THE DEBATE that dominated this year's NUS conference — starting on Saturday evening and not finishing until Monday morning — was the debate on Israel/Palestine. The conference was faced with a choice between two opposing positions. One called for extensive solidarity with the Palestinians, to be the Palestinians — the first of its kind for many years), and supported the right of the Palestinians to self-determination, to return to their homeland, and to an independent state. It secondle elemine Liberation Organisation representative of the Palestinian people.
This position was sup DULLCU of the Palestinian General Students (GUPS), Students for Palestine, the National Organisation Labour Students (NOLS), Campaig Student, Comnunist Students. the NaBlack Students (NBSA)
Socialist Worker Students Society (SWSS). It was brought Coherence after a speaker tour with Palestinian SUUUCIELS organised by Students for Palestine and GUPS.
The other position, supported 'Socialist Students in NOLS' and the Union of Jewish Students. (UJS), was put separately in TWO THRONI identical amendments. stated that the Israeli Law of Return (which allows Israeli citizenship any Jewish person but not to a Palestinian who was born tnere) is not racist. It also said that democratic, secular Palestine could on ly be achieved by the PLO concus Israel' incorporating the Israeli JCws Arab state against their will'; called TOI the half million Palestinian residents of Israel to be expelled and legitimate the establishment of two rach the exclusivist states with words 'Neither Palestinians nor Jewish people should compromise their separate identities and asonanons by micol porating into either Jewish or Palestinian states'; and condemned Students for for spreading anti-Semitic myths!
This position, if adop ted, would have signified most reacwould have meant giving active support for the Law of Return and for the state of Israel, and rejecting the rights of nine million Palestinians.
these then further exposed the reacLullal yo racist pro-imperialist positions they adopting leaflet which Law of Return as 'nationalism'. It stated that their busines who they make citizens of it.' After a clear, political attack, put forward Campaign Student, on the Law of Return as the racist basis of the foundation of Israel, SSIN's amendment, against all expectations, Stop willing our tudents Stop killing our students BILLA ON OUTSIOE THE
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co-ordinated by NUS with Students for Palestine (a new student organisation building solidarity with
SSiN, supporting both amendments,
•Israeli Jews have a right to therefore