The National Union of Students has been urged not to target Jewish students with its plans to reinstate a Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) policy towards Israel.

The NUS will debate a motion on Thursday that would commit it "to continue to support the Palestinian-led call for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions of Israel, along with civil society, human rights organisation, and trade unions, until it complies with basic tenets of international law, as NUS has done for many years.”

The motion also accuses the UK of "complicity in denying the Palestinian people their inalienable and basic rights."

But a suggested amendment to the motion says the organisation must resolve to “not target Israeli citizens" or Israelis studying at British universities and ensure "any BDS activity does not target or impact Jewish students’ ability to study on their campus".

It warns that BDS campaign must not jeopardise the provision of Kosher food and religious items and urges the NUS to take "a zero-tolerance approach to antisemitism/hostile environments where Jewish students feel uncomfortable.”

BDS campaigns try to pressure universities to cut ties with Israeli companies or individuals, as well as companies doing business in Israel.

A handbook produced by NUS Black Students describes some of the “amazing things” BDS campaigners have achieved, including cancelling student unions' contracts with firms like G4S and Veolia, removing water coolers provided by companies like Eden Springs and, at Soas university in London, voting for a boycott of Israeli academics.

The motion in favour of a BDS policy was proposed by Ilyas Nagdee, the NUS’s Black Students Officer and a member of its National Executive Committee, which is made up of 20 elected representatives from across the NUS.

Another 13 NEC members have seconded the motion, meaning that it will pass.

The amendment to the motion has been proposed by some of the remaining members of the NEC.

Another amendment proposes that the NEC resolve “to support the right to self-determination of the Jewish and Palestinian peoples, encouraging efforts to bring about peace and dialogue through Two States for Two Peoples.”

Liron Velleman, campaign manager at the Union of Jewish Students, told the JC he was “frustrated and concerned that NUS are going to again debate boycotting Israel at their National Executive Council".

“BDS is a tired campaign that has little to no impact on the reality of the situation in Israel and Palestine, as well as being highly divisive, dampens progressive voices and often leads to victimisation of Jewish and Israeli students," he said.

"We urge NUS NEC to show strong leadership on this and stand with those who work for the right of self-determination for Jewish and Palestinian peoples and vote down this policy."

The NUS declined to comment, saying it could not speak before Thursday's debate and vote.

Mr Nagdee, who proposed the BDS motion, tweeted last month: “It’s important we highlight the wet sods who yell ‘you can love Israel and not its government’.

“When so core to a nation’s history and identity is settler colonialism, apartheid and indiscriminate murder – you can’t love the state without endorsing the blood it’s built on. #Free Palestine.”

In March, the NUS officer also appeared to support violence against Israel, tweeting: “The people of Palestine do not need to show anger on your terms. Their resistance does not need to be palatable to you… no resistance to an occupying force has happened through friendly natter.

“As the waves of settler-colonialism, racist laws, child prisoners and indiscriminate murder continues you want them to lead a nice liberal resistance for a Western gaze.”

Mr Velleman said: "It is particularly worrying that the motion has been proposed by an individual who has publicly aired views seemingly supporting violent resistance against Israel.

"This calls into question whether the motives for the motion really are about equality and dignity or about demonising the Jewish state.”

Mr Nagdee had not responded to requests for comment as this story went live.