The Jewish Chronicle
NUS accused of hypocrisy after “pushing out” Jewish student from anti-racism campaign
February 25, 2016 17:05
The National Union of Students has voted to “push out” Jewish students from an anti-racism campaign, according to a leading Jewish member of the union.
The NUS’ National Executive Committee this week passed a motion ending the practice of giving an automatic leadership place on its Anti-racism Anti-Fascism (ARAF) campaign to a Jewish student.
Izzy Lenga,who sits on the NEC, opposed the motion.
Ms Lenga, who is currently a co-convenor of ARAF, said the motion was a “shameless attempt to push Jewish students out of it”.
Up until now, the ARAF campaign’s two co-convenor roles have traditionally gone to a black student and a Jewish student.
The NEC motion, which was passed at a meeting on Tuesday, called for one position to go automatically to a representative of African, Asian or Latin American descent, but to have the second post be elected by the NEC from any group considered to be an ethnic minority or a member of a marginalised group.
Ms Lenga, who has suffered antisemitic abuse on social media in the past, said ARAF was the only structure in the NUS that allowed Jewish students to talk about antisemitism on campus.
At the same meeting the NEC passed an emergency motion resolving to reaffirm the union’s commitment to fighting antisemitism, following the allegations of Jew-hatred within the Oxford University Labour Club.
NUS president Megan Dunn spoke in favour of the motion.
She said: “The left has a problem with antisemitism. I am a socialist, a trade unionist, a student unionist. And antisemitism is not acceptable in this movement or any other and it is time to say enough is enough.”
But Union of Jewish Students campaigns director Russell Langer told the JC that the NEC had been hypocritical.
He said: “In one breath the NEC voted to condemn antisemitism and in the next they removed the ability for Jewish students to be guaranteed representation in the Anti-Racism, Anti-Fascism (ARAF) campaign.
“Jewish students are the only group who are not represented by any of the NUS liberation campaigns. The only area of NUS’ work where Jews have been traditionally welcomed has been the ARAF campaign and now they are being pushed out.”
He thanked Ms Dunn for “speaking out against antisemitism within the student movement and the left. Though I know Jewish students appreciate Megan’s support, I am sure that they share my frustration that she has needed to state this so many times while in her role.”
