Glasgow University Palestine Society is facing an investigation by the school after justifying a terror attack in Israel that left four people killed and several others wounded. Photo: Facebook.

An anti-Israel student group at the University of Glasgow (GU) in Scotland is under investigation after publicly justifying Wednesday’s bloody terror attack in Tel Aviv, The Algemeiner has learned.

The Glasgow University Palestine Society (GUPS) released a statement on its Facebook page on Thursday concerning the attack, which killed four people — two men and two women — and wounded 16. 

In the posting, the student group refused to label the Palestinian perpetrators as terrorists and criticized governments and the international media for being too quick and willing to label such violent incidents in Israel as terror, writing:

Yesterday evening, a few assailants shot people at a Tel Aviv café. Jerusalem Post already reported that they were from the hills of Al Khalil. We know the code: terror. CNN already calls it a ‘terror attack’ in the headline despite noting in the same article that ‘information about a motive wasn’t immediately available.

And Netanyahu is quoted condemning the ‘murder in the heart of Tel Aviv’, and proclaiming that ‘we will do whatever is necessary to attack the attackers and defend those who need defending’…The US State Department has already condemned the ‘terror’ in the ‘strongest possible terms’, but Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Dannon [sic] is already complaining about lack of condemnation…

These same bodies, the group said, are also guilty of ignoring “terror” against Palestinians:

When someone condemns ‘our’ terror, they are out of their minds. And most of it, the daily terror afflicted [sic] upon Palestinians, will never even be registered by CNN.

Concluding the post, GUPS justified the actions of the terrorists behind the Tel Aviv attack and seemingly all terrorism against Israel, writing:

As stated so many times: when you oppress a people, suppress their basic human rights and freedom of movement, steal their land and natural resources, demolish their homes, murder their families, enforce discriminatory and apartheid laws upon them, do not bring to justice those who attack them – then this is the outcome. End these despicable practices of brutal military occupation NOW!!

Responding to the GUPS post, Lea Balint, GU’s Jewish Society president, told The Algemeiner on Friday, “It’s hard not to view such comments as hostile to Jews. GUPS not only justifies violence against Israelis, but they also display a constant urge to comment on Jewish affairs and Judaism in a less-than-fortunate manner.”

“We have never cared about their criticism of Israel, but we are very concerned when they express admiration for perpetrators of violence against Jews, when they justify violence against Jews, when they downplay antisemitism, and when they engage in antisemitism themselves. Unfortunately, we’ve had plenty of examples of each of these over the past years,” she said.

Balint said Jewish students at GU are “unlike any other minority at the school in having to put up with a student society constantly commenting negatively on its religion and culture, and which would have to stomach the promotion of violence against itself as a legitimate and even progressive political position to hold.”

A spokesperson for GU told The Algemeiner on Friday, “The University of Glasgow has a zero tolerance policy on all forms of racism, including antisemitism. All students are made aware of, and must adhere to a code of conduct which enshrines our values of mutual respect and tolerance. Any allegation that these values have been breached is taken extremely seriously. We can confirm that we are currently investigating a complaint which has been made in respect of a Facebook posting.”

Anti-Israel activity at GU is not unusual. In November 2014, the school faced significant criticism after Yiftah Curiel — a spokesman at the London-based Israeli Embassy — was evacuated by campus security from an event he was speaking at after coming under physical threat. Curiel was removed from the room because security personnel at the scene did not have authority to remove the protesters by force, who interrupted the event by shouting anti-Israel slurs. 

In March 2015, anti-Israel students organized a protest against then-Israeli ambassador to the UK, Daniel Taub, who was invited to speak on campus amidst a reported impending academic agreement between GU and Hebrew University. GUPS condemned GU for opening its doors to Taub, telling the campus newspaper that it did not welcome “dealings with any institutions which attempt to legitimize the occupation of Palestinian territories.”