Jewish students in Britain have recorded a marked rise in antisemitism hate at university, according to new research from a leading UK think tank.
The Henry Jackson Society ran a survey of over 100 Jewish students across various universities in February this year, and uncovered the shocking increase in antisemitic hate being experienced by students.
Of the 105 interviewed, 67 said they have personally experienced antisemitism since October 7.
An even more staggering 97 said they had encountered antisemitic disinformation, and 101 reported that the prevalence of antisemitism and antisemitic disinformation has also increased since the Hamas terror attack.
61% of those surveyed also said they felt the atmosphere on their university campus is now exclusive or very exclusive, with just 12% by contrast saying their university is inclusive or very inclusive.
In their incredibly worrying study, the Henry Jackson Society also reports on Jewish students who have shared anecdotes of being compelled to leave campuses, relocate cities or lose their supervisors amid a surge in antisemitism.
One student recounted that on February 29 this year, a staff member at the university claimed that no women were raped by Hamas terrorists on October 7, and that Israeli women cannot be victims because they belong to the oppressor group.
As of May 2024, that staff member is still at the university in question despite reports being filed.
The new report, based on research conducted by Dr Helena Ivanov, argues that a significant issue raised by Jewish students is the inadequacy at many universities of their processes for reporting antisemitic incidents.
Students from multiple universities argued that anonymous reports are often not processed, forcing them to submit reports under their names – something they are uncomfortable doing due to safety concerns.
HJS also argues that universities also often fail to take “meaningful action” to address the incidents.
One-on-one anonymous interviews raised other vile incidents against Jewish students, with one recounting having red juice thrown at them and being told that Hamas are not the terrorists but that Jews are.
In their own words, the distressed student revealed: “In the last six months, I realized how the Holocaust could happen. It could happen today”.
Another student spoke about experiencing antisemitism messages across their campus, including the phrase: “Israel harvests Palestinian organs”.
They also reported a friend's car having the swastika drawn on it, while another was subjected to antisemitic chants while walking to a Jewish site on campus on the Sabbath.
Reacting to the heartbreaking testimonies, author Dr Helena Ivanov said: “The data is unequivocal that antisemitism on UK campuses has reached critical levels and must be addressed without delay”.
“Universities must implement round-the-clock presence of staff members at encampments and protests, improve reporting procedures and offer students training on disinformation.
“The UK is not an outlier in this grim trend, with disinformation related to the Israel-Hamas war, combined with conspiracy theories about Jewish people, are making students' lives unbearable in campuses around the world.”
The Henry Jackson Society report demands that universities must crack down on hate speech, slander and defamation by pro-Palestinian extremists, as well as implementing new disciplinary procedures with round-the-clock presence of staff members at encampments and protests.
In the long term, the HJS says that the current levels of antisemitism were not solely caused by the Hamas October attack, but is a result of “deep unresolved issues that perhaps went unnoticed beforehand”.
They therefore say that universities must have in place disinformation training sessions, as well as Holocaust and antisemitism education programs.