Message from the Provost: Israel, Gaza and our community

Dear all,

As a consequence of the terrorist attacks by Hamas on Israel and Israel’s military response, many people in our community are in pain, grieving over the terrible suffering already inflicted and fearful of what will come next.

To my disgust, antisemitic incidents are spiking across the UK, and our campus is not immune. This week we have seen some entirely unacceptable images and graffiti at UCL and posts on social media. I want to send a message in the clearest and strongest possible terms that any instances of antisemitism, Islamophobia and any other form of racism, prejudice, abuse or harassment in our community will be treated with the utmost seriousness. I urge anyone who experiences or witnesses unacceptable behaviour to report it. It is also important for everyone in our community to be fully aware that Hamas is a proscribed terrorist organisation in the UK, meaning that expressions of support for Hamas and its activities may be a criminal offence.

But beyond disciplinary or legal implications, I am appealing to everyone in our community to act with compassion and understanding, to be aware of the pain of others and to choose words and actions that avoid making it worse. I hope that, as communities gather to understand what is happening in Israel and Gaza and debate the meaning and the potential consequences, we will all do so in a tone that is mindful of the distress that is being felt by so many in our community.

Thank you to everyone for supporting students and staff affected by this terrible violence, and thank you for supporting each other.

A reminder of how to access support and report issues can be found on our News pages.

Best wishes,

Michael

Dr Michael Spence
UCL President & Provost