October 7 turned Cambridge students into activists

Like many, I awoke on October 7 to see the horrifying news of the infiltration into Israel by Hamas. A few days later, the news broke that a meshuggah student union sabbatical officer had liked some online posts praising October 7. Despite the best campaigning efforts of myself and others in Cambridge, he was not removed, but did resign in May 2024 over the “university’s stance on Gaza” – he had wanted it to sound harsher towards Israel.

The next incident came just a fortnight later, when a student union motion called for a “mass uprising”. The student later clarified they meant “intifada” – referencing the mass violence against Israelis in the 1980s, 90s and 2000s. At this point, we all hoped that the university would do something about the incidents and to halt the rapid rise of antisemitism, but nothing came of our hopes.

The next few months saw weekly protests, both on Sidgwick Site, where most of the humanities faculties and lecture theatres are located and where I had to go practically every weekday, and in the city centre. Signs also started appearing across the university calling for intifadas. The people at these protests were emboldened to target visibly Jewish students, abusing them with accusations of “baby killers” when walking to classes. Yet again, the university took no action.

It was almost like we were being blamed. Like many of my fellow Jewish students, dozens of our friends turned a cold shoulder towards us. My own kitchen, which I shared with 12 other students, suddenly became a hostile place to visit, as did my college. This experience was not unique to me.

In the spring of 2024, encampments started appearing across North America, which soon began spreading to Europe. Again, there were signs calling for an intifada, which the university made them remove. However, apart from this gesture by the university, they seemed all too happy to leave the encampment there. This decision had serious consequences for the university’s Jewish students.

Antisemitism, already rife, was allowed to fester. The encampment, allowed to remain on university grounds in front of the city’s biggest tourist attraction, was full of students and Cambridge residents who were clearly full of hatred towards Israel.

Numerous well-known speakers on the anti-Israel circuit have been invited to student societies, including the Cambridge Union, the university’s main debating society, which I used to be very involved in. I was made to feel very unwelcome due to the incredibly hostile atmosphere, once my views on Israel became clear.

Last year’s Eurovision screening at my college was cancelled due to Israel’s participation. This year, I watched it in the chamber of the Cambridge Union. When the presenters announced that Israel came second, the cheering in the chamber was deafening. People were apparently “very worried” that Israel would win. That’s the level of hatred towards Israel at the moment – people in that room were ecstatic, not because Austria won, but because Israel lost a relatively inconsequential music competition.

I have been particularly vocal, posting on social media about antisemitism and writing about my experiences, and about Israel, because I am a firm believer in Hannah Arendt’s dictum that, “If one is attacked as a Jew, one must defend oneself as a Jew”.

There are numerous other incidents that I have left out of this article, for fear of repercussions, both from individuals and institutions. However, I encourage anyone, whether or not you are a student, to speak up. Don’t hide. Tell your story. This is the only way to root it out.

A Cambridge University spokesperson told the JC: “The University abhors antisemitism and racism in any form. We have robust complaints procedures in place and will support students to report incidents through the University or police where appropriate.”