After urging UK universities to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, Communities Secretary Rt. Hon. Robert Jenrick MP has expressed his disappointment that almost 80% have failed to do so.
Last year, Mr Jenrick wrote to all universities and local councils calling on them to adopt the definition, which includes examples of holding Jewish people responsible for the actions of the State of Israel and comparing Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.
The Union of Jewish Students (UJS) recently submitted Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to 133 Higher Education institutions regarding the status of their adoption of the definition.
Of those universities that responded to the FOI request, 80 said they had no plans to adopt the definition. 17 institutions said they were planning to discuss adoption and 7 did not respond. Only 29 have formally adopted the definition.
The University of Northampton said that adopting the IHRA definition “would be superfluous” as its current equality and inclusion policy was deemed sufficient, while others cited academic freedom of speech as a reason not to adopt it.
Mr Jenrick said he was “extremely disappointed” by the findings. “Education is one of the most powerful tools we can use to combat antisemitism and adopting and actively using the IHRA definition of antisemitism sends a clear signal that universities are serious about tackling antisemitism on campuses”, he added.
The Cabinet Minister underlined: “I am frankly appalled by some of the examples of antisemitic abuse I continue to hear of on campus… Some progress has been made since I urged all universities and the Higher Education Institutions to adopt the IHRA definition, but I urge others to do so without delay. It is simply unacceptable that universities accept public money, but refuse to take this step”.
Analysis by the Community Security Trust (CST) found that antisemitic incidents on university campuses had increased by 38% in the first half of 2020 from the same period in 2019.
The Conservative chair of the Education Select Committee, Rt. Hon. Robert Halfon MP, said the failure of universities to adopt the definition was “shocking”.
He said: “Yet again, antisemitism is swept under the carpet by some of our major HE institutions in our country… It seems strange that they are prepared to virtue signal on so many PC issues but when it comes to Jewish people, they are just ignored. The HE Minister must make it absolutely clear that this guidance is adopted – no excuse or delay”.
CFI Parliamentary Chairman (Lords) Rt. Hon. The Lord Pickles was instrumental in the drafting of the IHRA definition, which was adopted by the UK in December 2016. It provides specific and contemporary examples of antisemitism in public life, the media, schools, the workplace and in the religious sphere.
MPs are set to debate the “Adoption by universities of the IHRA definition of antisemitism” on Tuesday, in a Westminster Hall debate secured by Conservative MP Christian Wakeford.
