SCOTLAND: Student expelled for Israeli flag abuse

28 August 2011

A student at St Andrews University in Edinburgh was convicted last week by a Scottish court for a racist breach of the peace for abusing an Israeli flag belonging to a Jewish student, who said he felt "violated and devastated" by the incident, writes Jonny Paul for the Jerusalem Post.

The incident occurred in March, when students Samuel Colchester and Paul Donnachie, both associated with the extremist group Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, entered the dorm room of Chanan Reitblat, a Yeshiva University student who was at the Scottish university for a semester, and rubbed their hands on their genitals before wiping them on Reitblat's Israeli flag. They then went on an hour-long rant in the hall about how Jews have no claim to Israel, and accused it of being a terrorist, Nazi state.

Last week, Donnachie was found guilty by the court of racial abuse and was expelled by the university. Colchester was suspended for a year, pending further investigation and a hearing that will take place next month.
Full report on the Jerusalem Post site

Comment

Just a note to advise that there are a couple of inaccuracies in The Jerusalem Post story. Paul Donnachie was indeed found guilty of racially aggravated breach of the peace and it is he who has to return to court on 13 September for sentencing, following social work reports. He has been expelled by St Andrews University. The case against Sam Colchester was found 'not proven', a uniquely Scottish verdict meaning the Sheriff thought he probably did it, but there was not enough evidence to be sure. It has the same practical outcome as 'not guilty'. He has been suspended from university for one year.

Nicola Livingston

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