ByNaomi Firsht, Naomi Firsht
2 min read
Life has been tough for Israel-supporting students over the past few years.
At Edinburgh University, a new Israel Engagement Society (IES) was set up last month, despite attempts to block it by the Students for Justice in Palestine group.
The new group are preparing for a boycott, divestment and sanctions motion that is expected to re-surface at the student union this year after a failed attempt to get it through in 2015.
According to Glasgow Jewish Representative Council president Paul Morron, in the past four years, two Jewish society chairs have quit Edinburgh University due to feeling uncomfortable as Jews on the campus.
One JSoc meeting involving an Israeli speaker in Glasgow was held in a synagogue due to security concerns on campus. Students claim they have been penalised by professors for putting forward pro-Israel arguments in their work.
The past two years have been relatively calm at St Andrews, but in 2013 its JSoc was forced to change the location of its annual ball after a pro-Palestinian group harassed the original venue's owners.
Although it has only been active for a few months, Edinburgh's IES already has an active core of 30 members, and most are not Jewish. The society's political vice-chair Theo Robertson-Bonds, who is not Jewish, said he became involved because, "I identify with Israel's values and I feel it has a rotten time on campus and in politics.
"When you have a vocal minority in the student body which is forcing meetings to be held underground, that is not fair. That is something that we have to have a conscious effort to prevent."
The society has been focusing on social rather than political events to garner support.
"I think the best way of dealing with it is to build social relationships and emotional connections with students and through that explain the good side of the politics of Israel and then people will gain a proper understanding of the conflict in a balanced way," said 22-year-old Mr Robertson-Bonds.
While the separation of Jewish and Israel societies has helped involve more non-Jewish students, it has had a negative impact for some Jewish students.
At the StandWithUs Israel advocacy conference held in Glasgow last month, one student said she felt she was unable to advertise Israel society events through JSoc. And Marcell Horvath, co-founder of Glasgow students' Friends of Israel Society, said: "I think it is a sad state of affairs that even though students have a Jewish identity, even though students are pro-Israel, they are afraid to say it out loud."
IES membership vice-chair Noa Cohen said: "There seems to be a pervasive idea, especially among students, and in Scotland - which is much more left-wing than England - that to be a good leftie you have to hate Israel."
This feeling has not been helped by Scottish Nationalist politicians posting antisemitic and anti-Israel tweets in the past year. Ten Scottish academics also signed an open letter in the Guardian calling for the boycott of Israel last year.
The Jewish student delegation that met First Minister Nicola Sturgeon last month received a warm reception, offering some hope for the future.
Glasgow Jewish Representative Council president Paul Morron is optimistic: "It was a very interesting meeting. I have no doubt that it will bear fruit."
Mr Morron has attended meetings with university authorities in Edinburgh and Glasgow alongside Jewish Chaplaincy representatives.
He said: "The situation is improving but not to the level which we would have liked. We would like to see the university authorities engaging proactively with Jewish students."
Measures brought in during this academic year in Edinburgh - on diversity and staff training - have helped improve the situation.
Mr Morron praised the Jewish student leadership's efforts. "They don't sit back any more. With regards to Israel, they are very much more on the front foot."
