Oxford Union votes that Israel poses 'greater threat' to regional stability than Iran

ISTANBUL

The Oxford Union, one of the world’s most renowned debating societies, has voted “overwhelmingly” in favor 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.

The debate centered 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 motion, 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 lawmakers believe the country’s borders should stretch “from the Nile to the Euphrates.”

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

Opposing the motion, Neuer insisted that Israel is not the destabilizing force in the region and accused Iran of arming militant proxies across the Middle East.

“Regional stability is measured by who starts wars, not by who stops them,” he said. “Israel does not arm terror proxies in five Arab countries – the regime in Iran does that.”

He cited the Iranian attack on Israel earlier this year involving drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles, arguing that the coordinated response by several Arab states showed their alignment with Israel against Iranian aggression.

“You don’t intercept missiles heading towards a threat to regional stability – you intercept missiles from one,” he said.

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.