Cambridge union approves motion saying world 'failed Palestine'

The Cambridge union approved a motion at a debate on Thursday reading: "This House Believes The International Community Has Failed Palestine."

The motion for the debate, which took place between pro-Palestine and pro-Israel speakers, was proposed by Palestinian journalists and campaigner Yara Eid.

Among those opposing the motion were Israeli speaker and former army liaison Hen Mazzig, whose speech was later reproduced in Jewish News, where he described his reception as "hostile".

The House overwhelmingly voted in favour of the motion.

Last month, the Cambridge Student Union passed a motion to disaffiliate from the National Union of Students (NUS) over what it said was its failure to "campaign for Palestine" and support pro-Palestine student protesters.

It further said that the NUS offered "poor value for money", citing an estimated annual fee of £20,000 ($26,000).

The decision came after more student groups and union officers in 55 universities signed an open letter calling on the NUS to "take a stand on Gaza or face mass disaffiliation".

In response, the NUS demanded that student union officers remove their signatures from the letter or be banned from NUS events.

Cambridge announced last month it would divest from companies involved in producing "controversial weapons".

It came after a year of pro-Palestine student protests at Cambridge and follows one of the university's largest colleges, King's College, deciding it would divest from the arms industry and companies complicit in "the occupation of Ukraine and Palestinian territories".