Palestine House, a six-storey cultural centre in central London, has faced criticism for hosting two speakers who have openly celebrated the October 7th terror attacks on Israel.
The centre hosted Latifa Abouchakra and Batool Subeiti at a 'Lessons of Resistance' panel event last week. Abouchakra and Subeiti have both praised the deadly October 7th attacks on Israel by Hamas in 2023, calling it a 'moment of triumph' and 'unprecedented revenge'.
Subeiti, a pro-Iranian political commentator, was also given a central role in Palestine House's educational programme for children on 'resistance' and history. During the event, panellists appeared to defend a Palestine Action activist convicted of criminal damage, while Subeiti spoke about 'martyrdom' as a form of 'victory'.
The Community Security Trust (CST) called Abouchakra and Subeiti's role in the evening 'deeply troubling,' while a representative of October 7th victims said it was 'heartbreaking' they were given a platform.
Abouchakra, a presenter at the banned Iran-backed channel PressTV, told viewers on the day of the attacks that the violence was 'the homecoming of at least 1,000 Palestinians from the resistance factions into the fragile Zionist entity.' In an Instagram post, she said: 'Nothing will ever be able to take back this moment, this moment of triumph, this moment of resistance, this moment of surprise, this moment of humiliation on behalf of the Zionist entity.'
Subeiti has spoken in glowing terms about what she described as the 'unprecedented revenge' of the 'Al Aqsa Flood,' which is what Hamas calls the October 7th attacks. In a now-deleted social media post, she stated: 'Today the resistance stands tall as it has humiliated the Wrong State [Ms Subeiti’s term for Israel] … and is now on the cusp of liberating historic Palestine.'
The Jewish Chronicle has reported that Subeiti and her sister travelled to Lebanon to meet with Hezbollah leader Muhammed Raad in July 2024. During the event, Subeiti can be heard discussing how 'victory' can be defined as 'martyrdom.'
A spokesperson for the Community Security Trust said: 'It is deeply troubling when individuals who have praised the October 7 terrorist attacks or have a record of alleged antisemitic activity are given platforms at public events in the UK.'
A spokesperson for the Jewish Leadership Council said organisations that 'host extremist views' that glorify terrorism or promote radical ideologies 'must be held to account.'
Palestine House has said they should not be expected to vet the opinions of participants in their event. In a statement, the centre said: 'Palestine House exists because Palestinians are living through a genocide and a man-made famine in Gaza, and our work; over 600 events in the past 16 months, reaching more than 300,000 people, is about giving voice to that reality through education, culture and community.'
When approached for comment, Abouchakra and Subeiti said in a joint statement that they were the victims of a harassment campaign.
