Antisemitism is ‘in plain sight’ on our university campuses | Politics | News
The last two years have seen a terrible increase in antisemitism, especially in our universities, where the number of incidents increased by 413% in the last year following the atrocities carried out by Hamas on 7 October. We witnessed this clearly this week.
The Prime Minister appealed to humanity on the anniversary of the attack in which 1,200 people were brutally murdered, and ahead of university protests in the wake of the particularly deadly terror attack on Heaton Park Synagogue. The right to peaceful protest is enshrined in law, and universities are places to share and debate ideas. Protesters could choose any of the other 364 days of the year to make their voices heard.
But now is the time to unite the country, not tear it apart.
Universities, like everyone else in the country, have a clear role to play: not just to ensure the safety of Jewish students, but also to be a pillar for the communities they serve. I wrote to the Vice-Chancellors this week to make this clear. I am urgently bringing together university leaders, police and faith community organizations to determine what more we can do together.
The Office for Students has the power to fine universities and ultimately cut public funding if they fail to meet their responsibilities to protect Jewish students, the university regulator said on Friday.
There is too much of an example of antisemitism, so I believe universities have no responsibility when it comes to ridding their campuses of hate. I have my full support in institutions using their powers to do this and keep their students safe.
My colleague the Home Secretary recently announced that he would give the police explicit powers to suppress repeated protests to protect communities from cumulative degradation. The government’s message could not be clearer: hatred and harassment against any community will not be tolerated.
Education remains our most powerful weapon against prejudice. All forms of hatred have a common core: a toxic mix of ignorance and misinformation.
Given that our children are now so frequently exposed to this misinformation online, our efforts to combat hate must begin at school.
That’s why we’re investing in training staff from primary schools to universities to detect and combat antisemitism, teaching them how to promote tolerant debate outside the classroom and helping students identify misinformation and disinformation about antisemitic views.
By giving children the tools of knowledge, empathy and critical thinking, we build resilience not only against anti-Semitism but all forms of hate.
Hate in all its forms stems from ignorance and can spread like a virus if we don’t challenge it. It is my job to help build a country that rejects misinformation and disinformation and chooses truth.
The land of learning, not ignorance. The country of hope, not of hatred.
