Union calls for greater protection of Jewish students in UK universities

The Union of Jewish Students has written to UK student unions and university vice-chancellors to call for greater protection and support for Jewish students, with the organisation reporting a surge in accounts of threats and abuse since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.

The organisation wants student unions, in particular, to take a “zero tolerance” approach to any signs of support for Hamas, which was responsible for the attacks in southern Israel on 7 October that killed more than 1,400 people, mostly Israeli civilians, and for capturing 200 hostages.

A hotline set up by the UJS has received more than 100 calls in a week, including accounts from Jewish students of antisemitic incidents, according to its spokesperson, Edward Daniel.

“There has been a wealth of concerns. We’ve had students who are worried, we’ve had students who have reported incidents that we are looking into. We’ve had reports of intimidation, harassment and students being threatened, with abuse hurled at them,” Daniel said.

“We’ve written to every vice-chancellor in the country, and we’ve also sent letters to over 100 student unions in the country as well, calling on them to support their Jewish students and take practical measures to secure them.”

The letter to vice-chancellors said: “Your institution needs to stand by its Jewish students by unequivocally condemning the glorification and celebration of terrorism which is being seen on campuses across the UK.”

The letter, co-signed by University Jewish Chaplaincy, added: “It is of paramount importance to brief university staff and lecturers about their responsibility to create safe spaces for students and leave their politics at the front door. Lecturers and university staff should be sensitive to the emotional distress many of their Jewish and Israeli students are currently facing.”

Separately, the Community Security Trust said it recorded 36 antisemitic incidents involving UK universities between 7 and 16 October, compared with 17 in total during the first six months of 2023.

The UJS, which represents the 9,000 Jewish students studying at UK universities and colleges, said that campuses remained safe and that no Jewish events have had to be cancelled over security fears. But it said there had been “worrying signs”, such as posters around central London carrying the slogan “Intifada until victory!” and showing a soldier aiming a rifle at a Palestinian supporter.

The posters were attributed to University College London’s student Marxist society, which has since been suspended by UCL’s student union and its details removed from the union’s website.

A spokesperson for Universities UK, which represents 142 universities, said: “Any student or staff member found to be supporting Hamas will be in breach of UK law and universities treat this with the utmost seriousness.

“Any discrimination or intimidation against students or staff resulting from the attacks in Israel is absolutely unacceptable and we urge any students facing antisemitism or harassment or discrimination of any kind to inform their university and seek support.”