Gloucester – Campaign Against Antisemitism is writing to the University of Gloucestershire over incendiary comments made by its Visa and Immigration Officer about Zionists and Hamas.
Comments posted to the Twitter account of Joe Sucksmith, who is said to work at the University in the student-facing role, included saying that “Zionists should stfu (shut the fuck up) on the topic of racism” and that “Zionism is racism”.
According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination (e.g. by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavour)” is an example of antisemitism.
Other comments from Mr Sucksmith’s account included writing “Oh fuck off about the Hamas charter” and professing support for the disgraced academic David Miller, whose employment was terminated after Campaign Against Antisemitism brought a lawsuit on behalf of students at the University of Bristol against the institution, which alleged unlawful harassment on the basis of Jewish ethnicity and Judaism, amounting to breaches of the Equality Act 2010, as well as breaches of contract.
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Comments minimising the racist hatred of the antisemitic genocidal terrorist group, Hamas, showing solidarity with the disgraced former Bristol professor David Miller, and telling ‘Zionists’ that they have no right to speak about racism, are reprehensible. They have no place even on social media, let alone coming from an official in a university’s administration. The University of Gloucestershire has adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism. It must now show that this was not an empty gesture, and urgently investigate and sanction this individual. We will be writing to the University.”
