Newly elected NUS president under fire from pro-Israel groups
London (QNN)- The newly elected National Union of Students’ (NUS) president, Shaima Dallali, is facing backlash over a social media post she allegedly made in 2012.
The criticisms of Dallali come amid a wider campaign against NUS launched by pro-Israel groups and lawmakers, accusing the Union of antisemitism.
NUS agreed to the antisemitism inquiry in response to pressure from a Jewish student group and a letter signed by 21 former NUS presidents.
Multiple UK politicians have criticized the NUS over the issue in recent weeks.
Nadhim Zahawi told the parliament’s education committee, “I am deeply concerned about the NUS – it feels to me that there is systemic antisemitism, because this is not the first time, it’s the second time I think, they have elected a leader who has got a history of antisemitic comments and statements, so that does concern me.”
One of the social media posts critics have objected to reads, “Khaybar Khaybar O Jews… Muhammad’s army will return Gaza,” an apparent reference to an assault on Jews that occurred in 628.
Dallali has since apologized. “I’m not the same person I was,” she recently told The Guardian.
“I have developed my political language to talk about Palestine and Israel. I stand by that apology…I want to reiterate my willingness to work with Jewish students to combat antisemitism, to address their concerns. I want to represent all students and their concerns are important.”
Dallali also told the Jewish Chronicle, ”This is a tweet I posted 10 years ago during Israel’s assault on Gaza in 2012. This reference made as a teenager was unacceptable and I unreservedly apologise.”
Dallali also came under fire for having ‘death for the sake of Allah is our most exalted wish’ in the bio of an old Twitter account.
Dallali also spoke about the personal attacks she’s faced over the controversy.
“I’ve had private messages of people calling me a raghead, people telling me to go and kill myself, calling me a Jew hater and an antisemite,” she said. “That has been difficult to read.”
Her apology hasn’t quelled the efforts of pro-Israel groups like the Union of Jewish Students (UJS), who published an open letter condemning Dallali.
“Over the past few weeks, we have become aware of multiple comments made by Dallali, both online and on university campuses, which are incredibly offensive to Jewish people, the LGBTQ+ community and other minority communities,” the letter reads.
“It is deplorable that some Jewish students should feel excluded or unwelcome within NUS spaces..an NUS that doesn’t make room for Jews is an NUS that is unfit to represent any students.”
Moreover, the UJS letter seemed to have been signed by over 1,000 “Jewish students and allies”, but multiple people now say that their signatures were added without their consent.
Hey @UJS_UK @AriehMiller @ninafreedman1 someone has added my name to this letter which I categorically do not want to sign (for a variety of reasons). I also don’t work at 972 Mag. Pls remove immediately. This undermines the credibility of the whole initiative by doing this. pic.twitter.com/WJ3Om1LPfd
— Em Hilton💇🏼♀️🔥✡️🐘 (@emtravelodge) April 13, 2022
A number of signatures – including mine, as well as those of @BarnabyRaine, @emtravelodge, @aronkeller and @bentreyf – have been falsified on this letter. How can we trust any of the others, @joelrosen_ @ninafreedman1? https://t.co/O5BsPk7b6d
— Rivkah Brown (@RivkahBrown) April 13, 2022
The National Union of Students called for an independent investigation of itself, which Dallali told The Guardian she welcomes.
“In relation to the president-elect, the independent investigation will look into a range of comments and actions that are alleged to have taken place over the last decade,” said the NUS in a statement.
“We will be appointing a highly regarded independent party to undertake the investigation and we will be consulting with the UJS in making the appointment. Whoever is appointed must have the confidence of Jewish students.”
The UJS also criticized NUS for inviting the British rapper Lowkey to appear at a student event. Lowkey ended up pulling out of the event.
The rapper has been repeatedly targeted over his Palestine advocacy. Pro-Israel lobbying groups are now fighting to have his albums removed from the streaming service Spotify.
