Israeli Ambassador Tzipi Hotovely visited the University of Cambridge on Tuesday where she delivered a wide-ranging talk with students.

The visit at the Cambridge Union was the Ambassador’s first speech to university students since a hate incident at London School of Economics in November. Hotovely stressed the importance of such visits.

“I am incredibly passionate about promoting dialogue and open discussion with young people,” she said. “It is vital. And what better way to do so than by visiting university campuses and by speaking to students”. 

The event, hosted by the Cambridge Union’s President James Vitali at the oldest debating society in the world, saw Hotovely discuss the depth of relations between the UK and Israel. 

She also noted developing trends in the Middle East as Israel continues to pursue peace with Arab neighbours, building on the Abraham Accords and a positive effect in the region. 

Following her speech, Hotovely welcomed questions and reiterated the importance of healthy dialogue.

Prior to the lecture, Hotovely had a tour of the Geniza Collection at Cambridge University Library, which contains a vast array of Jewish documents dating back between 800 and 900 years. These documents are illustrative of Jewish life that has existed across the Middle East since the Middle Ages. 

Hotovely noted, “It was a great honour for me to visit part of the famous Cairo Geniza. Seeing the handwritten scripts of great Jewish scholars like Maimonides was truly a special moment.”

Last week Hotovely, visited the University of Oxford to meet the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Louise Richardson. They discussed academic collaboration between Israel and the UK.