‘We will fight uni extremists’
UNIVERSITIES Minister Michelle Donelan has vowed to step up the fight against “the scourge of anti-semitism”, after incidents on campuses reached record levels.
She defended the Government’s decision to break off relations with the National Union of Students – meaning it will no longer be eligible to receive funding – claiming that some of its members see anti-semitism as “an acceptable form of racism”.
Instead, the Department for Education will speak to a panel appointed by the Office for Students, an official watchdog, as well as individual student unions.
Ms Donelan said: “This country has a proud and thriving Jewish community who should never be made to feel like university campuses are hostile places for them. This Government will never allow a small group of extremists to threaten the safety and wellbeing of Jewish students, and the swift action I have taken so far needs to be taken as a warning shot.”
Recent controversies included a planned performance at an NUS conference by rapper Kareem Dennis, known as Lowkey, that was cancelled after an outcry. He has been criticised for comments about Volodymyr Zelensky, the Jewish president of Ukraine.
NUS president Shaima Dallali has apologised for a tweet in 2012 which referenced a historic massacre of Jews, while former NUS president Malia Bouattia refused to resign after it emerged she once described Birmingham University as a “Zionist outpost”.
The Government has asked the Charity Commission to conduct a full investigation, and asked the Equality and Human Rights Commission to examine what action the NUS needs to take.
There were 128 anti-semitic incidents connected to higher education institutions in 2021, the highest ever recorded, according to the Community Security Trust charity.
Ms Donelan said: “Present and former Jewish students have commented that for all the warm words about anti-racism, some in the NUS still see anti-semitism as an acceptable form of racism.
“No wonder that anti-semitic incidents on campus reached their highest levels on record last year.”
An NUS spokesperson said: “Following a complaint about antisemitism we launched an independent investigation.
“We will be appointing a QC, in consultation with the Union of Jewish Students, this week.
“We have sought to undertake the investigation in a serious and proper way, and are working in collaboration with the Union of Jewish Students at every step of the way.”
‘This swift action is a warning shot’