Anti-Israel students targeted fake machine guns at each other and recreated shootings at a university campus this week.

The scenes were part of Israel Apartheid Week at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in central London.

It is believed the demonstration was intended to be a mockery of Israeli military checkpoints, and was performed next to an "apartheid wall" erected by students.

The actions came as the university's student union held a referendum on whether to extend its boycott of Israel and implement an academic boycott of the country across the campus.

The union first boycotted Israel in 2005, but now wants to encourage the entire university to impose such measures and end a link-up with Jerusalem's Hebrew University.

We are too scared - so we walk in a group to the station

The vote was open not only to students, but academics, cleaners, security guards, caterers and support staff at SOAS. Voting was due to close today.

The student union's own executive led a six-week campaign in support of a "yes" vote.

In a statement, student union executive members Georgie Robertson, Kabir Joshi and David Suber said: "We have received some constructive criticism from members of the Soas community who have rightly believed that the union has a bias when it comes to the referendum. This is correct."

They said any suggestion of neutrality on the issue would be "dishonest and false".

It is understood one officer has been dismissed over the vote.

The Union of Jewish Students said it was supporting those fighting the "biased" referendum.

SOAS Jewish Society president Moselle Paz Solis said apartheid week had left students who support Israel feeling "isolated".

"We are too scared to go anywhere so we walk in a group to the station. People come up to me and say I heard you hate Palestinians," said the 21-year-old Guatemalan.

At a boycott debate on Tuesday, the student union selected the speakers both for and against the argument, despite Ms Paz Solis asking to help choose the anti-boycott panellists.

One mature Israeli student claimed SOAS's Israel Society had been hijacked by pro-boycotters. Richard Galber said he had been thrown out of a society meeting a fortnight ago when he challenged attempts to impose sanctions on Israel.

The 63-year-old said: "It seemed to be an anti-Israel society. They asked me to leave.

"I have never felt so un-belonging as at that meeting. It was a very unpleasant sensation. I assumed an Israel Society would be welcoming to Israelis."

A SOAS statement said: "We do everything we can to preserve our neutrality, to ensure that we do not compromise our researchers or anyone else."