Students have deferred a debate on a motion at this year’s National Union of Students’ conference, which called on the union to boycott Israel.

A UJS spokesperson said the motion - which included a boycott call as part of its broader aim to defends the rights of Palestinians to education – was postponed “after the majority of conference agreed there were more pressing and relevant concerns for UK students to discuss” .

It will now be put on the agenda for the NUS' next national executive council meeting later this year.

This week, a large group of Jewish students joined more than 1,000 delegates in Liverpool for the three-day conference, which seeks to set the agenda for student politics over the forthcoming year.

As part of the week’s proceedings, delegates approved a definition of antisemitism be added to the union’s written legislation – a move that, according to UJS Campaigns director Maggie Suissa, “will protect the right of minority groups to define for themselves when they have been victims of a hate crime” .

Ms Suissa added: “This marks a significant turn for the better of Jewish students whose efforts to protect themselves from antisemitism will not be consigned to policies, but be a part of the constitution.”