On Wednesday, Minister of State for Universities, Sam Gyimah MP, met with representatives from the Jewish community to discuss concerns affecting Jewish students.
Mr Gyimah was briefed by Jonathan Arkush and Joel Salmon from the Board of Deputies and Josh Holt from the Union of Jewish Students.
The Minister said that the talks had been productive: “We discussed free speech, no-platforming and antisemitism on campus and I look forward to carrying on our conversation on these vital topics on the future”.
The Jewish Chronicle reported that Mr Arkush, President of the Board of Deputies, said that several matters were discussed, “particular how Jewish and Israel-related events are often targeted by protesters, and the issue of universities and student unions allowing hate-speakers on their campuses”.
Last February, then-Universities Minister Jo Johnson MP wrote to the Chief Executive of Universities UK, underlining the obligation of all UK higher education institutions to tackle anti-Semitism on campus, particularly in the context of ‘Israel Apartheid Week’.
Mr Johnson said in his letter that he expected that the legal position and guidelines of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism “are universally understood and acted upon at all times” by UK universities, including policy towards events “that might take place under the banner of ‘Israel Apartheid’ events”.
