International Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists
Abstract
Contemporary antisemitism on the UK university campus takes the form of an anti-Zionist narrative
that replicates antisemitic tropes. This creates a hostile campus environment for Jewish students that
jeopardizes their educational opportunity, impairs the quality of their student experience, and causes
them other tangible harms, such as anxiety, depression and feelings of intimidation. UK universities,
however, are ill-equipped to address the problem of campus antisemitism because they lack a working
definition of antisemitism and are unable to recognize it, especially when it takes the form of criticism
of Israel. They are also largely ignorant of the laws that limit speech on campus and tend to regard all
criticism of Israel, however expressed, as free political speech. Using a student antisemitism complaint
as a case study, this paper analyzes the nature of campus antisemitism in the UK, its political context,
and relevant legal provisions. It also considers the educational challenges that need to be overcome in
order to prevent campus antisemitism in the future
