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Jenrick “extremely disappointed” after UJS survey shows 80 per cent of universities have not adopted IHRA definition

Oxford and Cambridge are among the universities that have refused to adopt antisemitism definition

September 30, 2020 13:03
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Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick has said he is “extremely disappointed” universities have ignored his request to use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism after a survey by the Union of Jewish Students (UJS) revealed that  almost 80 per cent had failed to adopt it.

Just 29 of the UK’s 133 higher education institutions confirmed they had adopted IHRA, which includes the examples of holding Jews responsible for the actions of Israel and comparing Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.

Eighty universities responded to a Freedom of Information request by the Union of Jewish Students to say they had no plans to adopt the IHRA definition, while 17 said officials intended to discuss it the coming months.

Both Oxford and Cambridge are among the universities that have refused.