A poll by the Union of Jewish Students (UJS) has found that antisemitism has “become normalised” on UK campuses, with almost a quarter of students witnessing behaviour targeting Jewish students for their religion or ethnicity. The survey of 1,000 students of all faiths and none also revealed that one in five would be reluctant to, or would never, houseshare with a Jewish student.
The report, titled Time for Change, found that 47% of students had witnessed justification of the 7 October attacks by Hamas, while 49% had heard slogans or chants glorifying Hamas, Hezbollah or other proscribed groups. Two-thirds (65%) said their learning had been disrupted by protests.
Jewish students also face increased social ostracisation, with one in four (26%) aware of friendships becoming more distant or strained. The report highlighted a case where non-Jewish students shared on social media that they had “only one rule – no Zios in the flat”. Testimonies from Jewish students described being chased home, threatened, verbally abused and physically attacked.
There was also evidence of apathy towards antisemitism, with 25% of those polled saying they did not care if students could be open about their Jewish identity. Of those who witnessed antisemitism, only 20% challenged it directly, while 22% reported it to the students’ union and 23% to the university.
Karen Newman, vice-president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said the report made for “sickening reading”. A spokesperson for Universities UK said they worked with universities, the UJS, the Community Security Trust and the Jewish Chaplaincy service to tackle antisemitism. In a foreword, Labour peer Luciana Berger said the experiences echoed her own 20 years ago, while author Daniel Finkelstein said universities that ignore bullying were “failing in their duties”.
The government recently announced increased support for universities to tackle extremism, including plans for a campus cohesion charter. The Office for Students said it would take action against institutions that fail to protect students from harassment or intimidation.
