The National Union of Students (NUS) has not adequately combated anti-Semitism and anti-Semitism within its own structures, an independent investigation has found.
Jewish students were “harassed” and NUS guidelines were violated, the report says.
The NUS apologized to the Jewish students and said it would implement the report’s recommendations.
The Union of Jewish Students (UJS) called the report “devastating”.
The report, outlining the findings of the investigation announced by the NUS and led by attorney Rebecca Tuck KC, recommended no sanctions.
Instead, it put forward 11 recommendations — including introducing regular anti-Semitism training for NUS staff and officers and producing educational materials on anti-Semitism and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
- Jewish students want change after allegations of anti-Semitism by the NUS
- The Israeli-Palestinian conflict explained
- NUS president fired over anti-Semitism allegations
The report said there was a “poor relationship” between the NUS and Jewish students, stemming from “views and attitudes about” the situation.
It said some complaints of anti-Semitism had been labeled “bad faith” in the NIS in an attempt to prevent pro-Palestinian or anti-Israel policies.
“This has led to anti-Semitism and hostility towards Jews who have not been vigorously or proactively combated by NUS,” it said.
The report cites examples of anti-Semitism on campus given by interviewees, such as Jewish freshmen having swastikas painted on them at “white t-shirt parties.” It also lists examples within NUS spaces, such as:
- a student turned away from a prayer room because it was being used for a meeting
- a proposal for representation on an anti-racism committee is not referred to as a “final solution”.
Kat Stark, director of NUS, said incidents of antisemitism in the report were “shocking” and that all of Ms Tuck’s recommendations and a “zero tolerance” policy towards antisemitism were being implemented.
“What we Jewish students want to say now – past, present, future – is that we are really sorry that you faced anti-Semitism and the moments when you didn’t feel welcome,” she said.
“I want Jewish students everywhere to know that you are welcome in colleges and universities. You are welcome in the NIS.”
Campaigning for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is “quite possible…without crossing the line into anti-Semitism,” she said. “We have to start with the student movement.”
Ms Tuck’s report – based on interviews with 46 groups and individuals – found that recommendations from “numerous” previous studies had been implemented inconsistently.
Noting that not all Jewish students had had “hostile” experiences with the NUS, it added: “The fact that some students did not experience hostility in no way diminishes the importance of the trauma suffered by those nor the fault of the NUS for not having prevented this.”
Other recommendations are:
- the establishment of an “advisory board” to oversee the implementation of the recommendations
- a review of complaints and voting procedures; and guidelines for outside speakers
- the “revival” of a committee on anti-racism and anti-fascism
UJS President Joel Rosen said the report was a “very damning indictment of the presence of anti-Jewish racism at the heart of student politics.”
One passage states that Jewish students in NIS areas were considered “responsible for Israel” and “stripped of all other characteristics”.
“The students I represent are diverse…they have very different views on a whole range of issues,” Mr Rosen told the BBC.
“But what we saw is this type of stereotyping that the report exposes.”
He said the recommendation from an “advisory panel” was “encouraging,” but added, “Making a report is a diagnosis of the problem. It’s not a solution to the problem—and Jewish students will want to see action.”
dr Sara Husseini, director of the British Palestinian Committee, and Ben Jamal, director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, issued a statement to the BBC ahead of the report’s release.
In it, they said there must be a “safe space for Palestinians to speak out about the facts of their oppression.” They are “concerned about the mixing of anti-Semitism with advocacy for Palestinian rights, including legitimate criticism of the State of Israel.” And those concerns were “exacerbated” by the November sacking of former NIS President Shaima Dallali over anti-Semitism allegations.
Ms Dallali denied the allegations, previously telling the Guardian newspaper that it was absolutely not true that she dislikes Jews.
Her lawyers have also said she denied the findings that led to her dismissal.
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