The National Union of Students (NUS) has been condemned by a communal leader for its “failure to afford Jewish students the respect any other minority would receive”.

Ella Rose, the president of the Union of Jewish Students (UJS), which represents 8,500 students in the UK, said she was “disgusted” by the student body’s national executive committee in a letter sent ahead of a meeting today.

She called on the NUS to reconsider its boycott of companies that support Israel (BDS). Ms Rose, 21, also condemned the NUS after it suggested that allegations of antisemitism were exaggerated in the wake of Operation Protective Edge.

In an open letter, she wrote: “Quite frankly I am disgusted.

“I’m disgusted because I know this is part of a greater picture where time and time again BDS can create an atmosphere where antisemitism thrives.

“If a Jewish-Israeli student feels that BDS being imposed in her students’ union makes her feel intimidated and unwelcome, it’s because BDS has made her feel intimidated and unwelcome.

“To declare the student’s experiences as void, and UJS’ mentioning of it as politically motivated, not only undermines an individual’s ability to express themselves, but stifles the potential to expose and stop genuine hatred against Jewish people and minorities.”