Jewish students may sue university union for promoting ‘Israel Apartheid Week’

Jewish students are threatening to sue the Student Union at King’s College, London, after it promoted ‘Israel Apartheid Week’ activities.

The University’s Israel Society is being supported by the British arm of CAMERA, a US-based pro-Israel organisation which describes itself as a “media watchdog” and has a history of funding legal actions on campuses.

The students say the union’s promotion of Israel Apartheid Week (IAW) events was “unlawful and anti-Semitic” after the Government adopted a new working definition of anti-Semitism which includes referring to Israel as “a racist state”.

“This is the only student society event of the entire year that KCLSU has advertised and endorsed, with absolutely no right to do so,” said Tamara Berens of KCL Israel Society, who is also campus associate for CAMERA on Campus UK.

“Promoting ‘Israeli Apartheid Week’ is not within the union’s usual charitable objects, and is therefore unlawful. It also contravenes the commitment of the union as a charity not to run a political campaign,” Berens said.

“The slogan ‘Israeli Apartheid Week’ itself is antisemitic and contrary to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism adopted by the British government and the National Union of Students.”

Hadar Langerman, another member of KCL Israel Society, added: “To see our union, which is supposed to be representing all students, take a deliberate jab at Jewish students and those supportive of Israel is appalling and frightening.”

An event hosted by KCL Israel Society featuring former Deputy Israeli Prime Minister Dan Meridor earlier this month attracted protests, about which Jewish leaders complained.