Dismore: ‘Universities must do more to tackle antisemitism’
Labour London Assembly Member for Barnet and Camden Andrew Dismore AM has called on Universities to do more to weed out antisemitism in universities, after a meeting of the Oxford University Labour Club descended into a row about the Middle East, with a number of anti-Semitic sentiments being expressed.
Mr Dismore stated that student Unions in particular had a duty to ensure that antisemitism had no place in clubs or societies. He added that Universities could always seek the advice of the Community Safety Trust (CST) if they were unsure of what they should do.
Mr Dismore said:
‘Jewish students must feel safe, and they must feel part of a university community. Many Jewish students tell me that the BDS movements, “Israel Apartheid Week” and other such events leave them excluded and unwelcome from university life. There is a legitimate debate on Israel and Palestine, but it goes too far when the actions of terrorists are excused, and anti-Semitic tropes are wheeled out.
These views are held and expressed by a small fringe element, and you would hope the university experience would broaden the minds of these people. I would also expect better of a Labour Club. The values, aims and ethos of the Labour Party are explicitly against any form of racism, and I expect all Labour clubs and societies to have a zero-tolerance policy toward antisemitism.’
