Contemporary antisemitism on the UK university campus: a case study and context

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.