Censure motion fails in Israel row endgame at EUSA

Student representatives at the University of Edinburgh this week defeated an attempt to censure incumbent Vice-President (Societies & Activities) Emma Meehan over her participation in a controversial trip to Israel earlier this month.

Following an emotionally-charged discussion in Teviot Debating Hall on Tuesday 24 January, members of EUSA's Student Council voted 29-22 against the motion, which would have seen Ms Meehan formally condemned by council and mandated to apologise for her involvement.

Speaking shortly after the motion's defeat, Ms Meehan told The Journal that she believed "the Student Council recognised that this censure would have been a judgement on all the work I have done over the past seven months, and this is why they voted to support me."

The motion's proposer, Students for Justice in Palestine president Liam O'Hare, told The Journal: "Whilst being obviously disappointed that student council narrowly failed to condemn Emma's participation in the trip, it is interesting to note that the motion only fell due to the personal framing of the debate.

"It speaks volumes that no one tried to defend Emma's actions politically as they were, indeed, politically indefensible."

In a tense half-hour debate, the motion's proposers claimed that Ms Meehan's involvement in the trip, which was funded by the Union of Jewish Students, brought EUSA into disrepute, and that UJS were servicing a political agenda.

But Ms Meehan and her allies on council hit back, accusing pro-Palestine activists at EUSA of attempting to stifle on-campus debate over the contentious Israel/Palestine conflict.

The union's twinning with the Student Council at Birzeit University in Palestine proved to be a major flashpoint in the row over Ms Meehan's visit to the region. The president of the Birzeit union had previously published an open letter criticising Ms Meehan's involvement.

Ms Meehan acknowledged the tensions, saying that she would "take on board the views of those proposing the motion, and over the next few months I will make strengthening our ties with Birzeit University a priority."

Mr O'Hare added: "In light of the damage done to our relationship with Birzeit over this seriously unfortunate episode, I look forward to seeing the level of commitment to our twinning that our sabbatical officers have promised and are mandated to show."