Refusing to be cowed, Ben-Gad responded, in a statement shared with the JC: “I am indeed as they claim an IDF veteran and I plan to act like one.”
One post distributed by the group on social media recounted Ben-Gad's employment history, including “six years working in a genocidal society” as a lecturer at the University of Haifa, Israel's most diverse university, where approximately 40 per cent of students are Arab citizens of Israel.
The group highlighted the professor’s time studying and working at Israeli universities (Photo: Instagram)[Missing Credit]
The professor, who has worked at the London university since 2008, serving as head of department from 2010 to 2013, said: “If the objective of today's demonstration was to frighten or intimidate me, frankly they will have to try a lot harder than printing up a flyer, launching an Instagram campaign or [organising] a small demonstration.”
He lectured last week as usual and plans to continue to do so. “These modern brown shirts are not going to send me into hiding.”
The launch of the campaign against Ben-Gad, which coincided with the start of the ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages, suggests that “hate groups need a new cause,” his statement went on.
“I may have been specifically targeted because of my role in campaigning for academic freedom which seems to trigger a rather disparate variety of extremists,” he added.
“I am a classical liberal. Students have a right to express their opinions, even if, personally, I find those views abhorrent. That even includes the production of inflammatory pamphlets about me. However, they do not have a right to disrupt, harass, threaten, or physically intimidate.”
Ben-Gad said the protesters had “crossed a very bright red line,” with their demonstration.
“I am an unapologetic Israeli patriot and no one is going to intimidate me. At the same time, I am deeply grateful to this wonderful country for all the opportunities it has afforded me.
“Remember these people hate Britain, for its unique tradition of civility, its freedom and its tolerance, as much as they hate Israel and Jews.”
However, he credited City administrators for supporting him.
“I have enjoyed the full support of the President, Professor Sir Anthony Finkelstein and the entire senior management team of the university. Anthony and I are both the sons of holocaust survivors and understand completely the true nature of this campaign.”
Echoing Ben-Gad's statement, Finkelstein told the JC: "At City St George’s we will not tolerate bullying and harassment of our staff and students. It is unlawful and repugnant.”
Finkelstein – whom protesters said had “blood on [his] hands” – added: “Neither Michael or I are inclined to be bullied or intimidated, we stand up for our Jewish students, we stand up for our staff, and we stand up for the principles of freedom of expression which make our universities great.
“My personal history and that of my family is well known,” he added, referring to his family's history in the Holocaust, “nobody would expect me to kowtow to antisemites.”
In an apparent mix-up, one poster wielded by the group pictured JC columnist Lord Daniel Finkelstein, Anthony’s brother.
The protesters mistakenly used a photo of Lord Daniel Finkelstein, the brother of City University president (Photo: Instagram)[Missing Credit]
“One is tempted to say: ‘we all look the same to them’. On this, words fail me,” Finkelstein said, adding, “Us Finkelsteins stand together.”
“Freedom of speech and expression exercised within the law is one thing, attempts to obstruct and to interfere with our academic work are wholly different.
“We immediately, firmly, and unequivocally condemn these actions by a small, masked, group of individuals from a group unaffiliated with this University. We will do all that we can to support our staff and students who might, with justice, feel intimidated.
“We have taken steps to ensure that all the relevant people are being protected,” he went on, adding that the demonstration has been reported to the Community Security Trust (CST).
“Michael has the full support of the University and its senior management team, as well as colleagues of all faiths and backgrounds."
He added that he was surprised it had taken demonstrators so long to target the university in such a drastic way.
“This was always on the cards. It is somewhat astonishing that we’ve managed to avoid a protest like this up until now and have had relatively reasonable campus cohesion.”
Finkelstein said that Jewish and Israeli academics have received reassurance from him.
He referred to a letter penned in the JC ahead of the 2024/25 academic year, in which he called on Jewish students to rise to the “generational challenge” to call out “ancient lies about Jews” spread by some on campus.
Police were called to the demonstration (Photo: Instagram)[Missing Credit]
“We have responsibilities and we need to be there to challenge. But if there are problems, students should report those,” he added.
He said that City would not assume that the protest ringleaders were students at the university. If students are found to have been involved, they will face a disciplinary process.
Following the protest, hundreds of academics have come to the defence of Ben-Gad.
A statement signed by faculty from institutions including Imperial College London to the University of Oxford reads: “We, the undersigned, are deeply concerned by a targeted harassment campaign against Michael Ben-Gad... Regardless of diverse views on the recent Gaza war and the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, we deplore any campaign that seeks to intimidate and drive out lecturers because they are Israeli, Jewish, or members of any other group.
“Attacks of this kind are intimidating, particularly to Jewish students, and set a precedent under which others could be targeted in the future.
“We wish to make clear to what appears to be a small, if very vocal, group that their mobbing tactics will not succeed.
“We stand together in support of Professor Ben-Gad and his personal and intellectual freedom as an academic.”
Responding to the story, a spokesperson for City St George’s, University of London, said: “City St George's fully supports and upholds freedom of expression within the law and is willing to engage in lawful discussion and debate across the full range of topics. However, unlawful and repugnant attempts to obstruct and interfere with our academic operations are another thing entirely, and the University will not tolerate the harassment of its staff and students. We reject the unlawful actions of this small group of individuals that is neither affiliated with the University nor its Students' Union.
“We will continue to support and protect our staff and students, including Michael, who has the full support of the University and its senior management team, as well as colleagues of all faiths and backgrounds.”
The Professor was branded a "terrorist" by the unaffiliated group (Photo: Instagram)[Missing Credit]