Earlier this year at St Andrews university in Scotland, American Jewish student Chanan Reitblat suffered an attack on his Jewish identity when student Paul Donnachie desecrated his Israeli flag. In a landmark ruling, a Scottish judge found Mr. Donnichie guilty of a racially aggrevated offence for his desecration, done whilst verbally abusing Chanan. Chanan flew back from New York to give evidence, and ultimately Mr Donnichie was found guilty, in a case which re-affirms the right of Jewish students to express their Jewish identity through Zionism.
The case has gained widespread media coverage in the United Kingdom and beyond, and I sat down with Chanan, to find out the effect this experience has had on him, and what he hopes the long-term effects will be.