Jewish students tackle NUS presidency candidate over 'Zionist' comments

Jewish student leaders have called on an anti-Israel activist who is standing to be president of the National Union of Students to clarify her past comments on Zionists.

In an open letter to Malia Bouattia, who hopes to be elected next week, heads of Jewish Societies said they were “extremely concerned” by her remarks.

“We feel that this is an issue that requires immediate answers considering your candidacy for NUS President in next week’s election.”

In 2011, Ms Bouattia co-wrote an article about the University of Birmingham, describing it as a “Zionist outpost in British higher education”.

The piece added: “It also has the largest JSoc in the country, whose leadership is dominated by Zionist activists.”

The article went on to accuse the JSoc’s representatives of performing a “two-faced shift to Orwellian propagandising for the state of Israel”.

In the letter to Ms Bouattia, Jewish students said: “Our question is clear. Why do you see a large Jewish society as a problem?”

Highlighting a report in the Telegraph, they pointed out that Ms Bouattia had previously said that the government’s Prevent anti-terror policy was fuelled by “all manner of Zionist and neo-con lobbies”.

Ms Boutia is standing against current NUS president Megan Dunn and De Montfort student Adil Waraich. The next president will be announced at the NUS conference in Brighton next week.

Ms Boutia, currently Black Students’ Officer, has been contacted for comment.

An NUS spokeswoman said the organisation could not comment so close to the election.

Labour's Ilford North MP Wes Streeting, a former NUS president, said: "Why does this NUS officer seem to have a problem with Birmingham University having a large Jewish Society?

"If the word 'Jewish' was replaced with 'Black' or 'LGBT' or 'disabled' there would be an outcry. Students' unions must decide if they wish to be bystanders to this despicable language or to challenge it.

"Such sentiments have no place in the leadership of NUS and this sort of language does serious damage to the credibility of NUS and students' unions at a time when they need to be taken seriously ahead of some very serious threats from government policy towards students and students' unions."

In response to the Jewish students' letter, Ms Bouattia said: “It seems I have been misrepresented. I am extremely uncomfortable with insinuations of antisemitism.

"To take issue with Zionist politics is not taking issue with being Jewish”.

Ms Bouattia would “continue to oppose the Israeli state’s treatment of Palestinians and its violations of human rights,” she said.

"If elected as president of NUS, I will continue to fight against racism in all its forms - including antisemitism - and encourage the further development of serious interfaith work.

"I will represent all students equally, encourage debate, and respect the right to difference of opinions - especially in politics.

"As president of NUS, I would encourage students to oppose inequality, oppression and injustice both at home and abroad."

The letter was signed by:

BirminghamDaniel Clements President
Imperial Jonathan Davis Co-President
Westminster Rachel Landsberg President
UCL Adam Schapira President
SOAS Avrahum Sanger President
KCLSaul Yardley President
Middlesex Leanne Mitchell President
Brunel Raphael Waller President
Courtauld Harrison Goldman President
Birkbeck Laura Scarrot President
Bournemouth Helen Mozer President
Hertfordshire Menachem Fehler President
Kent David Slomianski President
Loughborough Esther Malkinson President
Warwick Sam Shindler-Glass President
Coventry Josaphine Davidoff President
LSEGabrielle SteuerCo-President
St AndrewsKathryn RosePresident
NewcastleBen BresloffPresident
Durham Simon ZefferttPresident
LancasterJoshua WoolfVice-President
YorkHanna FerenczPresident
SheffieldNoam YosseffPresident
LeedsDana WinterPresident
HullJenni Heaney President
City & CassMichali BelovskiPresident
AberdeenAnnaelle HarrisPresident
CambridgeAron CarrCo-President
CambridgeElena StagniCo-President
AstonBen AssorChair
GoldsmithsBinyomin GilbertPresident
UJSHannah Brady President
UJSJosh SeitlerPresident-elect
Swansea David NezriPresident
BathSalomé TaiebPresident
SalfordGabriella BensonPresident
BristolElla BaziniPresident
UEACharlotte DavidiPresident
SouthamptonJamie WilderPresident
LSELevi EpsteinCo-President
OxfordIsaac VirchisPresident
LiverpoolOliver JayPresident
Oxford BrookesMikey BederPresident
Queen Marys and BartsLisa IgelPresident
NottinghamClark NortonPresident
ManchesterLawrence RosenbergPresident
Cardiff Lucie WebberPresident
Brighton & Sussex Gabor Szekely Co-President