The UK government has awarded £1 million funding to the Union of Jewish Students (UJS) — a group with links to the World Zionist Organisation which finances illegal Israeli settlements — to deliver “antisemitism training” across British universities.
According to the Department for Education (DfE), the UJS will deliver around 600 training sessions for university staff “to identify harassment and hate” and promote “respectful debate.” Officials have warned that universities could face sanctions if they fail to protect Jewish students from alleged harassment.
The move follows a wave of student-led protests marking two years since Israel’s genocidal in Gaza and the Hamas-led October 7 attacks of 2023. Many see the initiative as an attempt to suppress legitimate criticism of Israel, and criminalise pro-Palestine activism under the guise of combating antisemitism.
Most British universities have adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, which critics — including Jewish academics and campaigners — argue conflates antisemitism with criticism of Israel and Zionism, and silences Palestinian advocacy.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has repeatedly positioned himself as an ally of Israel, described recent student protests as “un-British” and “disrespectful”. The DfE has also urged universities to ban protests it deems “intrusive or disruptive,” sparking concerns about political interference and curbs on freedom of expression.
UJS’s ties to Israel
The Union of Jewish Students, which describes itself as the “voice of Jewish students” across more than 75 societies in the UK and Ireland, has frequently faced scrutiny for its pro-Israel stances. A 2017 Al Jazeera investigation exposed that the Israeli embassy in London had financially supported the UJS’s campus activities.
Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated on the latest news and updates from around the Muslim world!
In 2021, former UJS president Nina Freedman was filmed telling Israeli President Isaac Herzog that many UJS alumni now serve in “senior positions” within Israel’s government, foreign ministry, and military.
The UJS is part of the World Union of Jewish Students (WUJS), a body partnered with both the Israeli foreign ministry and the World Zionist Organisation (WZO) — the latter directly funding the construction of illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, in clear violation of international law.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson is set to meet with university leaders, police officials, and faith representatives to ensure universities take what she called “effective action to keep all students safe”.
The announcement coincides with the broader tightening of laws related to protests. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood recently unveiled new restrictions that allow police to consider the “cumulative impact” of repeated protests and forcibly relocate demonstrations.
