UK antisemitism training body under fire for links to Israeli military

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News websites
Today 15:21

A resurfaced video shows UJS praising alumni in Israeli state roles, raising concerns over the neutrality of UK-funded antisemitism training.

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Then-Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak holds a meeting with university leaders and representatives from the Union of Jewish Students in Downing Street, London, England, Thursday, May 9, 2024 (AP)

The Union of Jewish Students (UJS), the organization contracted to deliver hundreds of "antisemitism awareness sessions" for university staff across the United Kingdom, is facing renewed scrutiny following the resurfacing of a video in which its former president praised the group’s alumni serving “in senior positions in the Israeli government, the IDF, and even the President’s office.”

The footage, filmed during a meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, shows then-UJS President Nina Freedman telling him that former members occupy high-ranking roles across Israeli entity institutions. The clip has sparked widespread concern over the impartiality of UJS’ government-funded training, particularly amid the International Court of Justice’s ongoing genocide case against "Israel" over its atrocities in Gaza.

Under a program led by the UK Department for Education (DfE) to address antisemitism in schools and universities, UJS was awarded a £998,691 ($1.27 million) contract to deliver antisemitism training across British higher education institutions.

According to the contract published on the government’s Contracts Finder portal, the organization is responsible for helping staff “recognise and respond to incidents of antisemitic abuse” and for leading discussions on “antisemitism, including related topics such as the Israel/Palestine conflict.”

Wider context

The award forms part of the DfE’s Tackling Antisemitism in Education initiative, funded through a £7 million ($8.9 million) government scheme announced in 2024 to combat what it designates as antisemitism in the education sector.

However, critics have long questioned UJS’ political neutrality, given its constitutional commitment to “inspiring Jewish students to make an enduring commitment to Israel” and its longstanding ties with the Israeli Embassy in London. The union has previously hosted Israeli emissaries with military backgrounds on its executive team and facilitated pro-"Israel" campus initiatives, including "birthright trips" and visits by Israeli diplomats.

During her address to Herzog, Freedman described UJS as being “on the frontline of the fight against antisemitism, anti-Zionism and anti-Israel bias,” adding that the group seeks to “shine a positive light on Israel’s successes” and encourage students to defend the entity through advocacy and online engagement.

“I feel so lucky to have gone through the UJS machine,” she said, referring to it as an incubator for “young Jewish activists.”

The remarks have amplified growing concerns about conflicts of interest in the UK government’s decision to outsource "anti-Semitism education" to an organization so closely linked with the Israeli entity.