from work in the oil and hi-tech industries into fulltime Israel advocacy. He is a respected commentator and Middle East analyst who has often been cited by the mainstream media
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