As the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism continues to cause fierce debate on campuses, City University's students union has settled on a time-honoured solution: a referendum.

The union's decision to hold a yes or no vote on whether the university should reject IHRA has come under criticism from the Union of Jewish Students.  A debate will be streamed on 18 March, with voting to be held later this month. 

UJS said on Monday it was “disappointed” by the move.

It said City’s students union had "failed to consult Jewish students until after the decision was made" and had remained “adamant about the referendum going ahead” despite its concerns. 

“This will now be the second time, this academic year, where Jewish students haven’t been consulted on this motion, with the first motion falling at the student member meeting in November 2020,” UJS said. 

A spokesperson for City Students’ Union said it promotes “freedom of speech as an essential part of our democracy” and is working to ensure the vote is carried out in a safe environment. 

A spokesperson for its board of trustees said it “recognised that this issue had been discussed at various student forums but felt the concerns raised from both sides of the argument warranted a full and transparent response from the student voice.”

City University has not adopted IHRA as an institution but is undertaking a consultation on the issue.