It will have surprised no one that Bristol University’s reaction to one of its academic staff attacking its Jewish students has been to do nothing. Under its Vice Chancellor, Hugh Brady, the university has consistently reacted to David Miller’s spreading of antisemitic conspiracy theories by allowing him to continue — indeed, Prof Miller was hired by Bristol long after his conspiracist views were already well known. Just as when he was last the subject of a complaint, in 2019, so today Prof Brady has treated with contempt the right of Bristol’s Jewish students to be free from intimidation by one of its staff. Despite the attempt of some to argue this is about free speech, it is not. This is about targeted intimidation by an employee of one racial group. Prof Miller has deliberately and carefully attacked Bristol’s Jewish students as foreign agents. The university’s response has been to side with the perpetrator and, in effect, tell him that he has their backing to continue. The message could hardly be clearer and it is well understood by British Jews: Bristol does not want its Jewish students to feel safe. In that sense, it has succeeded.

No Israelis

The attempt by some Labour members to have a staff member removed because he served in the IDF is a straightforward case of would-be discrimination by those involved. The individual in question — we have chosen not to name him — is an Israeli. Like most Israelis, he carried out his national service. According to the law firm Bindmans, however, he should not be employed because he has served in the IDF. This means, in effect, that they are seeking a bar on Labour employing Israelis. They might at least have the decency to be open about it.