CAA writes to UCU over its stance on David Miller as his latest Jew-baiting outbursts lose him even more supporters
Following the latest Jew-baiting outbursts from the disgraced academic David Miller, Campaign Against Antisemitism will be writing to University and College Union (UCU) demanding clarification on its previous statements of support for him.
Mr Miller was fired by the University of Bristol in 2021 over comments he had made about Jewish students, a month after Campaign Against Antisemitism commenced a lawsuit on behalf of current students against the institution and amidst a Jewish communal outcry.
He is a conspiracy theorist with a history of controversy relating to Jewish students. In one outburst, he asserted that “Zionism is racism”, declared his objective “to end Zionism as a functioning ideology of the world” and accused the Bristol University Jewish Society of being part of a worldwide Zionist conspiracy, adding that it is “fundamental to Zionism to encourage Islamophobia and anti-Arab racism”. At the same online event, Mr Miller also observed that the Jewish Society and the Union of Jewish Students are Zionist, thereby implying that Jewish students (and the wider Jewish community) inherently “encourage Islamophobia and anti-Arab racism”.
He also portrayed the International Definition of Antisemitism as an attack on free speech and accused the Israeli Government of engaging in an “all-out attack” on the global Left as part of an “attempt by the Israelis to impose their will all over the world”. In comments reminiscent of the darkest years of the United Nations, Mr Miller insisted that “Zionism is racism” and asked how “we defeat the ideology of Zionism in practice”, “how is Zionism ended” and about the way “to end Zionism as a functioning ideology of the world”.
Earlier this week, Mr Miller tweeted that “Jews are not discriminated against” before going on to write: “They are over-represented in Europe, North America and Latin America in positions of cultural, economic and political power.”
He also responded to a Twitter user who asked if could provide “a detailed list with names/positions [Jews] hold re. their being members of an over-represented group” by saying: “Coming shortly!”
His comments drew criticism from Jewish Voice for Labour (JVL), the antisemitism-denial group and sham Jewish representative organisation, who stated that his comments were “unacceptable” and had “crossed a line”.
JVL has previously published numerous articles in defence of Mr Miller.
In June, Jeanette Findlay, President of UCU Scotland, nonsensically claimed that the Union is committed to fighting antisemitism just seconds before rejecting the International Definition of Antisemitism and defending the disgraced academic Mr Miller.
Ms Findlay said: “We are very clear in UCU Scotland in our opposition to the treatment of David Miller by the University of Bristol. I was personally horrified and shocked when I heard that he had been sacked.”
She described Mr Miller as the victim of a “vicious and sustained assault” before stating that “it is [the Union’s] greatest wish that he will be reinstated.”
UCU has a horrendous reputation in the Jewish community, and this is not the first time its Scotland branch has defended Mr Miller.
In a 2021 statement, UCU Scotland showed little regard for the anxieties of the concerned Bristol University students, dismissing them at the time as “Zionist lobby groups”.
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “David Miller’s latest outbursts are yet further proof that we were right to launch a lawsuit against Bristol University on behalf of brave Jewish students, following which he was fired. We were heavily criticised by Mr Miller’s supporters, but now many of his erstwhile defenders are recognising him for what he is. UCU must explain whether it maintains its stance of staunch support for Mr Miller. If it is changing that stance, it should answer whether the price of alienating its Jewish members was worth it to defend such a vile individual.”
