LEEDS, England — “Jewish students have had enough,” Emma Levy, president of the Jewish Society at the University of Leeds, told several hundred students at a “Stand Against Antisemitism” vigil here March 1. It was called in response to mounting threats against Jews on campus. “We stand together as a testament to our unbreakable spirit,” she said.
The protest came in the wake of a campaign to drive the students’ rabbi, Zecharia Deutsch, off the campus. The reactionary effort was initiated by Guardian columnist Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan and is backed by the Muslim Association of Britain, along with a range of middle-class leftists.
Rabbi Deutsch served in the Israel Defense Forces and like many others carried out reservist duties after Hamas’ Oct. 7 pogrom in Israel. Pro-Hamas supporters smear him as a “war criminal” and demand authorities kick him off the campus. Death threats against Deutsch and his family have forced them to move to a safe location.
Hillel House, a community center for Jewish students, was targeted Feb. 9 with graffiti calling for “Free Palestine” and “IDF off campus” on its walls. Despite the threats, Deutsch joined the March 1 vigil with his family. Leeds has the largest Jewish student population in the U.K., with more than 1,000 studying here.
Jewish students are stepping up efforts to push back against the rise in Jew-hatred after a few dozen pro-Hamas supporters took over part of the Parkinson Building on campus March 7 to press for the rabbi’s exclusion, accusing the university of complicity with Israel. Jewish students organized a table nearby March 12 with a sign “Come talk to us about Jewish identity,” along with information fliers and photos of hostages seized by Hamas.
A crowd came over from the Parkinson Building. Two Jew-hating thugs ripped the Israeli flag and scattered the table’s contents before running away. Afterward, a university spokesperson said, “We are aware of an incident. There is no evidence that any of our students were involved.” Undeterred by the university’s refusal to stand up to the thugs, Jewish students have continued setting up tables.
Several students stopped by a Communist League campaign table on campus March 20. Some were uncertain about how to react to the attacks on the rabbi, but welcomed a discussion.
“Before Oct. 7, I didn’t believe there was a need for Israel to exist. Then the celebrations of Oct. 7 shocked me,” James Harrod told this reporter. Its actions “made it abundantly clear why there does have to be a Jewish state.” He said he had been talking about this with fellow students who are Muslim.
I described how CL members discussed this question with working people, including many Muslims. “It’s important to recognize that Muslims are not a single bloc,” I said. “They’re class divided. Many are more and more distrustful of the capitalist rulers. Many are open to recognizing that Jew-hatred is a question for all workers to challenge.”
Peter Clifford is the Communist League candidate for Parliament in the Manchester Central constituency for this year’s general election.