The National Union of Students (NUS) has threatened to ban elected student officers from a conference unless they remove their signatures from a pro-Palestine open letter.
The letter, signed by 86 student officers and 120 students groups in Britain, asks NUS to:
- Condemn the ‘plausible genocide’ in Gaza
- Call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, and humanitarian access
- Rescind the IHRA definition of antisemitism
- Condemn ‘Israel’s illegal apartheid’ and ‘occupation of Palestinian territories’
- Due diligence and disclosure of officials and groups ‘with ties to settler-colonial regimes’
- Lead a national ethical divestment campaign
- Defend right to protest against Zionism, and protect student protesters from expulsion
- Investigate Islamophobia and anti-Black racism in the NUS
A leaked email reveals how NUS officials enlisted the help of Students’ Union chief executives to pressure elected student officers into removing their signatures from the petition:
“We ask that you discuss this matter with [student officers] and explore whether they are willing to withdraw their support … We’d appreciate it if you could get back to us by 5pm Wednesday 23rd July 2025 so that we are able to confirm their attendance at Lead and Change.”
The threat is clear: student officers who refuse to withdraw their signatures may face a ban on attending the leadership conference, denying them training and networking opportunities.
NUS accuse signatories of the petition of supporting antisemitism and spreading misinformation.
The organisation says that opposing IHRA – a controversial definition of antisemitism – is antisemitic, given that a majority of British Jews support it.
In recent years, academics at many institutions including University of Aberdeen have favoured the JDA definition of antisemitism over IHRA, since it allows for criticism of the Israeli state.
The leaked memo also labels requests for a review of “Zionist-funded societies and individuals” and “student groups that invite the presence/participation of IDF-trained Israeli emissaries” as antisemitic, stating that military conscription is mandatory in Israel.
Petition authors ‘Not My NUS’ have responded that “the deliberate conflation of Jewishness with Zionism is one we outrightly reject” and pointed out the Jewish signatories of the petition.
NUS also claimed that the petition creators harassed NUS leaders on social media by posting images of dead children @-ing NUS President Amira Campbell alongside the caption “do you feel no shame in your silence?”, and posting pictures of NUS Board member Noah Katz on a trip to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
‘Not My NUS’ responded, “we unequivocally reject NUS’ allegations, and feel this is an attempt to pacify and silence the Palestine solidarity movement.”
It is unclear if signatories who refuse to remove their name will be barred from the ‘Lead and Change’ summit at Birmingham University next week.
Antonia Listrat, elected student leader at Birmingham University Guild of Students, told The Canary:
“The NUS has reached out to Student Unions and elected officers with threats to intimidate them into removing their signatures. Student trustees have been threatened with investigation from the Charity Commission, and even with losing their jobs.
“Now I am not sure if I will be able to pay my rent in the coming months. But I will not remove my signature. In times like this, we all need to show moral courage, especially in the face of unjust repression.”
Birmingham activists have announced protests at the Lead and Change summit to “reject the shameful repression and cowardice of the NUS.”
In 2023, an investigation found that NUS had failed to challenge antisemitism within its ranks.
The NUS did not respond for comment.