Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

More than 150 calls to Jewish students helpline since Hamas attacks, says union

Reports included verbal abuse, intimidation of students, offensive posters, Jewish students’ accommodation being targeted and even death threats.

Aine Fox
Friday 20 October 2023 16:04 BST
A helpline set up after the Hamas attacks in Israel has received more than 150 calls, a Jewish students’ union said (Chris Radburn/PA)
A helpline set up after the Hamas attacks in Israel has received more than 150 calls, a Jewish students’ union said (Chris Radburn/PA) (PA Archive)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A dedicated helpline has received more than 150 calls from worried Jewish students since it was set up a day after the Hamas attacks in Israel, a union said.

The Union of Jewish Students (UJS) said calls ranged from reports of antisemitic incidents on campus to people voicing concerns and anxieties about the situation.

Reports included those of verbal abuse, intimidation of students, offensive posters, Jewish students’ accommodation being targeted and even death threats, the union said.

It said that since creating the student welfare hotline on October 8, there had been “over 150 calls from Jewish students” up to Friday, adding that the figure is rising daily.

“Since Hamas’s murderous incursion into Israel, Jewish students have experienced an unprecedented rise in antisemitism on campuses across the UK and Ireland

Edward Isaacs, UJS president

The union said it had also “heard of academics and students’ union officers celebrating, condoning and supporting the terrorist actions of Hamas as a form of ‘liberation’ or ‘resistance’”, while Jewish Society WhatsApp groups “have also been infiltrated and subsequently bombarded” with offensive messages.

UJS president Edward Isaacs said: “Since Hamas’s murderous incursion into Israel, Jewish students have experienced an unprecedented rise in antisemitism on campuses across the UK and Ireland.

“UJS will always lead, defend and enrich Jewish life on campus, ensuring that all Jewish students can live meaningful Jewish lives on campus.”

Last week, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan and universities minister Robert Halfon wrote to vice-chancellors to demand that they “act quickly” against any threats to Jewish students’ safety and welfare.

Universities UK (UUK), which is the collective voice of 142 universities across the UK, said any student or staff member found to be supporting Hamas, which is a proscribed terrorist organisation, “will be in breach of UK law and universities treat this with the utmost seriousness”.

UUK also urged any students facing antisemitism or harassment or discrimination of any kind to inform their university and seek support.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in