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David Miller campaign accuses Jewish students of ‘whitewashing colonialism’
A group supporting the controversial Bristol academic has repeated his incendiary claims against Bristol's Jewish Society.
A campaign backing Bristol’s ‘end Zionism’ professor has doubled down on its inflammatory claim that the university’s J-Soc whitewashes “Zionist colonisation of Palestine.”
The Support David Miller campaign issued the incendiary statement after Jewish News reported how Miller is allegedly teaching next year – despite an investigation into his conduct passing the 150 day mark.
The sociology lecturer was roundly condemned by Jewish communal figures and Parliamentarians after calling for an “end to Zionism” and labelled Bristol’s J-Soc “pawns of Israel.”
Now a campaign supporting the academic has repeated the claims, accusing the Union of Jewish Students of “manufacturing hysteria” over Miller.
“Both the UJS and Bristol JSoc exist to whitewash Zionist colonisation of Palestine and promote Israeli diplomatic objectives in the UK,” it said in an email to Jewish News, in which it also accused this newspaper of failing to maintain “even a pretence of journalistic integrity”.
It added: “No serious observer should take the claims of ‘discomfort’ made by these pro-Israel campaigners at face value, and they should not be allowed to dictate policy to British universities.”
The Union of Jewish Students has repeatedly criticised Bristol University for failing to take action “to protect Jewish students, who have been singled out and targeted.”
The president of the Jewish Society at the university, Edward Isaacs, has also said that he was personally targeted for abuse in the wake of the academic’s broadside against the J-Soc.
Bosses at Bristol University, one of the country’s leading academic institutions, have refused to discuss the probe, citing legal reasons.
Yesterday, it refused to tell Jewish News whether Prof Miller would be teaching next year, saying it could discuss any “specifics” because of the investigation.
This is despite Prof Miller reportedly being listed as taking two modules on the university’s own website.
“We also appreciate there is a great deal of public interest in this matter,” said a spokesperson.
“However, we cannot jeopardise the integrity and rigour of what is a confidential process by discussing it with the media or third parties.”
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