Is the penny finally starting to drop about anti semitism and hate marches?

[mids2019]

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/may/04/starmer-c al l-society-response-rising-antisemitism

I think we are now seeing the cumulative impact of the anti senitism that has built up over the last 3 years where there has been a permissive environment with politicians hesitant to intervene in events in the streets that have incubated anti Jew sentiment.

All political parties apart from the hate apologist Greens are now waking up to the fact we need better policing and perhaps legislation. I for one will acting a vote for a party that recognises hate marches for what they are and also willing to tackle the vile posts appearing on social media (and Labour have reacted too late too little). Enough is enough for a Jewish community that lives in perpetual fear.

@Ellen2shoes I see you don’t answer my question.

Prof Anna S may consider it a loophole and so may others.

Still, we can hardly ignore the ruling of the high court that what the British government is doing is lawful, or the reasons they give to justify it.

Don’t you question why it’s a loophole? Really do recommend reading the piece by AS. Here’s a v short excerpt :

Flaunting controls
Second is the repeated failure of the UK government to enforce its own controls.
This happens with such regularity that it’s fair to say the government is more interested in legitimising its actions than actually restricting the circulation of weapons.

The high court has made a ruling after studying all the evidence.

Whether you agree with the ruling or Prof Anna S does is irrelevant.

If it’s corrupt, it’s relevant to all of us.

I look forward to hearing the outcome of investigations ….

From your first bbc link:

But information around the extent of the UK's military support to Israel often remains unclear or classified, and some MPs have called for a public inquiry into the extent of the assistance.

I don’t believe it is corrupt. You do. End of conversation.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c78k22z2n94o

There we have it, open support for terrorism.

"Elrayess isn't just defending a proscribed terrorist group, she is actively whitewashing atrocities," they said.

"This isn't student radicalism, it is the explicit normalisation of terror."

The Oxford Students Against Discrimination Group added in a statement that the comments were "a failure of basic humanity, and a betrayal of every Jewish student".

"Arwa Elrayess has chosen to minimise mass atrocities, argue that terrorist actions are 'proportional', and laud a proscribed terrorist organisation."

It said the union president was "actively contributing to a culture of fear and exclusion for Jewish members of the university". "

I'm not surprised at all. Universities are hotbeds of support.

There is a disgusting holocaust-inversion post on her instagram too, and apparently this was circulating after her election.

"The BBC understands a formal motion of no confidence was filed against Elrayess - who is the Union's first Palestinian president - on Thursday.

The motion requires signatures from 150 members by Saturday in order to proceed.

In a statement regarding the messages, a spokesperson for the Oxford Union said: "As this does not relate to the President's official role, we are unable to comment."

The union is student society dating back more than 200 years and is run completely independently of the University of Oxford.

In the past, many of those who have served as its president have often gone on to work in public life - including prime ministers William Gladstone, Edward Heath and Boris Johnson."

How on earth anyone can have confidence in a terrorist sympathiser.

who is the Union's first Palestinian president

Was she though?

https://www.jta.org/archive/palestine-jew-elected-head-of-oxford-union

In the BBC article "Elrayess said it was "categorically untrue to suggest that I have lauded a proscribed organisation in any way", and that to suggest this was a "mischaracterisation and a gross misquotation"."

https://www.cherwell.org/2026/06/06/elrayess-oxford-union-president-opinion-piece/

In an opinion piece by her, "The result is a standard under which Palestinians are permitted to speak only if they preemptively defend themselves against interpretations they never intended. I have no interest in doing that."

She is a strong, clever girl.

A clever girl who thinks October 7th was proportionate and hamas may one day be regarded as heroes.

She doesn’t condone it - just notes that she feels people shouldn’t be surprised that something gave.

She then added: "Proportional does not mean 'right' by the way, just that [you] can't be shocked that it happened."

What she said about Hamas:
Elrayess said: "Any resistance group will inevitably be deemed a 'terrorist' organisation by the West until they achieve their liberation (by which time, they'll be lauded as heroes, as history has repeatedly proven)."

Look up the Irgun.

And no, I don’t condone what Hamas did and their actions have only resulted in horror for Palestinians at the hands of the IDF.

This.

Not clever enough to realise that supporting terrorists isn't a good look.

"Any resistance group will inevitably be deemed a 'terrorist' organisation by the West until they achieve their liberation (by which time, they'll be lauded as heroes, as history has repeatedly proven)."

And she got into Oxford? Blimey standards have slipped.

One of the first prime ministers of Israel Begin was a member of a terrorist organisation?

“In 1946, the Irgun bombed the King David Hotel, which served as a British administrative command post, killing some 91 soldiers and civilians. Two years later, its members participated in the April 1948 massacre at the Palestinian village of Deir Yasin, just outside Jerusalem. By September 1948, the Irgun was dismantled and subsumed by the Israeli army. One of its leaders, Menachem Begin, later became prime minister of Israel. The Irgun was the precursor of the Herut Party, one of Israel’s most militant right-wing factions.”

Apparently the Herut Party was a precursor of rthe Likud party?

https://www.jerusalemstory.com/en/lexicon/irgun

This student clearly speaks her mind. Brave, but not stupid I would hazard- unless that includes not caring about the criticism being levelled against her.

"In a conversation about Hamas with other students on the group that has been seen by the BBC, Elrayess said: "Any resistance group will inevitably be deemed a 'terrorist' organisation by the West until they achieve their liberation (by which time, they'll be lauded as heroes, as history has repeatedly proven)."

In a later message, she said: "I think the severity of resistance is often proportional to the severity of oppression."

The WhatsApp group conversation has been seen by the BBC

Indeed.

There appears to be a level of support for the 'freedom fighters ' narrative/bullshit

See what I posted at 22.15

She not condoning what Hamas did.

Any student suggesting resistance that includes rape is proportional isn't worthy of listening to. Rape is NEVER resistance. Rape can never be condoned.

She still called a terrorist group resistance fighters and said that the rape, kidnap and murder of over a thousand people is less than proportional. But I'm sure the technicality of her language will be a great coomfort to the Jewish students who alrewdy feel unsafe on campus. Especially with Hasan "I would vote for Hamas" Piker giving a speech to them via livestream last night.

I don’t expect Hamas terrorists to become leaders but surely you’re not suggesting that there haven’t been prior terrorist organisations that have not eventually become seen as freedom fighters and indeed renowned politicians?

I guess someone studying PPE at Oxford knowing more political history than a poster on Mumsnet shouldn’t be a surprise.

Indeed. For 'clever' university students they are either morons or terrorist supporters.

This "terrorist group resistance fighters and said that the rape, kidnap and murder of over a thousand people is less than proportional." That is from the mouth/WhatsApp post.

There will always be those that don't care about the feelings of Jewish students in the UK.

Hopefully, a no confidence vote for this particular person. Hate shouldn't be tolerated wherever she is from.

Saying that some terrorist groups have eventually been lauded isn’t the same as suggesting that it is inevitable that whichever ‘resistance groups’ the West deem terrorists will eventually be lauded as heroes.

I mean, there are some pretty fucking awful ‘resistance’ groups out there that I’m pretty sure we’re never going to end up on the side of. You’d hope that someone at Oxford might be aware of that.

Do you think what happened in Gaza was a proportional response to 7/10?

I don’t want an answer- as it will be subjective and full of caveats. I would guess Palestinians would say not though but many Israelis would say it was entirely appropriate response?

And yes, it must be tough on Jewish students. She’s invited Tommy Robinson to talk about Muslims in UK. Imagine some of what he has to say won’t be easy for Muslim students either.

She clearly doesn’t shy away from difficult conversations.

I will be interested to see how the Union members respond.