Controversial right-wing Israeli Minister Naftali Bennett, whose scheduled visit to speak at an event organised by the Cambridge Middle East and North Africa Forum (MENAF) prompted criticism from 30 student societies, has cancelled his upcoming trip to the UK.

It has been reported that the cancellation came as a response to the resignation of the Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who resigned over the cabinet's decision to accept a ceasefire ending two days of fighting in Gaza, describing this as "surrendering to terror".

On Sunday, Israeli forces killed seven Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian officials, in an apparently botched undercover raid and an ensuing firefight. The resulting conflict, prior to the ceasefire, has been described as the greatest escalation of violence in Gaza since the 2014 war.

Alongside his appearance in Cambridge, Bennett was also scheduled to speak at an event in London, organised by the Zionist Federation, which was set to be hosted by ITV’s International Affairs Editor Rageh Omaar.

Earlier today, PalSoc released an open letter, signed by 30 University societies, stating that Bennett “is not welcome to express his well known and deeply racist views at our university,” and calling on journalist Donald Macintyre to withdraw from the event. CUSU endorsed this open letter, and urged students not to attend Bennett’s scheduled talk.

MENAF published a statement on their Facebook page, linking an article in the Jewish News, and saying, “We are sorry to disappoint our members but will be sure to try and host a similar event on his next visit to the United Kingdom.”

MENAF criticised “the unfortunate attempt at orchestrating a boycott”, but added that the “more than 250 sign-ups we had in the last three days show that people had a massive interest”.

Responding to Bennett’s cancellation, PalSoc told Varsity: “Naftali Bennett, preoccupied with agitating for another brutal war on Gaza, was evidently not looking forward to his unwelcome reception in Cambridge. We are pleased he has cancelled his trip and suggest he doesn’t attempt to arrange another.”

They added, “His violent, racist colonial politics have no place here, and we are heartened by the breadth of opposition to his invitation amongst the Cambridge student community – paralleled only by the remarkable popular support displayed for the Palestinian cause.”