PM criticises Oxford for being ‘too slow’ to act on ‘Zios in the ground’ student

The Prime Minister has criticised Oxford University for being “slow” to act with regard to a student videoed chanting for the death of Zionists at a protest last weekend.

In comments made today during a visit to the Community Security Trust (CST) headquarters in North West London, Keir Starmer said that universities “should not be a place where Jewish students fear even to go, in some cases not wanting to go to university to have the education that they’re entitled to, or if they do go are concerned about their identity, how they’re going to be dealt with and reacted to.”

The Prime Minister continued by saying: “We have to stand up to that. And some universities have been too slow.

“Look at Oxford this week. That was a slow reaction to the clearest of clear cases.

“I won’t say any more than that, because obviously there are proceedings in place now.”

Earlier this week, Jewish News reported on a video from a pro-Palestinian protest in central London on Saturday, in which a man appeared to praise what he described as “an upright, a steadfast and a noble resistance in Palestine and in Gaza to look to, to be inspired by.”

He went on to refer to “a chant we’ve been workshopping in Oxford that maybe you guys want to join in, it goes ‘Gaza, Gaza, make us proud, put the Zios in the ground’.” He went on to scream the chant, which is picked up by a number of people in the surrounding crowd.

The individual was subsequently identified as Samuel Williams, a final-year Politics, Philosophy and Economics undergraduate student at Balliol College. Images on his social media included him pictured with a mock AK-47 assault rifle.

Despite the information identifying the Oxford student first circulating on Monday afternoon and then reported widely on Tuesday, including by national publications, no official action by the university was announced until Wednesday, at the same time as the police confirmed that “a 20-year-old man was arrested at an address in Oxfordshire…on suspicion of inciting racial hatred. He remains in police custody.” At that point the university confirmed that it had suspended a student from the university, saying “Oxford University is unequivocal: there is no place for hatred, antisemitism or discrimination within our community, and we will always act to protect the safety and dignity of our students.”

The Union of Jewish Students responded by saying it “welcome[d] the news that decisive action has been taken against a University of Oxford student who called to “put the Zios in the ground”. Jewish students should never have to stand by as their peers glorify terrorism or incite hatred. Universities around the country should take note of this swift action. Institutions must end the culture of impunity that has allowed antisemitism to go unchecked on campus and take a firm, consistent stand against the glorification of terror.”

Oxford University and the Union of Jewish Students have been contacted for comment in response to the Prime Minister’s remarks.