Activism at SOAS faces an Antisemitism Issue, and We Need to Address It
By Anonymous
SOAS has always been a radical place for organising, for community and most importantly a place where I felt comfortable standing up for Palestine. It has also been a space where certain groups have failed to address antisemitism to the point where they have allowed it to become rampant, making Jewish students feel unsafe over and over again.
As the genocide in Gaza began, with war crimes committed by Israel constantly appearing on social media - images of airstrikes on schools and safe zones, children having their limbs cut off, hospitals running out of fuel, it became impossible to keep living a ‘normal’ life. Alongside other students, I felt I had a duty to use my voice and speak up against SOAS’ complicity, and so when the opportunity came to join the encampment at the Liberated Zone for Gaza on campus, I did. It made enormous sense, the momentum was at an all-time high, students and professors were coming from across the UK to show solidarity, and there was a great sense of energy and a shared demand for justice. The movement was diverse, the Jewish Society were present at the encampment, as were the Islamic Society, and collectively we sought to shine a light upon SOAS' investments and policies with the aim to bring justice for Palestine.
But then the antisemitism began. Perhaps it didn't begin, it was always there, but it hadn't come out just yet. At first, I realised there was always talk of unity, collective liberation and ending all forms of hatred, but the one form of prejudice that was never included in this so-called radical thinking space was antisemitism. It was never mentioned, antisemitism was conspicuously absent in all discussions. I had brought up the need to address antisemitism alongside other forms of hatred, but this was always either ignored or downplayed. There has never been a single post addressing antisemitism by neither the SOAS Palestine Society, nor the encampment. It seems for them, antisemitism at SOAS does not exist. There were many instances of blatant antisemitism, such as when the mother of a prominent member of the encampment chanted in Arabic: ‘Yahood barra, barra!,’ translating to ‘Jews out, out!’ However, the worst instance of antisemitism was in early June 2024 when a man came to the encampment dressed as a Nazi, from head to toe, discussing his antisemitic theories and often making Nazi gestures. One would think this person would be immediately kicked out and ignored by a group claiming to be committedly antiracist, perhaps even confronted. But this individual was not only welcomed by encampment leadership, they even played chess with him.
The SOAS Liberated Zone claims its greatest achievement is that they are the longest lasting encampment in the UK. All the SOAS Liberated Zone has achieved is becoming a cesspit for antisemitism and ignorance. Despite not having a single demand met, they continue to live in a tent, numbers ever dwindling, discussing human rights issues in an attempt to inflate their already overgrown sense of self-importance. If student activists at SOAS are not willing to confront antisemitism, they will remain an ineffectual and hypocritical force, and fail to achieve any of their so-called goals.
