Letter to Luke Tryl, President of the Oxford Union, by Rabbi Eli Brackman, to withdraw invitation to David Irving to speak in debate on Freedom of Speech at Oxford Union.
Dear Luke,
I am writing to you as Rabbi in Oxford asking that you kindly consider withdrawing the invitation to David Irving. Mr. Irving is a symbol of Holocaust denial and extreme anti-Semitism in the world today.
I am in favour of a debate on free speech and there are many suitable speakers who can debate this subject, including people like Nathan Sheransky and Nelson Mandela. However, to host Mr. Irving is insensitive to the Jewish community and the wider community who believe that the path for a moral society free of opression is by stamping out racist ideology that is only a cause of discord and potential violence against Jews and other minorities.
I am sure you are able to understand the sensitivity of the issue and you would be duly credited for standing up for the human rights principle of allowing people to live in dignity and freedom of fear, hatred and violence.
I thank you in advance for taking my view into consideration and I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience. I would indeed be delighted to meet with you and discuss this in more detail.
Wishing you every success in all your future endeavours and kind regards.
Best wishes,
Rabbi Eli Brackman