David Miller, the Bristol University lecturer who accused Jewish student societies of being “pawns” of Israel, has reportedly received £400,000 in government money – some of which he has been accused of using to produce research on ‘Israel lobby groups’.

The New Statesman reported that UK Research and Innovation, a government-funded body, gave Professor Miller and then-colleagues at the University of Bath grants over a three-year period — from 2013 to 2016 — to conduct research on “understanding terrorism”.

That research is alleged to have included Prof Miller’s attacks on “Israel lobby groups” from his 2016 paper on “The Israel Lobby and the European Union”, which included a now notorious map of “the British Zionist scene” claiming links between Israel and British political parties.

In March 2021 Prof Miller was suspended by Bristol University after he called for the “end” of Zionism and accused Jewish students at Bristol of being “pawns” of Israel. Only weeks later he was back on campus. 

His comments and the complaints by Jewish students who said they did not feel safe at the university - particularly those who were being taught by Prof Miller - led to an investigation being instigated by Bristol University. 

The university has consistently refused to say who is undertaking the investigation or when its findings are due — or if those findings will be made public.

A Board of Deputies spokesperson said: “Government funding should not be given to people who have been known to engage in antisemitic behaviour.”

The JC has contacted Prof Miller for comment.