NUS chief suspended following ‘anti-Jewish slur’ probe

THE president of the National Union of Students has been suspended for alleged anti-Semitism, it emerged last night.

Shaima Dallali was stood down from the role after an investigation was launched into ‘very serious’ allegations in April.

It comes just months after the Government cut ties with the organisation over concerns of anti-Semitism. It is thought to be the first time in the union’s 100-year history that a president has been suspended. The probe came after Jewish students took offence to a 2012 tweet in which Miss Dallali shared a battle cry historically used when attacking Jews.

Miss Dallali, right, wrote: ‘Khaybar Khaybar O Jews… Muhammad’s army will return Gaza.’ The 27-year-old has since apologised for the tweet, saying she is ‘a different person’.

Welcoming the probe when it was announced in April, she told The Guardian: ‘The investigation is the right thing to do. I know quite a few Jewish students feel alienated.

‘This is the first step to start bridging the gap and reaching out to Jewish students and ensuring that they feel like they have a place in NUS, so I do welcome it.’

The NUS president, who is due to serve a twoyear term, has also been criticised for fundraising for a group linked to anti-Semitism, as well as protesting about a guest lecture by a former Israeli politician at King’s College London.

Her suspension comes after the Government cut ties with the union in May.

The then-education secretary Nadhim Zahawi said he was ‘seriously concerned’ at the number of reports of alleged anti-Semitism linked to the NUS at the time.

He added: ‘Jewish students need to have confidence that this is a body that represents them, and we need to be sure the student bodies that we engage with are speaking fairly for all students.’

An NUS spokesman said: ‘We cannot comment at this time as we are in the middle of an investigation. But we are prepared to take any and all actions recommended.’