Student protest forces former US diplomat to leave American University in Cairo

The American University in Cairo (AUC) was rocked by a large student protest on Tuesday against the university’s decision to host former US diplomat Daniel Kurtzer, prompting him to leave the campus before delivering his lecture.

Kurtzer, who served as US ambassador to Israel from 2001 to 2005, was invited by AUC’s School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. Students and faculty members objected to his participation, citing his support for Israeli policies and his involvement in US foreign policy decisions during the Iraq war.

Hundreds of students gathered on campus, waving Palestinian flags and holding banners in solidarity with Palestine. The demonstration began around 1:30 p.m., with protesters chanting slogans condemning the event and accusing the university of “normalising” ties with those supporting Israel.

In a joint statement, the AUC Student Union said more than 40 student organisations had united “in outrage, conscience, and solidarity with Palestine.” The statement criticised the administration for ignoring students’ calls to cancel the lecture, saying that hosting Kurtzer was “unacceptable and deeply offensive to our university community.”

“This is not about academic freedom but about moral responsibility,” the students said, stressing that “giving a platform to someone who defends apartheid is normalisation, and we will not allow it.”

The protest is part of a broader wave of student activism across the world expressing solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing genocide in Gaza, which, according to United Nations reports, has claimed tens of thousands of lives since its escalation in October 2023.

According to student organisers, Kurtzer ultimately left the university premises after widespread opposition from students prevented the event from proceeding.