Warwick professor who praised comment linking Zionism with Nazis is cleared of antisemitism by University
A University of Warwick professor who praised a comment linking Zionism with Nazis as “a good point” has been cleared of antisemitism by the University.
In a video clip of an online lecture organised by the Institute for Palestinian Studies, Professor Virinder Kalra appears to read out a comment that states: “It is important to point out that Zionists were the only group that broke the Jewish boycott of the Nazis, that many Nazis called themselves Zionists since that would accomplish their ideology of cleansing Europe of Jews.”
Prof. Kalra described this remark as “a good point” and “an important comment”.
Additionally, he remarked that the International Definition of Antisemitism is “opening a very slippery slope in terms of any criticism of state violence suddenly becomes a criticism of a particular group.”
This incident is particularly troubling given that Prof. Kalra was the individual assigned to lead the antisemitism investigation into the controversial Warwick lecturer Dr Goldie Osuri, whom he cleared of any wrongdoing.
In a lecture on 11th November 2019, Dr Osuri posited in a recording obtained by Campaign Against Antisemitism that “the next time they say that the Labour Party is antisemitic, you know there are some people that are possibly antisemitic, but this idea that the Labour Party is antisemitic is very much an Israeli lobby kind of idea.”
Her conspiratorial comments, alluding to supposed outsized Israeli power and interference in British politics, and dismissal of antisemitism in Labour as a smear, left Jewish students outraged.
Dr Osuri was challenged over her remarks by the Warwick Jewish Israeli Society who said in a statement released jointly with the Union of Jewish Students, said that “there can be no excuse from an academic at such a prestigious university to spread conspiracy theories associated with classic antisemitism.” They went on to point out that Dr Onsuri’s comment “belittles and diminishes the fears, experiences and concerns of the Jewish community and spreads the antisemitic conspiracy that Jews control the media”.
In an e-mail to students shown to Campaign Against Antisemitism, Dr Osuri doubled down on her claims, promoting the work of the antisemitism-denial group and sham Jewish representative organisation, Jewish Voice for Labour, as well as bemoaning that she was “saddened” that “none of these issues were raised in the seminars.”
Following the news of Prof. Kalra’s remarks, calls have been made to reopen the investigation into Dr Osuri.
Campaign Against Antisemitism monitors the adoption of the International Definition of Antisemitism by universities.
If any students are concerned about antisemitism on campus or need assistance, they can call us on 0330 822 0321, or e-mail [email protected].
