PolicyTitle:Anti-Semitism
ProposerName(andStudentNumber):GarySpedding,B00725979
SeconderName(andStudentNumber):MatthewBell,B00694529
DateofStudentCouncilthiswillbepresentedat:09.02.17
StudentCouncilnotes:
That‘anti-SemiticattacksareontheriseinBritain’,withincidentssuchasbrickattacksonsynagogues,
anti-Jewishgraffitiandevenbombthreatsoccurringinrecentyears.1
ThattheCommunitySecurityTrust(CST)recorded924anti-SemiticincidentsacrosstheUnitedKingdom
during2015.2
ThatNorthernIreland’sonlyRabbi,DavidSinger,toldBBCRadioUlster'sSundaySequenceonSunday2nd
October2016thathehasreceivedsuspiciouse-mailsandcameacrossanti-Jewishgraffitiinthecentreof
Belfast.3
Thatthenationalstudentmovementhasbeenrockedbyallegationsofanti-Semitismandtheconcernsof
Jewishstudentshavebeenrepeatedlydownplayedbysomeofthoseinleadershippositions.4
ThatNUSmotion404‘Anti-Semitismoncampus’resolvedtolobbyStudents’Unionsinordertoencourage
themtohaveclearerpoliciesonrespondingtoanti-SemiticincidentsandsituationsinwhichJewish
studentsfeelthreatened.5
ThatUUSUhas,tothecurrentdate,nothadanyknownissueswithregardstoanti-Jewishoppression,
prejudiceandhatred.
ThatAprilRosenblum,inher2007pamphlet‘thepastdidn’tgoanywhere:makingresistancetoantiSemitismpartofallourmovements’,expandsingreatdetailonthenuancessurroundingmodernday
anti-Jewishoppressionandwhyitisabsolutelyvitaltointegratearadicalanalysisof,andoppositionto,all
6
manifestationsofanti-Jewishhatredandoppressionintotheworkwealreadycarryforward.
____________
1
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/israelgaza-conflict-rise-of-antisemitic-attacks-in-uk-ascrisis-rages-in-the-middle-east-9631174.html
2
https://cst.org.uk/news/blog/2016/02/04/cst-antisemitic-incidents-report-2015-published-today
3
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-37533746
4
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-37489745
5
https://nusdigital.s3-eu-west1.amazonaws.com/document/documents/24818/Welfare_Live_Policy_201417.pdf
6
http://www.buildingequality.us/prejudice/antisemitism/rosenblum/the-past.pdf
StudentCouncilbelieves:
Thatregardlessofwhetherananti-Semitismproblemexistsornotonourowncampusesitwouldstillbe
advisabletoholdapolicythataddressesanti-Semitismoncampus,providesaworkabledefinitionofantiSemitismandgivesguidanceonwhatstepscanbetakentocombatthisparticularlyodiousformof
hatred.
Thatallformsofracismandoppressionareabhorrentandshouldbeuncompromisinglyopposedwithas
mucheffortandenergyascanbemustered.
Thatanti-Semitismisaspecificformofracism,relatingtoJewsandJudaism.
Thatanti-Jewishoppressionisthesystemofideaspasseddownthroughasociety'sinstitutionstoenable
scapegoatingofJews,andtheideologicalorphysicaltargetingofJewsthatresultsfromthat.
Thatthedefinitionofanti-Semitismhasbeendebatedanddisputedasaresultofpoliticalinfluences
relatingtotheIsrael-Palestineconflict.
Thataworkabledefinitionofanti-SemitismcanbefoundprovidedbynotedscholarBrianKlugwhohas
definedanti-Semitismasa‘formofhostilitytowardsJewsasJews,inwhichaJewisperceivedas
somethingotherthanwhattheyare’.7
Thatanti-oppressionethics,coupledwithathoroughunderstandingthatmultipleoppressionscan
manifestatonetimeandareoftencomplexandmulti-layered,iscruciallyimportantinoureffortsto
acknowledgeanti-Semitismasstillbeingamajorprobleminsocietytoday.
Thatanti-Semitismincludes,butisnotlimitedto:
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
QuestioningtheloyaltyofJewstotheirstateofcitizenshipsimplyonthebasisoftheirJewish
identity,whichincludesclaimsthatJewsasacollectiveoracommunityengageineffortsto
subvertormisleadthegeneralpopulation,aswellastheclaimthatJewsaremoreloyaltothe
stateofIsraelthantheircountryofcitizenship,isananti-Semiticpositiontohold;
ClaimingormakinganyefforttocreatearealityinwhichJewsdonothavethesamerightsas
anyotherreligious,culturalorethnicgroup,includingtherighttofreespeech,freepracticeof
religion,freeuseofnativelanguages(i.e.Hebrew,Yiddish,Ladino,etc.)andselfdetermination;
Denying,trivializingandmisconstruingtheNaziHolocaust.Thisincludesdenyingthefact,
scope,method,ormotivationforthegenocideofsixmillionJewsatthehandsoftheNational
Socialistregime.ItalsoincludestheaccusationthatJewsorthestateofIsraelhavefabricated,
causeorover-exaggeratedtheHolocaust;
Callingfor,aidingorjustifyingthekillingorharmingofJewsforthesakeoftheirJewish
religion,ethnicityoridentity;
____________
7
SeeBrianKlug,‘ThecollectiveJew:IsraelandthenewAnti-Semitism’,PatternsofPrejudice,vol.37,no.2,
2003,117-138.
(v)
(vi)
(vii)
(viii)
(ix)
(x)
(xi)
Makingmendacious,dehumanizing,demonizing,orstereotypicalallegationsaboutJewsas
JewsorforbeingJewish.ThisincludesaccusationsofJewishcontroloftheworld,ofour
politicalstructuresandgovernment,themedia,aswellasblamingJewscollectivelyfor
imaginedandrealatrocities;
‘EquatingJewsormaliciouslyequatingJewishorganisationsandthepolityofthestateof
IsraelwiththeNaziRegime.Thisincludes,butisnotlimitedtoequatingZionismwithNazism
andclaimingthat‘Historyisrepeatingitself’withregardstotheNaziHolocaustandthestate
ofIsrael.ThisalsoincludesusingJewishsymbolsandreligiousimageryalongsideNazisymbols
andimagery.However,thisdoesNOTnecessarilyincludereasonableanalogiesbetween
historicalevents’;
UsingJewishsymbolstoantagonize,harass,andintimidateJewishstudents.
AssumingthatbecauseapersonisJewishthattheywillautomaticallyholdparticularpolitical
viewsandpositionsregardingZionismandIsrael;
DemandingaJewishpersonorgroupofJewscollectivelytopresentanopinionorpositionon
theIsrael-Palestineconflictandwherethosedemandsareoftenaggressive,intimidatingand
harassing;
LabellingJewsthatholddifferingpoliticalpositionsonZionismandIsraelas‘kapos’,‘selfhatingJews’or‘traitors’;
Deliberatelyusingterms‘Zio’and‘Zionist’aspejorativetermsofabuseinordertoisolateand
attackJewishstudentsandmembersofJewishcommunities.
ThatcriticismoftheIsraeligovernment,itspoliciesandactionsarenotinherentlyanti-Semiticandneither
isreasonedcriticismofZionismanditsimpactinPalestineanduponthePalestinianpeople.
StudentCouncilresolves:
TheUUSU,includingtheentireStudentExecutive,ismandatedtopubliclyopposeactionsoncampusthat
areanti-Semiticbasedontheaforementioneddefinitions.
TheStudentExecutivewillensureallanti-SemiticincidentsaimedatorperpetratedbyUlsterUniversity
studentseitherverbal,physicaloronlinearedealtwithswiftlyandeffectivelyinconjunctionwiththe
universityand,ifappropriateorrequestedbythevictim,thePoliceServiceofNorthernIreland.
ThatStudentExecutivebemandatedtopublishabi-annualreportdetailingallincidentsofracism,
includinganti-Semiticincidentsandinstancesofanti-Jewishoppressionthathaveoccurredoncampus
duringtheprevioussixmonthsandtheactionstakenbyUUSUandtheuniversity.
TheStudentsExecutiveismandatedtoworkwithrelevantuniversitystaffinordertoaddressracismand
anti-Semitismoncampusandmethodstoalleviateit.
____________
8
9
http://jewdas.org/how-to-criticise-israel-without-being-anti-semitic/
http://www.buildingequality.us/prejudice/antisemitism/rosenblum/the-past.pdf
TheworkoforganisationssuchasJewdas8,theNUSandUnionofJewishStudentsisconsultedwhen
developingworkagainstanti-SemitismsoastoensureresourcesareprovidedtohelpStudentsto
understandthenuancesandfullycomprehendthesepolicies.
ThepamphletofAprilRosenblum9isviewedasakeyresourceandmadeavailable(oncepermissionshave
beensoughtandgranted)forstudentstoaccessontheUUSUWebsiteunderasectionspecifically
designedtotackleallformsofracism,includinganti-Semitism,inorderthattheUnionmightbetter
promoteandenhancelegitimatedebateregardingthemorality,problemsandhumanrightsissues
surroundinginternationalconflictswhilstalsoremainingresolutelycommittedtoopposingthe
manifestationofillegitimateandillegalactsofanti-Jewishoppressiononcampus.
ThatthismotionbebroughtforwardbyUUSUtoboththeNUSNationalConference2017andtheNUS-USI
NationalConference2017inaformatthatisappropriateforthenationalconferences.