UCL antisemitism panel featured David Miller backer

The university’s Jewish society refused to participate in the antisemitism definition process due to Wallis’ inclusion, president Fabio Pavoncello told the JC.

A letter written by UCL’s Jewish Society and signed by major communal bodies condemns the proposed antisemitism definition change as “irresponsible and unacceptable”. 

“This proposal to recognise three contradictory definitions will render the value of the IHRA definition meaningless and muddy the waters around what antisemitism actually is, having a direct impact on Jewish students at UCL,” it claims.

"We are horrified that UCL, the first university in the UK to accept Jewish students, could contemplate such a move…

“We find it extraordinary that, as an institution with a duty of care to its Jewish students, UCL could contemplate ignoring the overwhelming consensus of those students and the broader Jewish community to which they belong, and dismiss that community’s right to define the hatred to which it is too often subject."

A survey of Jewish students at UCL found that 98 per cent support the IHRA definition, it adds.

The letter claims: “This reflects broader Jewish communal consensus, and for the university to act on the ideology of a minute fringe, would be to betray and abandon those Jewish students and staff whose voices have thus far not been heeded in this proposal.

"We are aware of Council’s upcoming vote on the Academic Board’s recommendations to dilute the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition, adopted by UCL in 2019."

The UCL council vote marks the culmination of a two-year process run by the London university to agree an antisemitism definition to replace IHRA.

Since April 2021, a Working Group on a Definition of Antisemitism has met to decide how to define and tackle Jew hatred on campus.

Academic Sean Wallis has sat on it since its inception, representing the powerful University and College Union as a non-voting member.

But October 2021, the academic claimed: “There was/is no "Labour anti-Semitism problem".

“There was/is a generalised rise in racism (of which racism against Jews is a part), promoted by the Conservatives, UKIP and the BNP. The principal victims of racism today are refugees and migrants.”

In September 2022, after former NUS president Shaima Dallali had been suspended following revelations that she referenced a 7th century massacre of Jews and hailed antisemitic cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi as a “moral compass”, Wallis publicly expressed his support for her.“

Solidarity with NUS President @ShaimaDallali,” he said on Twitter.

“The @Conservatives Government attacking and trying to 'derecognise' the @NUSuk has brought this abuse on Shaima.”

In May, after the Union of Jewish Students called for an independent investigation into Dallali, Wallis said: “The @Conservatives Government has decided to derecognise the National Union of Students @nusuk on the basis of unsubstantiated allegations, citing the discredited #IHRA working definition of [antisemitism].”

The same month he attacked the IHRA definition again, saying: “The IHRA working definition is not taken intellectually seriously even by many of its advocates, who see it purely as a political weapon. 

“They won't say this publicly of course. But it is wise to read this ‘definition’ and ask yourself what exactly it #defines.”

Wallis also signed a letter that backed sociologist David Miller - who was sacked by the University of Bristol after claiming that Israel was using Jewish students as “political pawns” - as an “eminent scholar”.

In a statement, the UCL Jewish Society said: “We strongly stand behind IHRA as the only definition that can protect our Jewish students at UCL. 

“Jewish students are most affected by any policy changes on antisemitism. This is a crucial moment and we thank the Jewish community for their unwavering support. We look forward to council standing up for Jewish students.”

A spokesperson for the UJS said: "It is vital that the university listens to Jewish students, who are the people most impacted by antisemitism. This has been going on far too long and the university must prioritise Jewish students and heed their concerns. 

“It is unconscionable that an individual so manifestly unfit to define antisemitism was involved in this proposal. It speaks to a wider problem at UCL where Jewish students have been sidelined. UJS will continue to support Jewish students at UCL and beyond."

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “UCL’s Jewish students have every right to expect that, when it comes to defining the hatred that they themselves experience, the University will listen to them. 

“Like the overwhelming majority of the Jewish community, there is near-unanimous support among UCL’s Jewish students for the International Definition of Antisemitism, and the strength of that opinion must be heeded by UCL’s Council. 

“The International Definition of Antisemitism is the only definition that can protect Jewish students.”

A UCL spokesperson said: “We recognise that there are many differing views within our staff and student community on this complex issue – including within our department of Hebrew and Jewish studies and other groups. We appreciate that this is of particular concern to Jewish students.

“UCL fully adopted the IHRA definition of antisemitism in November 2019 following the endorsement of the university’s governing Council. Whatever decision Council reaches, IHRA will remain in place at UCL.

“We are deeply grateful to bodies and charities such as the Community Security Trust and the Union of Jewish Students, who have helped us to develop a comprehensive overview of the types of antisemitism and broader experience of Jewish staff and students at UCL.

“We are continuing to develop and embed training and education about antisemitism for our community.

"We will treat hostile behaviour, discrimination and abuse of any kind with the utmost seriousness and will take action against antisemitism through our disciplinary processes. A dedicated Antisemitism Programme Manager role has been created to lead this work.

"Sean Wallis was not a voting member of the Academic Board working group and did not draft the report or the proposals.

“He was appointed to the group by UCU, which were invited to nominate a non-voting member with expertise in university disciplinary procedures and race equality law.

“It was only the Chair, Professor Jeff King, and voting members of the working group who took all material decisions relating to the report and recommendations. The Chair of the working group had no involvement in the appointment of Sean Wallis to the working group as this was a UCU nomination.”

Sean Wallis was contacted for comment.