StandWithUs UK welcomes the decisive steps announced by UCL in response to the shocking antisemitic content exposed on its campus by a StandWithUs UK fellow yesterday. UCL’s leadership confirmed that the fixed term researcher responsible has been banned from campus, reported to the police, and is no longer affiliated with the university. UCL also suspended the student group that hosted the event and launched a full investigation into how this incident occurred. Disciplinary action is underway for related conduct, and UCL has reaffirmed that freedom of speech cannot be used as a shield for hateful rhetoric.
These actions followed a recording passed to StandWithUs UK twenty-four hours ago by a student from our Emerson flagship leadership programmes. That recording captured a UCL fixed term researcher echoing medieval blood libel fantasies and other long-discredited conspiracies within an academic setting. Such claims carry a brutal historic legacy and place Jewish students in an atmosphere that feels unsafe rather than scholarly.
Across the past 24 hours, StandWithUs UK worked shoulder-to-shoulder with students at UCL in a determined effort to secure accountability. Together we pushed for immediate intervention from UCL leadership, removal of the individual involved, and a serious inquiry into this collapse in academic standards. That joint effort rejected silence and demanded meaningful action rather than vague assurances.
StandWithUs UK extends gratitude to our student partners, our community allies, and all those who stood firm with courage and moral clarity. Their commitment turned outrage into action and helped ensure a strong institutional response.
We are proud and grateful for the action of our StandWithUs UK Emerson student who went to the lecture and recorded the speaker’s words. Without their courage and fast action, no one would have even known this antisemitism was being spread on campus. This is the kind of leadership that all students across the UK should be inspired by.
We move forward united, committed, and resolute in defending Jewish students and safeguarding a campus environment grounded in dignity, fairness, and respect.
StandWithUs UK is an educational charity that supports Israel and the Jewish people through information campaigns, student programmes, and community engagement. Its mission is to stand up for Israel and combat antisemitism in the UK and beyond. For more information about StandWithUs UK and future educational programmes, visit https://standwithus.com/uk/
