Vice-chancellors must be “proactive, not just reactive” in combating the “horrific” antisemitism that is being seen on some English university campuses, according to the higher education minister.
Robert Halfon told Times Higher Education’s THE Campus Live event in Liverpool that “action against antisemitism needs to come from within” as he highlighted the experiences of Jewish students during the Israel-Hamas war.
“The antisemitism in some of our universities this autumn has been horrific,” he said, adding that he had been “horrified” to hear about incidents that he said included “threatening door-knocking, verbal and physical abuse, graffiti [and] flags draped over Jewish students’ cars”.
“I have welcomed statements condemning antisemitism from vice-chancellors across the country. But I would ask everybody in the university sector to be proactive, not just reactive,” Mr Halfon said.
