Bristol University adopts International Definition of Antisemitism after acrimony

The University of Bristol has adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism, following a controversial debate.

The University had reportedly initially declined to adopt the full roster of examples that are appended to the International Definition, with the senate removing the examples and elevating the amended version to the trustees. However, following a protest by the Jewish Society, the International Definition has been adopted in full by the University.

The University has had its share of scandals, dropping a complaint against one lecturer, Dr Rebecca Gould, over an article in which she claimed that “privileging the Holocaust as the central event in Jewish history” should end and that “the Holocaust persists and its primary victims are the Palestinian people”; and rebuffing Jewish students’ concerns over a lecture course titled “Harms of the Powerful”, in which a conspiracy theorist sociology professor, David Miller, suggested that the “Zionist movement” is one of the “five pillars” of hatred of Muslims (redolent of the five pillars of Islam) and is bankrolled by “ultra Zionist funders”.

University College London adopted the International Definition recently, following a call on universities to adopt the International Definition by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.