PROTECT JEWISH STUDENTS, SUNAK TO VARSITY HEADS

London, May 9: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called on university bosses on Thursday to protect Jewish students from what he said was harassment and antisemitic abuse from a vocal minority at protests on campuses.

Students at some British universities have set up small encampments in protest at Israel’s conduct in its war against Hamas, but there has so far not been the same scale of unrest seen at some US colleges.

Sunak invited leaders from some of Britain’s best known universities to Downing Street and told them they had to take a zero-tolerance approach to incidents of antisemitism and any other form of discrimination, his spokesperson said.

There was no immediate comment from university officials at the meeting. Sunak in March announced plans to tackle what he called extremist activity in Britain, but some politicians in his party warned him against using the issue in an attempt to gain a political advantage.

The prime minister “called on universities to remain bastions of tolerance where debate takes place with respect for others and where every student feels safe,” he said.

Sunak attended with his education, security and communities ministers. Concerns were raised about “non-student agitators.”