Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said he was concerned about allegations of “systemic anti-Semitism” within the National Students’ Union, telling lawmakers that the government could sever ties with the organization unless it is reformed.
Zahawi’s intervention follows concerns expressed by the Jewish Students’ Union, including social media posts by the new president of NUS, Shaima Dalali, that sparked a historic attack on Jews in the Middle East.
Speaking to Parliament’s education committee, Zahawi said: “I am deeply concerned about NUS – I think there is systemic anti-Semitism because this is not the first time, I think it is the second time they have elected a leader who has a history of anti-Semitic comments and statements. so that worries me. “
Dalali apologized for the comments on social media, telling the Guardian in an interview: “I’m not the same person I was. I developed my political language to talk about Palestine and Israel. I support this apology. “
NUS also said it would conduct an independent investigation into allegations of anti-Semitism and work with the Jewish Students’ Union to address its concerns.
But Zahawi said that “it is not acceptable, in my opinion, for someone in a leading position in this organization to support these views or to propagate them in any way.
“I think they need to recover, to restore the trust of Jewish students, because at the moment this trust has collapsed completely and correctly, in my opinion. I think there is a lot of work that UXO has to do to get back to – I wouldn’t even say a good place – a proper, functioning representative organization. “
Zahawi told the committee that his department was looking for an answer, telling lawmakers that “no option is on the table, including our relationship with NUS.”
Anna Firth, a Conservative MP from Southend West, also asked why the Ministry of Education has failed to continue with Sharia-compatible student funding as an alternative to student loans for Muslim students, despite a promise to do so from 2014.
Zahawi said he would investigate the delay. “We need to make sure we deliver,” he said.
Firth said a recent study found that 4,000 Muslims failed to enter higher education due to a lack of alternative funding.
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