Sunak says university leaders have moral duty to protect Jewish students from intimidation
University vice-chancellors have 'personal responsibility' for keeping Jewish students safe, says the prime minister
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
Rishi Sunak has university leaders have a “moral duty” to protect Jewish students from intimidation and harassment on campuses ahead of a meeting at No.10 Downing Street.
Speaking in advance of Thursday’s summit, attended by the Union of Jewish Students, the Community Security Trust, ministers and around 10 university vice-chancellors, the prime minister referenced the growing number of pro-Palestinian protests at campuses in the UK, and fears that they could end up mirroring the violent protests in the United States.
He said:”There can be no appeasement or pandering to absurd demands from protesters.
“Nor can we put up with a kind of passive tolerance of words and actions that go against what we stand for as a country.
“We are a nation of compassionate, tolerant people who will always protect and defend our common values of decency and respect. That means zero tolerance of antisemitism and indeed any form of hatred, prejudice or discrimination.”
He added:”Universities should be places of rigorous debate but also bastions of tolerance and respect for every member of their community.
“A vocal minority on our campuses are disrupting the lives and studies of their fellow students and, in some cases, propagating outright harassment and antisemitic abuse. That has to stop. ”
Sunak said university leaders needed to take “personal responsibility” for keeping students safe, and referenced claims by Jewish students that some had been “targeted, threatened and assaulted simply for being Jewish”, along with examples of protesters singing “genocidal chants”.
Vice Chancellors from around 20 universities attended the meeting, along with education secretary Gillian Keegan, UJS president Edward Isaacs and Dave Rich of the CST, along with other ministers, including Michael Gove.
But the government’s own adviser on antisemitism Lord Mann was not at the meeting, and neither were the National Union of Students, who have been sidelined by the government over complaints about their failure to tackle antisemitism
Ministers said universities must take immediate disciplinary action if any student is found to be inciting racial hatred or violence – and contact the police where they believe a criminal act has been committed.
Writing for The Times, Sunak said students should be able to express their “very human angst” at the suffering in Gaza, but that free speech could never be used as an excuse for harassment, intimidation or the incitement of violence.
The Education Secretary wrote to Vice Chancellors on Sunday setting out government expectations in respect of the support being provided to Jewish students.
Keegan said ahead of the meeting:”I have made it absolutely clear that universities must crack down on antisemitism and ensure that protests do not unduly disrupt university life.
“I am looking forward to welcoming vice chancellors to No10 today to make sure together we have clear steps in place to protect Jewish students on campus.”
Meanwhile, the Office for Students (OfS) has committed to publishing the response to its consultation on a new condition of registration, which could give OfS the power to impose sanctions where there is clear evidence that universities are failing to take sufficient or appropriate action to tackle harassment, including antisemitic abuse.
In the last Autumn Statement, the chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced £7 million of extra support to tackle antisemitic abuse in educational settings. £500,000 of this will now be dedicated to supporting the work of the University Jewish Chaplaincy, boosting support for Jewish students on campus.
The University Jewish Chaplaincy helps students deal with incidents of antisemitism and intimidation and currently supports over 8,500 students at over 100 universities in 13 regions.
The Union of Jewish Students (UJS) have criticised the “toxic environment” faced by Jewish students across the country. According to the CST there was an increase of 203% in university-related antisemitic incidents between 2022 and 2023.
But Jewish News understands that some universities are concerned about being dragged into the row, pointing out that statistics show there were little or no instances of antisemitism at their institutions.
Another leading university is expected to point out that multiple complaints by a single individual has made the situation on their campus seem significantly worse.
Other experts point to statistics emerging from America showing the vast majority of people involved with violent disturbances were outsiders linked to extremist political groups, rather than students.
There are also claims that US campus protests are significantly different than the often less violent ones staged in this country.
Questions have also been asked about why the government has announced this high profile meeting at a time when most students are preparing for, or working on exams.
A source close to the NUS also accused the Prime Minister of “trying to play politics” and that the student body was “clear in its fight against antisemitism.”
“That mission is why NUS has worked so hard to fight this prejudice and will never stop.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
