NUS threatens action against pro-Palestine open letter signatories, including Warwick SU officers

The National Union of Students (NUS) has threatened to take action against student leaders, including Warwick SU full-time officers, who signed an open letter criticising the NUS’ “ongoing silence in the face of genocide”.

The open letter criticised the NUS’ stance on Palestine, and accused the Union of abandoning an anti-racist and anti-apartheid legacy.

The NUS has not publicly responded to the letter, but the Union has reportedly accused signatories of involvement in “antisemitism” and “harassment” in leaked emails to students’ union CEOs.

The letter accuses the NUS of failing to defend students facing disciplinary action for Palestine activism, claiming the Union has instead ‘ignored – or worse – facilitated this repression’

The open letter was signed earlier this month by over 190 student leaders from over 50 UK universities backed by various legal and human rights groups, including CAGE UK and the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention. Not My NUS, a student coalition calling for an end to NUS’ “complicity in genocide”, has promoted the letter.

The letter accused the NUS of failing to defend students facing disciplinary action for Palestine activism, claiming the Union has instead “ignored – or worse – facilitated this repression”.

It outlined eight key demands, including that the NUS rescind the IHRA definition of antisemitism, which it describes as a “key tool underpinning pro-Palestine repression”.

The letter also called on the NUS to reaffirm support for student protest – including those by pro-Palestinian groups – and for a national ethical divestment campaign and a transparent investigation into Islamophobia and anti-Black racism within the NUS to be established. It warned that disaffiliation is “on the table” if the demands are ignored.

Among the signatories were several student officers and societies from the University of Warwick. These included James Varney, Vice-President for Democracy and Development; Ollie Chapman, Vice-President for Welfare and Campaigns; Ananya Sreekumar, Vice-President for Education; and Muneeba Amjad, outgoing Vice-President for Education.

A leaked email […] has revealed that NUS officials contacted CEOs of national students’ unions in response to discuss the retraction of signatures from the open letter by their elected student officers

Warwick Amnesty International, Anti-Sexism Society, Climate Justice, Islamic Society, Warwick Kehillah, Action for Palestine Society, Trans* Society, the Warwick Stands with Palestine coalition, and the SU Societies Forum Rep have also all signed the letter.

The signatories of the letter argued that the NUS’ actions have enabled Islamophobia, racism, and the repression of student protest. The Federation of Student Islamic Societies posted on Instagram: “As repression escalates on UK campuses, the NUS has failed to stand with the very students it claims to represent.”

A leaked email, published by Aberdeen’s student newspaper, The Gaudie, has revealed that NUS officials contacted CEOs of national students’ unions in response to discuss the retraction of signatures from the open letter by their elected student officers.

The officers were reportedly given an ultimatum by the NUS to either remove their signatures or be banned from NUS events and face potential further investigation.

“We ask that you discuss this matter with [student officers] and explore whether they are willing to withdraw their support […] so that we are able to confirm their attendance at Lead and Change [conference.]”, the email sent by the NUS said.

We are absolutely appalled by the thinly veiled threats by the NUS to its own membership. The treatment of us, as officers, in the last week has been disgraceful

James Varney, Ollie Chapman, and Ananya Sreekumar, Warwick SU officers

According to the organisers behind Not My NUS, over 70 sabbatical officers across more than 45 universities have been banned from NUS events “as a reprimand”. Some officers have also been warned that their job security may be at risk.

As a result of the warnings, some sabbatical officers are reportedly in contact with human rights organisations and lawyers to prepare a joint claim against the NUS on the grounds of discrimination and exclusion based on their political beliefs.

Speaking to The Boar, Varney, Chapman, and Sreekumar, the current Warwick SU officers who signed the open letter, said: “We are absolutely appalled by the thinly veiled threats by the NUS to its own membership. The treatment of us, as officers, in the last week has been disgraceful, with the NUS President, Amira, refusing to even apologise for how the NUS has conducted themselves.”

The officers added that they will not remove their signatures from the open letter, unless Warwick Kehillah – an anti-Zionist Jewish student group – removes their support.

“We reiterate what we told NUS: as long as Warwick Kehillah Society choose to remain in support of the letter, we will do the same, and stand up for action towards a free Palestine”, the officers told The Boar.

Antonia Listrat, President of the Guild of Students at the University of Birmingham, where many students have led protests against the NUS, also told The Canary: “Instead of protecting marginalised students, and defending our rights, the NUS is instead paving the way for more repression. I am terrified of losing my job during this cost-of-living crisis.”

The NUS also argued that the letter’s framing implies that any association with Israel is inherently ‘settler-colonial’ or ‘genocidal’, a narrative it claims draws on antisemitic tropes

In reported correspondence with sabbatical officers, the NUS leadership said that the letter was “antisemitic” and “misinformed” as it rejected the IHRA definition of antisemitism. The NUS claims that the definition “reflects the views of most British Jewish organisations” and that it is consistently endorsed by the Union of Jewish Students (UJS).

The NUS also argued that the letter’s framing implied that any association with Israel is inherently “settler-colonial” or “genocidal”, a narrative it claims draws on antisemitic tropes.

The Not My NUS coalition have responded in a letter to the NUS that “the deliberate conflation of Jewishness with Zionism is one we outrightly reject” and emphasised the Jewish signatories of the petition.

The IHRA definition of antisemitism has been controversial in UK higher education. Critics, including Jewish Voice for Labour, argue that this clause is selectively enforced and that the definition conflates criticism of Israel with antisemitism. They say it is “used to suppress criticism of the state of Israel”, and to stifle free speech on campus.

Supporters of the definition, including the Union of Jewish Students (UJS), argue that it is essential to identifying antisemitic behaviour accurately and its adoption is the “first step to ensuring Jewish students are protected.” According to the IHRA, the definition encompasses the “targeting of the state of Israel, conceived as a Jewish collectivity”. Supporters claim that “the definition explicitly states that criticism of Israel similar to that levelled against other states cannot be considered antisemitic.”

In a statement issued to The Boar, Warwick Jewish Society (JSoc) offered up criticism of the campaign: “Warwick Jewish Society is incredibly proud of the homely community we’ve built for Jewish students in Warwick – maintaining this is our key priority. This is why we’re concerned by antisemitic undertones – even if unintentional – in the ‘NotMyNUS’ campaign.

“The use of language suggesting Jewish students have undue influence over student politics echoes long-standing antisemitic stereotypes about Jewish power, and its propagation is deeply concerning.”

It continued: “The undermining of the Tuck Report, an independent inquiry into allegations of antisemitism within the NUS, is worrying given the Tuck Report concluded Jewish students faced a hostile environment, and complaints of antisemitism had been dismissed in bad faith.”

“The IHRA Definition of Antisemitism is supported by the majority of Jewish students – in Warwick and across the country – and Jewish organisations, and has been adopted by the European Commission, US and UK Governments. ” It concluded: “Simply seeking to protect Jews from hostility and discrimination, the call to withdraw from the IHRA Definition is troubling for Warwick’s Jewish students.”

Some universities, like Aberdeen, have instead adopted the Jerusalem Declaration (JDA) definition, which they say better protects space for criticism of the Israeli state.

The NUS no longer represents our values, our needs, or our students

Not My NUS coalition

One Jewish sabbatical officer, who declined to withdraw their signature from the open letter, told The Canary that criticism of state violence, including the IHRA definition’s political application, is protected under the Human Rights Act and warned that “silencing students, including Jewish students” for raising such issues “undermines both anti-racist principles and freedom of expression”.

Notably, several Kehillahs – a name adopted by anti-Zionist Jewish student groups that means ‘community’ in Hebrew – have also signed the open letter, as well as UCL’s Jews for Palestinian Justice Society and SOAS’ Jewish Society.

In support of the Not My NUS campaign, Warwick Kehillah told The Boar: “Warwick Jewish Students’ Kehillah stands firmly alongside the sabbatical officers and societies calling for the National Union of Students to take a stance for Palestinian freedom.

“We categorically reject the implication from the National Union of Students that it is antisemitic to campaign for the un-adoption of the controversial IHRA working definition of antisemitism. There is no unanimous consensus on a single definition of antisemitism, and there are many valid critiques of this definition – particularly of its 7 attached examples focused on the State of Israel.”

The group went on to add: “Indeed, 370 Jewish senior scholars from around the world are signatories of the Jerusalem Declaration on antisemitism, which seeks a ‘clearer’ and more ‘coherent’ definition, and is now used in many contexts alongside or in place of the IHRA working definition. There is no single voice that represents all British Jews, especially on such a contentious discourse.”

Campaigns for disaffiliation, led by groups like Not My NUS, have encouraged student unions to disaffiliate with the national union. The coalition has said that: “The NUS no longer represents our values, our needs, or our students.”

On Monday 29 July, the NUS was forced to cancel its flagship Lead and Change conference after the venue at the University of Birmingham was occupied by student protestors. The group – calling themselves the Birmingham Students’ Assembly – criticised the NUS for “political abdication in the face of genocide”, claiming the NUS have “not been a genuinely progressive force for decades.”

The protestors organised an alternative programme of events in the occupied building, which they advertised as “free from the confines of NUS suppression”.

The NUS has said that the Not My NUS petition creators have harassed NUS leaders on social media, including Noah Katz, a member of the NUS UK Board and senior official in the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the largest British Jewish organisation.

Whilst we do reassert that holding public figures and authorities to account publicly is a core tenet of any functioning democracy, that said, any misinformation or unwarranted abuse is unacceptable, and we distance ourselves from such instances

James Varney, Ollie Chapman, and Ananya Sreekumar, Warwick SU officers

The Union has alleged that the group posted pictures of Katz on a trip to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Not My NUS have said they “unequivocally reject” claims of harassment, adding they “feel this is an attempt to […] silence the Palestine solidarity movement”.

Warwick SU’s Varney, Sreekumar, and Chapman stressed to The Boar that: “We do not condone any of the alleged harassment towards Noah Katz. Whilst we do reassert that holding public figures and authorities to account publicly is a core tenet of any functioning democracy, that said, any misinformation or unwarranted abuse is unacceptable, and we distance ourselves from such instances.”

Speaking to The Boar, Warwick SU reiterated the officers’ distancing from this situation, saying: “Some of our incoming elected Officers joined others nationwide in signing an open letter to NUS, challenging our national body to better reflect the views of students on Palestine. We regret that a campaign image was later used by an unrelated account to target NUS Board members, and our Officers condemn and distance themselves from this – Warwick SU stands firmly against antisemitism, Islamophobia, and all forms of hate.”

The SU added, however, that they remain concerned about the NUS’ position in pressuring student officers to withdraw support from the open letter. The SU told The Boar: “We are concerned that NUS chose to pressure Officers to withdraw support and rescinded invitations to key events, rather than engage in constructive dialogue – a move that sets a troubling precedent for how dissent is treated nationally.

“Freedom of expression and freedom from hate must co-exist: we will always defend lawful activism and political challenge, while making clear that hate speech or intimidation have no place at Warwick SU.”

The Boar has contacted the NUS – who have not yet published a public statement addressing the open letter – for comment.

Note: Statements from Warwick Jewish Society, Warwick Kehillah, and Warwick Students’ Union were added to this article following its original publication on 5 August.