Opinion

Campus issues affect us all

OPINION PIECE BY ROBERT FESTENSTEIN

The issue of Jewish Students and intimidation on campus was covered only 2 weeks ago in this column in the context of Israel apartheid week. Since then, in a further negative development Shaima Dallali has been voted in as president-elect of the NUS.

Recently the Jewish press claimed Ms Dallali had ‘sung the praises of a Jew-hating cleric’ and labelled Waseem Yousef as a ‘dirty Zionist’ after he wrote that Hamas was launching rockets from between residents’ homes and was making a ‘graveyard’ for children in Gaza.

For some years now there have been issues with the National Union of Students and as has been said before, Jewish students have been left to sort this out themselves. It is understandable that they should wish to deal with matters which affect them directly. They are the people who have to deal with the exclusion and intimidation. The stakes though are much higher than how our students fare on campus. It is clear that lies told on campus today are repeated years later by those in positions of power and influence.

The idea that somehow calling Israelis Nazis is free speech is wholly abhorrent when those who assert this right intimidate or ban anyone who doesn’t fit in to their way of thinking. The time for letting Jewish students trying to sort this out has long passed but again, for reasons passing understanding there is no co-ordinated approach to meeting the discrimination and intimidation on campus.

Fighting dozens of universities is not an option though what is certainly possible and needs to be undertaken is a proper analysis of precisely what is and is not permitted by the educational institutions. As has been said before, there is no doubt that if the Jewish society wanted to put on an event entitled ‘Palestinian Terror Week’ the uproar from the student bodies would ensure that the universities would find a reason to stop it happening. We need to know what actions universities are prepared to take when faced with an event of which they disapprove. What is their decision-making criteria and how do they apply it?

Once we have this information, decisions can be made as to where pressure can be brought to bear. Similarly with student unions. Whilst they are independent of the universities where they operate, they exist and work within the university’s physical space. There is plenty of legislation which might protect Jewish students and this needs to be explored.

Students come and go, but the universities last for ever. Over the years we have seen complaints against universities far outlive the time that those making the complaints are studying. The complaints need to come not only from students but communal organisations so that they are not quietly swept away when the student leaves. Above all, the status quo where Jewish students are expected to sort out issues which will survive decades after they have left higher education needs to change. Intimidation and discrimination on campus is a problem for all of us not just the students.

For some years now there have been issues with the National Union of Students and as has been said before, Jewish students have been left to sort this out themselves.

Robert Festenstein is a practising solicitor and has been the principal of his Salford based firm for over 20 years. He has fought BDS motions to the Court of Appeal and is President of the Zionist Central Council in Manchester which serves to protect and defend the democratic State of Israel.

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