By Naomi Firsht
1 min read
Students in Scotland have hidden their Jewish identity because of rampant anti-Israel feeling on campus.
Details of discrimination against Jewish students emerged in evidence put before members of the Scottish Parliament who are considering a higher education bill.
In one incident, a student said his university had refused to reschedule exams that clashed with Shabbat. “Sit exams on Shabbat or fail,” he was told.
Details of these and other incidents were submitted to a committee of MSP’s by the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities (Scojec).
Scojec carried out an inquiry in 2012 - Being Jewish in Scotland - and another in 2014 - What’s changed about being Jewish in Scotland - which pointed to students being uncomfortable about expressing their Jewish identity and possibly being discriminated against.
The organisation stated: “We have evidence that the manner in which some academic and research staff have expressed views about the situation in the Middle East has contributed to both Jewish and Israeli students feeling compelled to deny or hide their Jewish identity.”
The Scottish Parliament is currently scrutinising the Scottish Government’s Higher Education Governance Bill which seeks to redefine academic freedom.
Scojec is concerned that the new definition will make defending students’ right harder in future.
