London private school investigates social media video of pupil declaring, ‘f*** Israel’
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London private school investigates social media video of pupil declaring, ‘f*** Israel’

University College School in Hampstead told Jewish News it's aware of the clip of the male teenager that been widely circulated online.

Richard Ferrer has been editor of Jewish News since 2009. As one of Britain's leading Jewish voices he writes for The Times, Independent, New Statesman and many other titles. Richard previously worked at the Daily Mail, Daily Mirror, edited the Boston Jewish Advocate and created the Channel 4 TV series Jewish Mum Of The Year.

University College School
University College School

A prestigious £25,000-a-year private school has launched an investigation after one of its pupils was filmed making an obscene gesture and declaring, “f*** Israel”.

University College School told Jewish News it is aware of the video which has been widely circulated online.

A spokesperson for the Hampstead school said: “We are currently investigating this matter. We are determined that the school should be a safe space for everyone, where all members of the community are treated with the same kindness and respect. Intolerance has no place at UCS and runs counter to the school’s values.

University College School

“Within the school community, there are a number of ways in which we continue to support our pupils during this difficult time and which we communicate to pupils and parents, including after the recent half-term break. These include access to dedicated school counsellors, discussions in clubs and societies and school assemblies.”

It is unclear where the video was filmed. The teenage male is not in school uniform.

The incident at UCS comes just one day after students at north London girls’ school Channing were left “deeply saddened” after antisemitic graffiti was daubed in a bathroom. Police were called in to investigate the incident.

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