Jewish students ‘disgusted’ by NUS figure’s Rothschild and Nazi-Israel tweets

The Union of Jewish Students has said it is “disgusted” by comments described as “blatantly anti-Semitic” by a senior member of the National Union of Students’ ruling body.

Ayo Olatunji, a medical student and member of the NUS National Executive Council, was criticised for “continuing to indulge in a racist trope” after suggesting that a conspiracy surrounding the Rothschild Jewish banking family.

Olatunji has previously apologised for endorsing the Rothschild conspiracy, recognising it as anti-Semitic, but this week said it could be “the only viable explanation” in reference to concerns about the “1 percent controlling the power and the rich controlling the power and money”.

A statement from the Union of Jewish Students said Olatunji had made “outrageous claims that Israeli policy has a lot of similarities with Nazi policies,” adding that this “is anti-Semitic under NUS policy which adopts the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism”.

The union added: “NUS must now swiftly and publicly take the appropriate measures to ensure that they enforce their own policy. Those who continue to endorse or express anti-Semitic sentiments should not be allowed to hold official and representative roles within NUS.”