The University of East London (UEL) has decided to maintain its adoption of the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism following a consultation with its staff, students’ union and external stakeholders.

UEL Docklands campus

UEL’s Academic Board had adopted the IHRA Working Definition in February 2021 but the University decided in 2024 to review its continued adoption of the IHRA Definition and to conduct a further consultation of its statement on antisemitism.

The University had received a number of submissions and correspondence from staff expressing strong reservations about adopting the IHRA Definition, expressing concerns about freedom of speech.

A student at UEL drew the consultation to the attention of UKLFI Charitable Trust at the very end of the consultation period. UKLFI Charitable Trust nevertheless made a substantial submission supporting the retention of the IHRA definition and drawing attention to flaws in the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism (JDA).

After careful review and discussion, the Academic Board decided to maintain its adoption of the IHRA Definition and also determined that recognising other definitions of antisemitism for educative purposes can enhance the understanding of this matter. It therefore provided the JDA and the Nexus Document for further consideration.

The University Secretary has confirmed to a UEL student that the IHRA Definition will be used to address antisemitism on campus.