Policy: tackling antisemitism in education
The following motion was carried at an emergency branch general meeting 4 March 2024. The text here is subject to approval of the minutes of that meeting and the approved minutes will be the correct version.
On 6th February the DFE released a tender notice, for the procurement of services towards ‘Tackling Antisemitism in Education’. The aim is to implement the IHRA Definition of Antisemitism in schools, colleges and universities.
This branch notes:
- UCU’s policy of opposition to adopting the definition
- While different definitions are useful tools, they also reflect substantial disagreements on how antisemitism overlaps with criticism of Israeli policies or Zionism.
- Kenneth Stern, lead drafter of the IHRA, strongly opposes its implementation on university campuses
- There is an open letter, signed by UCU members calling for a halt to and re-evaluation of this tender
This branch believes:
- Implementation of the IHRA will not tackle the rise in antisemitism; rather, it is often used to conflate diverse Jewish identities with the Israeli state.
- Conflating criticism of Israel with antisemitism will exacerbate anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian discrimination and Islamophobia.
- Restricting the tender to the IHRA definition, excludes scholars of antisemitism, who recommend against adopting this single definition.
- Its implementation poses a threat to academic freedom. Universities and the educational sector have failed to represent, and even suppressed, the voices of Palestinian and Jewish scholars, students and those that support Palestinian Rights.
This branch resolves to:
- Write to the DFE to challenge the tender and request the University do the same.
- Work with the University’s working group to tackle Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and anti-Palestinian violence and rhetoric on campus and protect academic freedom.
This page was last updated on 11 March 2024