This is a desperate cry for change from a Jewish student who has had more than enough of the UCL Jewish Society’s underreaction to events unfolding in the Middle East.
Andrea Bidnic Investigations Editor
Lethargic and painfully self-complacent, I believe that the Jewish Society (Jsoc) is not only betraying Jewish students but its Jewish identity at its very core.
Since the tragic events of October 7 and the beginning of Israel’s disproportionate and bloodstained retaliation, Jsoc’s silence has been deafening. Not a single statement has been issued regarding the tens of thousands of innocent civilians murdered in Gaza and Lebanon.
Representing hundreds of Jewish students at UCL, Jsoc is failing to honour its heavy moral responsibility. It is evading our own long history of persecution and overlooking the backbone of Jewish morality: the primacy of human life, “chaï” in Hebrew.
This muted committee is also not encouraged to do better by active members. On the very lively main Jsoc group chat, no one ever questions or nuances Israel’s actions. No one ever mentions the gut-wrenching images of Gaza that are impossible not to see. As a matter of fact, almost no one ever mentions anything news-related. An unofficial consensus appears to be in force.
Only the frequent sarcasm mocking peaceful pro-Palestinian protesters on campus reminds us we are in October 2024. Instead of constructively reflecting upon what gathers co-students every week around grounded demands, such as divestment from arms companies, the “jobless clowns” are often dismissed as antisemites. How comfortable – and immensely harmful: blurring the lines of antisemitism helps dissimulate the true, rampant, hatred towards our people.
In complete disregard of our Jewish intellectual culture of pluralism and self-questioning spanning millennia, Jsoc has become an echo chamber. The lack of counter-opinions and the fear of the wrath of other members from Jewish students who disagree with Jsoc members’ hardline pro-IDF stance form a vicious cycle.
When a Jewish American exchange student, perhaps unaware of UCL Jsoc’s dogmatic tradition, dared stand up on the main group chat, she was met with a sickening backlash. Responding to bird names thrown at pro-Palestinian protesters on October 7, one year after Hamas’ attack and the beginning of Israel’s retaliation, she called out the digital attackers by naming them “by far the biggest ‘disgraces’”. She added that her “Judaism doesn’t involve celebrating murder, but I guess good to know yours does”. Immediately, someone told her to “piss off”, a message to which 16 people reacted with flexing arms and laughing faces emojis. “This is a Jsoc group”, and “Shame on you” reasserted someone else. Things then took a nasty turn when a male participant answered, “No one asked fatty” (to which two people reacted with laughing face emojis), supported by a female peer, “You tell her”.
Later, the Jsoc president sent a private message to the American dissident. She was reminded she should “be mindful of the way (she) talk(s) about things” as she “upset and distressed a lot of the other members”. The President added: “We need to come together as a community and not pull apart”. When the American student said Jsoc’s initial comments should be “more mindful” and made her “feel extremely isolated and alone as a Jewish student, which goes against what (the) org is supposed to stand for”, the President left her on seen. Unfortunately, coming “together as a community” seems to come at the price of not contradicting the mainstream Jsoc opinions.
Last October 22, several group chat members heard about the Jews for Palestinian Justice UCL (JPJ) initiative. The Jsoc Treasurer joked about how he wished to provoke rain on the day of JPJ’s meeting, “to show who the real Jews are”. Someone then saw fit to mention how even some Jews supported Adolf Hitler.
By systematically suppressing and dismissing disagreement within its own community, Jsoc’s committee and core members also defeat the purpose of their organisation. Is it out of cowardice? Dogmatism? Fear of antisemitism? Or a mix of all? Whatever it is, it continues to alienate numerous Jewish students whose wide-ranging opinions reflect more humanity than their radical positions.
Jsoc might want you to believe there is a singular Jewish opinion, one in which by principle “the real Jews” don’t challenge IDF’s actions. Again, this is dangerous and factually untrue. Thousands of Jewish voices across the globe continue to oppose the Israeli government. Perhaps the most well-known examples being the US-based Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) organisation, but also Breaking the Silence and Israeli-Palestinian Standing Together who advocate from Israel for an end to Israeli massacres and occupation as well as long-term peace and reconciliation. Standing Together notably organised a “Humanitarian Guard” which made sure aid would reach Gaza by protecting the trucks from extremist settlers.
It is time Jsoc finally faces the elephant in the room. Jsoc, stop being passive and pop the opinion bubble that denies open and fair dialogue between members of your community. Jewish Soc, wake up!
