The National Jewish Assembly (NJA) welcomes the decision by the University of Birmingham to suspend the Friends of Palestine society following a Nakba Day protest in which demonstrators chanted slogans including “Israel is a terror state” and “Resistance is justified when people are occupied” – rhetoric that has become a hallmark of pro-Hamas agitation on UK campuses since October 7, 2023.
This move is long overdue and must be treated as a precedent for further action. The UK’s university campuses have, for too long, allowed the unchecked proliferation of radical, antisemitic slogans masquerading as political protest. Now, with months of video recordings from similar demonstrations nationwide, university administrators and law enforcement authorities have no excuse not to act. There is ample material to identify, investigate, and discipline those responsible.
The IHRA definition of antisemitism – adopted by the University of Birmingham – explicitly cites the justification of terrorism in the name of a radical ideology as an example of antisemitic expression. Universities that have committed themselves to this standard must now enforce it without fear or favour.
Vice Chairman of the NJA, Laurence Julius, said: “The University of Birmingham has taken a commendable first step. But this is not just a Birmingham problem – it is a national crisis. Across the UK, Jewish students have been vilified, threatened, and subjected to hostile environments by activists weaponising political slogans to spread hatred. Other institutions must now show similar courage. They have the evidence. They have the tools. What they’ve lacked – until now – is the will.”
Julius added: “Every time a university fails to respond, it signals that Jewish students are fair game. That ends here. We call on universities to investigate and suspend any society found to have promoted or justified terrorism. British universities must decide whether they are safe spaces for all students, or only for the loudest and most aggressive.”
The NJA will continue to monitor the situation and support efforts to restore dignity, safety, and equal protection under the law to Jewish students across the UK.
