House of Commons · Westminster Hall
06 October 2020 · 4 other contributors · 3,808 words
Opened by Christian Wakeford Lab Bury South
Responding minister: Vicky Ford
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
Christian Wakeford raised concerns about ihra definition of antisemitism: universities — [mr clive betts in the chair] in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key points
Key requests to Government
The speaker urges all universities to adopt the IHRA definition as soon as possible and calls on them to stop practices such as no-platforming pro-Israeli speakers or imposing unreasonable security measures that affect Jewish students.
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.
Opened the debate
The speaker is concerned about the low adoption rate of the IHRA definition by universities, with only 29 out of 133 institutions adopting it. He mentions that seven institutions did not respond to freedom of information requests and highlights specific cases where universities failed to address antisemitic incidents properly. The reasons given for non-adoption include current policies being sufficient, no need for a specific definition, and concerns about academic freedom.
Jonathan Gullis expressed his disgust over the institutional hijacking of freedom of speech at universities. He cited an instance where a Jewish student society president's request for the University of Warwick to adopt the IHRA definition went unanswered, leading to students feeling unsafe and attacked.
The hon. Member thanked her colleague for securing the debate, praising the Government's support for organisations combating antisemitism and highlighting efforts to educate students about the Holocaust. She mentioned that 30 senior leaders and 95 sabbatical officers from 47 English universities have participated in a joint project reaching over 6,000 people on campus.
Robert Largan shared his experience of antisemitism at the University of Manchester in the early 2000s, where a Jewish student was subject to death threats and faced chants of hate from hundreds of students. He called on universities like the University of Derby to adopt the IHRA definition.
Mr Bhatti intervened twice. First, he asked if Mr Wakeford believes that universities have a moral duty to combat antisemitism and failing to use the IHRA definition is a dereliction of this duty. Secondly, he thanked the CST for its work and expressed hope for a future where children can pray freely and issues related to antisemitism are discussed without fear.
Government Response
Vicky FordThe Government are clear that there is no place for religious hatred in our society, and universities should be at the forefront of tackling antisemitism. In 2019, funding of £500,000 over three years was announced to support universities in tackling antisemitism on campus. The Community Security Trust statistics for 2019 show record numbers of antisemitic incidents and a rise of 34% in the first six months of this year compared with the same period in 2019, which is unacceptable. The Government urge vice-chancellors to adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism and have called on leaders across the sector to take a zero-tolerance approach to all racial harassment and religious hatred.