Jewish students are protected by the IHRA definition of antisemitism
The commentariat’s analysis of the adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism by British universities (Letters, 7 January) does not resemble the reality we have witnessed on the ground.
Critics of the IHRA definition have sought to depict it as a diktat imposed by the education secretary that would inhibit freedom of speech. Their narrative ignores the reality that it is university Jewish societies across the country and the Union of Jewish Students, which represents 8,500 students, that have long been campaigning in good faith for our universities to adopt this definition.
We have done so because we seek to protect Jewish students and not the government of the State of Israel. The definition explicitly states that criticism of Israel similar to that levelled against other states cannot be considered antisemitic.
Related: Antisemitism definition is undermining free speech | Letter
The IHRA definition acknowledges that antisemitism can be subtle, and our experience confirms this. The abuse we face is often cloaked in political discourse. When Jewish students who protested against Jeremy Corbyn’s visit to the University of Bristol described being called a “filthy zio” and “a puppet of the Zionist lobby”, and being “repeatedly asked who was paying [them] to be there”, and told that they “should go back to where [they] belong”, they were not encountering criticism of the State of Israel; rather, they were experiencing naked antisemitism.
It is time for a discussion of the IHRA definition and its adoption by British universities to reflect the lived realities of Jewish students. Retired judges, activists based in the Middle East and far-left non-Jewish academics are not on the frontline enduring antisemitism on campus – we are.
We believe that this definition affords Jewish students the best possible protection, and we are the people best equipped to make that judgment.
Joel Rosen External affairs officer, Cambridge University Jewish Society
James Harris President, Union of Jewish Students (UJS)
Jonathan Braun President, World Union of Jewish Students (WUJS)
Bini Guttmann President, European Union of Jewish Students (EUJS)
Edward Isaacs President, Bristol Jewish Society
Toby Kunin President, Warwick University Jewish Society; UJS national council
Jack Lubner Co-youth and students officer, Jewish Labour Movement
Samuel Goldstone President, UCL Jewish Society
Grace Silverstein President, Leeds Jewish Society
Adam Caplan President, University of York Jewish Society
Nadia Goldman President, Birmingham Jewish Society
Benjamin Lovat Co-president, Imperial College London Jewish Society
Lucinda Bathie President, Glasgow University Jewish Society
Sam Kaufman President, City University Jewish Society
Abe Tolley Outgoing president, Cambridge University Jewish Society
Sam Kunin President, Cambridge University Jewish Society
Shayna Wise-Till President, Leicester University Jewish Society
Emily Katz Co-president, Sheffield University Jewish Society
Joel Azulay President, Queen Mary University of London Jewish and Israel Society
Rachel Dutch President, Surrey University Jewish Society
Dominic Casoria President, Lancaster University Jewish Society
Ethan Weitzman Co-president, Imperial Jewish Society
Zac Abrahams President, University of Westminster Jewish Society
Peter Strauss President, Oxford Brookes Jewish Society; UJS national council
Nina Freedman President-elect, Union of Jewish Students
Esther Offenberg President, Union of Jewish Students (2019-20)
Hannah Rose President, Union of Jewish Students (2018-19) and UJS trustee
Joshua Holt President, Union of Jewish Students (2017-18)
Hannah Brady President, Union of Jewish Students (2015-16)
Ella Rose President, Union of Jewish Students (2014-15)
Yos Tarshish President, Union of Jewish Students (2013-14); WUJS chairperson 2015-18
Alex Green President, Union of Jewish Students (2012-13)
Ruben Gerczikow Vice-president, European Union of Jewish Students
Elias Dray Vice-president, European Union of Jewish Students
Dana Winter Vice-president, European Union of Jewish Students
Rebecca Lyons Vice-president, University College London Jewish Society
AJ Solomon Vice-president, Bristol University Jewish Society
Miles Stewart-Compton Vice-president, Southampton University Jewish Society
Tristan Benhamou Vice-president, Goldsmiths Jewish Community
Ben Heath Treasurer, Southampton University Jewish Society
Joshua Garfield Councillor, London Borough of Newham; National executive committee, Jewish Labour Movement
Luisa Attfield Co-youth and students officer, Jewish Labour Movement
Bradley Langer Campaigns organiser, Union of Jewish Students
Daniel Sacks Council chair, Union of Jewish Students
Benjamin Harari Union of Jewish Students National Council
Gil Rubin Sabbatical officer, Union of Jewish Students
Shiri Wolff Communications officer, Union of Jewish Students
James Hamburger Aston chair, Birmingham Jewish Society
Millie Walker University chair and campaigns officer, Leeds Jewish Society
Guy Dabby-Joory Former president, Oxford University Jewish Society
Nathan Boroda Youth and students officer, Jewish Labour Movement North West
Ari Deller Former president, Edinburgh University Jewish Society (2019-20)
Adam Grossman Former president, Leeds Jewish Society
Noah Katz Campaigns officer, Lancaster Jewish Society
Elana Keiles UJS representative on the Board of Deputies
Jeremy Schiff Treasurer, Cambridge Jewish Society
Ariel Simble Inter-communities and social action, Leeds Jewish Society
Elianna Rabinowitz President, Fitzwilliam College Cambridge Jewish Society
Abigail Wander Elder and former welfare officer, University of Bristol
Dora Hirsh Inclusions officer, Sheffield Jewish Society
Sabrina Miller Former campaigns officer, Bristol University Jewish Society
Georgina Bumpus Former vice-president, Oxford University Jewish Society
Anthony Bolchover UJS representative on the Board of Deputies
Noah Besbrode Youth leader, FZY
Asher Renton Team leader, CST Birmingham Universities
Emily Sinclair Oxford University Jewish Society
Rachel Zerdin Oxford University Jewish Society
Dani Abrams Events/social officer, Leeds Jewish Society
Ariel Levine Oxford University Jewish Society
Esther Walker Member, national executive council, Union of Jewish Students
Alex Rosalki Former student synagogue leader, University of Leeds
David Bush Shabbat officer, Warwick Jewish Society
Jonah Cowen Former vice-president, Oxford University Jewish Society
Jodie Franks National executive committee, UJS
Chad Greenblatt Finance officer, City University of London Jewish Society
Michal Cohen Communications officer, City University of London Jewish Society
Gideon Bernstein Oxford University Jewish Society
Isaac Adni Oxford University Jewish Society
Ilan Selby Policy officer at the European Union of Jewish Students; incoming board member of the World Union of Jewish Students
Michel Rodan Legrain Programme officer, European Union of Jewish Students
Sam Lawrence Birmingham Jewish Society
Samuel Rubinstein Former president, Cambridge University Jewish Society
George Aminoff Sports rep at Birmingham Jewish Society
Ella Shindler Education officer, Cambridge University Jewish Society
Jacob Freedland Committee member, Cambridge University Jewish Society
Noam Solomons-Wise Egalitarian representative, Cambridge University Jewish Society
Joshua Davies Founder, Leicester Jewish Society
Reuben Brown Cambridge University Jewish Society
Louise Majetschak Graduate representative, Cambridge University Jewish Society
Samuel Lachmann Cambridge University Jewish Society
Delphie Levy Jones Social secretary, University Liverpool Jewish Society
Debby Poznanski Former chair, University of Birmingham Jewish Society
Rebecca Woolich President, University of Kent Jewish Society
Jacob Rosenberg Goldsmiths Jewish Society
Amanda Sefton UJS sabbatical officer