’Antisemitism and antizionism at work’ survey launched for Jewish employees

Waley-Cohen told the JC: “In the inclusion world, there is a worrying level of ignorance, antisemitism and antizionism coming from too many professionals. In late 2024, research showed that two-thirds of Jewish people had witnessed or experienced antisemitic discrimination at work. Since then, proactive efforts to tackle it have been minimal or non-existent. When Jewish staff have raised the issue of wanting to see antisemitism training, nothing has happened.

“We thought it would be good to get current data, which would make for a really informed conversation on the night.”

She said that of the responses they had already received, just over 70 per cent of people said there was no antisemitism training in their firm, and 50 per cent felt that Jewish employees were deliberately or accidentally excluded when it came to DEI.

Waley-Cohen said: “DEI likes to put people in boxes of privileged or oppressed, and because of tropes, Jewish people are seen as white, privileged and the oppressors, so why would people need antisemitism training? There is the assumption that Jewish people have no barriers to overcome.”

In her work, she had found that “Jewish” was rarely included as an option on a diversity form, Jewish holidays – if they were acknowledged by DEI – were “done badly” and that in many workplaces, there was no support given to Jewish staff following a terrorist attack.

Maya Mazur (née Sterrie), an employment solicitor[Missing Credit]

One of the questions in the survey asks about the impact of the recent University of Bristol v David Miller Employment Appeal Tribunal ruling, which held that Miller’s anti-Zionism belief constituted a protected belief under the Equality Act. This will be a focus of the panel discussion.

Maya Mazur (née Sterrie), an employment solicitor at Doyle Clayton Solicitors, who is part of the JLN committee, said the ruling “has set a precedent which is concerning for the Jewish community”.

To fill in the survey, click here or scan the QR code:

[Missing Credit]

JLN’s panel discussion on October 8 is open to people working in the legal profession. For more information, click here