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Salient. Official Newspaper of the Victoria University Students' Association. Vol 41 No. 7. April 10 1978

Speaking Rights Defied

Speaking Rights [unclear: Defied]

The meeting really heated up when Don Carson (ex-NZUSA IVP and currently Massey's International Affairs Officer) went to the microphone. He had been speaking for about 20 seconds when the Chairperson La Heyman, encouraged by Atashi and some members of the audience, decided that he wasn't going to be allowed to speak anymore. While Heyman did his best to shout Carson down and take the microphone from him, the latter tried to continue.

Amid a barrage of insults and complaints from the floor, and with Heyman reaching round him to grab the micro-phone, Carson asked how Israel could be considered as a democracy when it had political prisoners and exiled opponents, when Atashi could tour the world defending the state but four mayors from the West Bank were not allowed to testify before the UN on Israeli actions on the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Atashi replied "I speak on behalf of Israel and not on behalf of the West Bank ...Israel should not accept any biased policy from abroad, including the UN" His even temper during the speech had by now completely given way to a barely supressed rage.

Carson sat down and others tried to speak, but the Zionists in the audience were in full flight and didn't seem very interested in debate. Some people did manage to get their points in. "How can you sleep when the vast majority of Palestinians lable you as a traitor and a liar?" shouted one person.

Shortly afterwards Heyman announced that Atashi had to leave as he hadn't had his lunch. The time was 1.10 pm; Atashi had been ther for just over half the proper time, given a long speech which was listened to in relative quietness, avoided answering questions and then left! He did not come to debate, he claimed as he left the rostrum. It was the first "forum" at Vic. I have seen where the participants did not attempt to join in and where the guest speaker would not accept that his views were open to question and where he did not recognise an obligation to try to defend them.