NUS: Stop silencing students on Palestine

Take action to express your outrage at National Union of Students' attempts to silence and suppress student organising against Israel’s genocide and starvation of Palestinians.

NUS has chosen to react to legitimate student criticisms of its stance on Israel's genocide in Gaza by threatening elected students’ union officers and banning them from its ‘Lead and Change’ national meeting. It is deeply concerning that NUS has used its adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism to silence and exclude students. It is shameful that at this most horrifying moment, NUS is seeking to shield Israel from accountability.

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Amira Campbell, NUS President and Chair of NUS UK Board

Qasim Hussain, NUS VPFE

Alex Stanley, NUS VPHE

Saranya Thambirajah, NUS VP Liberation and Equality

Sai Shraddha Suresh Viswanathan, NUS Scotland President

Deio Owen, NUS Wales President

Ben Friel, NUS USI President

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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW29693263 BCX0"><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW255533599 BCX0">I wish to express my outrage at NUS’s attempts to silence and suppress student organising against Israel’s genocide and starvation of Palestinians.  </div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW255533599 BCX0">On 11th July, over 80 elected student officers and 120 student groups from more than 50 university campuses sent an open letter to NUS, demanding that NUS recognise the assault on Gaza as plausible genocide, that you advocate for a ceasefire, defend students’ rights to protest, rescind the widely criticised and discriminatory IHRA definition of antisemitism, and support a national ethical divestment campaign.  </div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW255533599 BCX0">Shamefully, at a time when we are witnessing the mass starvation of an entire population, rather than address these legitimate student criticisms, NUS has chosen to respond by threatening elected students’ union officers and banning them from its ‘Lead and Change’ national meeting. </div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW255533599 BCX0">It is deeply concerning that NUS has used its adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism to silence and exclude students. The IHRA definition has been widely criticised for falsely conflating legitimate criticism of Israel with antisemitism. It discriminates against Palestinians by seeking to uniquely deny them the ability to freely discuss their history and contemporary experience of oppression. The IHRA has contributed to a chilling climate where Palestinians, and students and academics standing up for Palestinian rights, fear being singled out and subjected to discriminatory restrictions on their speech, research, and university activity. </div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW255533599 BCX0">It is shameful that at this most horrifying moment, NUS is seeking to shield Israel from accountability. In doing so, it is out of step with the majority of British civil society, including all major trade unions. NUS must take immediate action to rectify the harm caused to Palestinian students, and those standing in solidarity with them. It must side with its students, against genocide and apartheid and take seriously the demands put to it by its members: it must drop the IHRA, stop repressing student solidarity with Palestine, and show leadership in the student movement for divestment from Israeli apartheid.</div></div>

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NUS: Stop silencing students on Palestine