A cross-party coalition of student politicians, academics and public figures has signed an open letter for publication in Cherwell condemning and opposing Oxford University Labour Club’s (OULC) vote to endorse Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW), an annual series of lectures that opposes Israeli occupation of Palestine and supports Boycott, Divest and Sanction movements.
The letter’s 65 signatories include more than 30 former OULC Co-Chairs, as well as a number of Oxford University Jewish Society and Chabad Society current and ex-leaders, and significant figures from both Oxford University Liberal Democrats and Oxford University Conservative Association, including presidents of both. Six public figures have also signed the letter, such as Baroness Ruth Deech, Former Principal of St Anne’s College, and legal expert Lord Carlile of Berriew QC.
The signatories express “horror” at the anti-Semitism within the club alleged by Alex Chalmers in his resignation as OULC Co-Chair on February 15th.
They continue by criticising OULC’s “poorly-considered choice of action” to endorse IAW, which they describe as “little more than a gathering of activists promoting a one-sided narrative, seeking to dismantle the only majority-Jewish member-state of the United Nations.”
IAW is especially controversial this year given that the theme of “solidarity with Palestinian popular resistance” coincides with a resurgence of attacks on Jewish civilians since October.
The signatories add that “it is wrong to contend that Israel – a multiracial democracy – even remotely resembles the horrors of South Africa’s racist dictatorship.”
“Today, more than ever,” they write, “minorities in the Middle East need their own state.” The letter also challenges the use of the term ‘apartheid’ to refer to Israeli policy, saying, “The appropriation of the term ‘apartheid’ is an affront to black South Africans.”
While acknowledging the “imperfections of Israeli society,” the signatories state that “in a climate of rising anti-Semitism, we have a duty to oppose initiatives that foster an intolerant political culture which intimidates Jewish students.”
The letter highlights as “most” distressing Chalmers’ examples of anti-Semitism, like “members of the [OULC] Executive throwing around the term ‘Zio’ (a term for Jews usually confined to websites run by the Ku Klux Klan.)”
The signatories end their letter by calling for members of OULC to return to the organisation’s “distinguished history” of combating prejudice.
Chalmers’ resignation is a move that has earned attention outside of Oxford as well, provoking significant national and Israeli coverage as well as stirring up broader debate about anti-Semitism within the left.
The Oxford University Jewish Society (JSoc) responded swiftly to Chalmers’ statement, writing that it was in full support of his decision but “unsurprised” by the anti-Semitic reports.
In a statement released on its Facebook page, the society claimed, “It is not the first time that Oxford JSoc has had to deal with anti-Semitic incidents within the student left and it will not be the last.
“It is a significant and worrying issue and one that on many occasions, Jewish students have felt that they are fighting alone.”
The statement added that Jewish students who attempt to point out anti-Semitism often have their concerns dismissed by liberal students, or outright mocked. But the accusations of anti-Semitism have provoked contrition among Labour leadership, with few choosing to defend the club.
Although both Michael Muir, former Social Secretary, and Noni Csogor, Chalmer’s Co-Chair, said that the vote to support IAW at Oxford was not itself indicative of anti-Semitism, the OULC official statement on Wednesday made no mention of the club’s vote, and only vowed to begin the process of investigating anti-Semitism among its membership.
Writing that it “whole-heartedly” condemned anti-Semitism “in all its forms,” OULC promised to co-operate fully with an investigation launched by the national group Labour Students into anti-Semitism and intimidation of Jewish students by OULC members.
Labour Students has already begun to make steps in their probe. A letter on behalf of Labour Students’ National Chair Michael Rubin was posted in JSoc’s Facebook group on Thursday afternoon and sent out by email a few hours later, with Rubin writing that he was “keen to meet with any member who has experienced or witnessed anti-Semitism” or could otherwise aid in Labour Students’ investigation. Evidence is to be submitted by Monday 22nd February and Rubin said Labour Students aims to publish its findings the day after.
On Wednesday, both the Israeli embassy in London and British Labour leadership issued statements condemning the alleged anti-Semitism within OULC.
Ed Miliband also cancelled plans to address OULC at its John Smith Memorial Dinner on March 4th after hearing the news.
A spokesperson for the former Labour leader told the New Statesman that Mili-band was “deeply disturbed to hear of reports of anti-Semitism in the Oxford Labour Club and would not appear until the investigation was resolved.
Later the same day, universities minister Jo Johnson urged Oxford University’s leadership to consider disciplinary sanctions, stating that “strong disciplinary action” should be “taken where necessary.”
A University spokesperson said in a statement that “Oxford University does not tolerate any form of harassment or victimisation,” but added that it “cannot comment on individual cases or complaints for reasons of confidentiality.”
Some students have extended the debate to the broader politics of the left-wing of the to the broader politics of the left-wing of the Labour party.
One Jewish student wrote in The Guardian that “the student left conceives of Jews as white.” He argued that Jews of Arabic or African descent are “ignored” and that framing Jews as white allows the left to attack the Jewish community as beneficiaries of privilege.
Similarly, a former OULC Co-Chair, David Cesar-Heymann, who also signed on to the open letter, posted on Facebook that “there has been a concerted effort from the Oxford hard left to take over the club.”
He alleged that activists linked with the Labour leader’s Momentum group are partly responsible for anti-Semitism within OULC.
