‘You have been heard,’ NUS leader tells Jewish students

(February 8, 2023 / JNS) A vice president of the U.K.’s National Union of Students sent a letter to Union of Jewish Students leaders last week praising them for fighting antisemitism and assuring them “you have been heard.” 

The Feb. 3 letter follows the January release of an independent investigator’s report, which found that “at least for the last decade, Jewish students have not felt welcome or included in NUS spaces or elected roles.”

The report also cited “numerous” antisemitic instances within the NUS.

Last November, the National Union of Students fired its president, Shaima Dallali, following allegations of antisemitism against Dallali and NUS leadership.

“Your members deserve to be recognized for the important work they do, but they also deserve an apology,” wrote Chloe Field, NUS vice president of higher education and board chair. “It should never again be left to Jewish students alone to tackle antisemitism in the student movement.”

Field added that she saw a “glimmer of hope” that antisemitism can be booted from the student movement for good.

“We will have an immeasurable impact on British politics and society itself for years to come,” she wrote.

Ahead of conference, we received this letter from NUS VP Chloe Field which we are sharing with Jewish students.

It contains an unreserved apology for the treatment of Jewish students.

We will continue to work with NUS to ensure the Tuck report's recommendations are actualised. pic.twitter.com/n3YhZWH89r

— Union of Jewish Students (@UJS_UK) February 6, 2023

The Union of Jewish Students represents about 9,000 Jewish students in the United Kingdom and Ireland.