London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jan 26, 2026

Israeli ambassador protest: LSE investigating threats against Tzipi Hotovely

Israeli ambassador protest: LSE investigating threats against Tzipi Hotovely

The London School of Economics (LSE) is investigating whether students threatened the Israeli ambassador, who was speaking at the university.

Tzipi Hotovely was invited to speak at an event on the future of the Middle East hosted by the student debating society on Tuesday.

Footage on social media shows protesters shouting and rushing up to Ms Hotovely as she left the university.

Ms Hotovely said she had an "excellent evening" and "will not be intimidated".

Home Secretary Priti Patel said she was "disgusted" by the treatment of Ms Hotovely and added that the police have her full support in investigating the "appalling" incident.

The Met Police confirmed officers attended the protest but no arrests were made.

Tzipi Hotovely was appointed as Israeli Ambassador to the UK by former Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu


The ambassador spoke at an event hosted by the university's student debating society as part of a series of talks entitled "A New Era in the Middle East".

The event took place on the 83rd anniversary of Kristallnacht, where paramilitary forces killed more than 90 Jews in Nazi Germany.

Husam Zomlot, the Palestinian ambassador to the UK, had been due to attend a follow-up event on 11 November, but has now pulled out.

'Completely unacceptable'


Ms Hotovely's speech lasted approximately 90 minutes, and "attracted some protest outside" according to the LSE.

She then took questions before "leaving on schedule".

An LSE spokesman said: "Free speech and freedom of expression underpins everything we do at LSE.

"Intimidation or threats of violence are completely unacceptable.

"We are aware of some threats of violence made on social media around this event. Any LSE students identified as being involved in making such threats will face disciplinary action."


Several government ministers have criticised the protest, including Foreign Secretary Liz Truss who called the treatment of the Israeli ambassador "unacceptable".

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi described the footage as "deeply disturbing".

Mr Zahawi said he has "invited Jewish students from LSE to a meeting to hear directly from them and offer any support that I can".

Following the event, Ms Hotovely said: "I'm thankful for all the support I have received from the British government, many friends and partners.

"I had an excellent event at LSE and I will not be intimidated. I will continue to share the Israeli story and hold open dialogue with all parts of British society."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
WhatsApp Develops New Meta AI Features to Enhance User Control
Germany Considers Gold Reserves Amidst Rising Tensions with the U.S.
Michael Schumacher Shows Significant Improvement in Health Status
Greenland’s NATO Stress Test: Coercion, Credibility, and the New Arctic Bargaining Game
Diego Garcia and the Chagos Dispute: When Decolonization Collides With Alliance Power
Trump Claims “Total” U.S. Access to Greenland as NATO Weighs Arctic Basing Rights and Deterrence
Air France and KLM Suspend Multiple Middle East Routes as Regional Tensions Disrupt Aviation
U.S. winter storm triggers 13,000-plus flight cancellations and 160,000 power outages
Poland delays euro adoption as Domański cites $1tn economy and zloty advantage
White House: Trump warns Canada of 100% tariff if Carney finalizes China trade deal
PLA opens CMC probe of Zhang Youxia, Liu Zhenli over Xi authority and discipline violations
ICE and DHS immigration raids in Minneapolis: the use-of-force accountability crisis in mass deportation enforcement
UK’s Starmer and Trump Agree on Urgent Need to Bolster Arctic Security
Starmer Breaks Diplomatic Restraint With Firm Rebuke of Trump, Seizing Chance to Advocate for Europe
UK Finance Minister Reeves to Join Starmer on China Visit to Bolster Trade and Economic Ties
Prince Harry Says Sacrifices of NATO Forces in Afghanistan Deserve ‘Respect’ After Trump Remarks
Barron Trump Emerges as Key Remote Witness in UK Assault and Rape Trial
Nigel Farage Attended Davos 2026 Using HP Trust Delegate Pass Linked to Sasan Ghandehari
Gold Jumps More Than 8% in a Week as the Dollar Slides Amid Greenland Tariff Dispute
BlackRock Executive Rick Rieder Emerges as Leading Contender to Succeed Jerome Powell as Fed Chair
Boston Dynamics Atlas humanoid robot and LG CLOiD home robot: the platform lock-in fight to control Physical AI
United States under President Donald Trump completes withdrawal from the World Health Organization: health sovereignty versus global outbreak early-warning access
FBI and U.S. prosecutors vs Ryan Wedding’s transnational cocaine-smuggling network: the fight over witness-killing and cross-border enforcement
Trump Administration’s Iran Military Buildup and Sanctions Campaign Puts Deterrence Credibility on the Line
Apple and OpenAI Chase Screenless AI Wearables as the Post-iPhone Interface Battle Heats Up
Tech Brief: AI Compute, Chips, and Platform Power Moves Driving Today’s Market Narrative
NATO’s Stress Test Under Trump: Alliance Credibility, Burden-Sharing, and the Fight Over Strategic Territory
OpenAI’s Money Problem: Explosive Growth, Even Faster Costs, and a Race to Stay Ahead
Trump Reverses Course and Criticises UK-Mauritius Chagos Islands Agreement
Elizabeth Hurley Tells UK Court of ‘Brutal’ Invasion of Privacy in Phone Hacking Case
UK Bond Yields Climb as Report Fuels Speculation Over Andy Burnham’s Return to Parliament
America’s Venezuela Oil Grip Meets China’s Demand: Market Power, Legal Shockwaves, and the New Rules of Energy Leverage
TikTok’s U.S. Escape Plan: National Security Firewall or Political Theater With a Price Tag?
Trump’s Board of Peace: Breakthrough Diplomacy or a Hostile Takeover of Global Order?
Trump’s Board of Peace: Breakthrough Diplomacy or a Hostile Takeover of Global Order?
The Greenland Gambit: Economic Genius or Political Farce?
The Greenland Gambit: Economic Genius or Political Farce?
The Greenland Gambit: Economic Genius or Political Farce?
Will AI Finally Make Blue-Collar Workers Rich—or Is This Just Elite Tech Spin?
Prince William to Make Official Visit to Saudi Arabia in February
Prince Harry Breaks Down in London Court, Says UK Tabloids Have Made Meghan Markle’s Life ‘Absolute Misery’
Malin + Goetz UK Business Enters Administration, All Stores Close
EU and UK Reject Trump’s Greenland-Linked Tariff Threats and Pledge Unified Response
UK Deepfake Crackdown Puts Intense Pressure on Musk’s Grok AI After Surge in Non-Consensual Explicit Images
Prince Harry Becomes Emotional in London Court, Invokes Memory of Princess Diana in Testimony Against UK Tabloids
UK Inflation Rises Unexpectedly but Interest Rate Cuts Still Seen as Likely
AI vs Work: The Battle Over Who Controls the Future of Labor
Buying an Ally’s Territory: Strategic Genius or Geopolitical Breakdown?
AI Everywhere: Power, Money, War, and the Race to Control the Future
Trump vs the World Order: Disruption Genius or Global Arsonist?
×