Last month Britain’s Union of Jewish Students (UJS) highlighted the shocking findings of a poll of 1,000 students on anti-Semitism on university campuses. 

The 22-page report revealed that 20% of students would be reluctant or totally unwilling to share a house with a Jewish student. Just under half had seen Hamas praised as freedom fighters and its 7 October pogrom justified. The report also featured testimonies of harassment and even physical assault. JL Partners, a research agency, conducted the survey between 26 January and 4 February 2026.

It was notable the report shifts the focus on to the experiences of individual students rather than anti-Israel protests or encampments. In fact one of the positives in what can sometimes be a profoundly depressing read is that the most unreasonable of those protests are, if anything, beginning to backfire. About 70% of all students are beginning to resent the way such protests disrupt their lives. About 82% regard the slogan “globalise the intifada” as somewhat or extremely anti-Semitic. 

It is also worth noting that occupations of buildings as a form of protest are not having their intended effect. In the latest such episode the Edinburgh University Justice for Palestine Society occupied two university buildings demanding the university divest from Israel Far from conceding the university has threatened legal action against the protesters 

The sort of discrimination revealed by the research (that is individuals being unwilling even to share accommodation with Jews) is hard to tackle. So the report would have been strengthened if it had given details of the few successes it identifies. These include “dotted successes in a state of general paralysis”. It does recommend sharing best practice but by failing to give more details about any successes it misses an opportunity. The UJS did not respond to a request for more information on that aspect of their report. 

Other recommendations include greater coordination between university authorities and the police on tackling hate crime. It also advocated more vigorous action designed to prevent student societies registering as charities in the event of unacceptable conduct on their part.

Another thing to try is to encourage the starting of bridge-building initiatives. This has happened in American universities as they try to recover from the debacle caused by anti-Semitism and a more general campus polarisation. Berkeley is emerging as a key centre. It does seem that some are tiring of the toxic atmosphere caused by divisions on campus. An opportunity might be emerging, at least in some places, to turn the tide against those intent on sowing division.

Having said all that it does seem as if the typical methods of trying to tackle anti-Semitism have met with limited success. The results of research by Matt Williams (pictured above), the founder of the Center for Antisemitism Research at the Anti-Defamation League, should be of interest when they appear. He became dissatisfied with the traditional methods based on such things as Holocaust education. As a result he is trying to adopt a more evidence-based approach. 

Another group of researchers called the Nexus Project is attempting to pioneer new ways of tackling anti-Semitism while working within legitimate free speech concerns. 

It is to be hoped that British and American-based initiatives link up to swap data and ideas.

Guy Whitehouse is a member of the Academy of Ideas. His views do not necessarily reflect those of that organisation.

The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of the Radicalism of fools project.

PHOTO: ADL.