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Joint Public Statement in Response to Independent Inquiry into Antisemitism at Goldsmiths 

Published on Thu Mar 13 2025

Joint Statement withdrawing engagement with the Independent Inquiry into Antisemitism at Goldsmiths 

We, the undersigned organisations and individuals, withdraw our engagement with the independent inquiry into antisemitism at Goldsmiths following our loss of confidence in the Inquiry. We refuse to engage with an Inquiry that marginalises Palestinians and adopts an approach which discriminates against them, and appears to target those who criticise Israeli policies and Zionism. 

This decision follows: 

  • The refusal of both the Inquiry Chair and the College to ensure that the Inquiry’s scope includes the impact of the College’s approach to inquiring into antisemitism on Palestinian students and staff and those standing in solidarity with them.  
  • More than a year from its institution, the Inquiry’s refusal to confirm even what definition of antisemitism it is applying to inform its work, and in particular, whether it will adopt the widely discredited IHRA definition of antisemitism and its examples. This is a crucial question because criticism of Israeli government policies and actions, and anti-Zionism are frequently weaponised and misrepresented as antisemitism.   
  • Incoherent and contradictory statements from the College and the Chair of the Inquiry, with the College assuring a member that the Inquiry is not investigating individuals, while the Chair’s position is that it is.  
  • A lack of transparency as to who and what is being investigated by the Inquiry and a failure by the Inquiry to inform those it invites to interview what, if any, allegations have been made against them, or what general complaints or allegations there are.  
  • A lack of engagement with the Student Union as an institution.  
  • The Inquiry’s failure to indicate whether it intends to consider specific allegations against two individuals which have already been investigated and dismissed. Those allegations related to speech critical of Israeli government policies and Zionism. 

We initially engaged with this Inquiry in good faith, despite our misgivings about the circumstances in which it was instituted, which involved unfair and unfounded attacks on a woman of colour. Our attempts to engage with the Inquiry have been met with responses which are both incoherent and apathetic to the international climate of rampant anti-Palestinian repression. Other groups such as the Institute of Race Relations who had initially engaged in good faith, have also since disengaged due to a loss of confidence in the Inquiry. It is a matter for the Inquiry whether it takes account of our initial written submissions. If it does so objectively, those submissions will weigh heavily on the conclusions and recommendations.  

Both the College and the Chair of the Inquiry have refused to ensure that the Inquiry’s scope will include consideration of the impact of the College’s approach to investigating antisemitism on students and staff who (a) are Palestinian, Arab or Muslim (b) are from other minoritised groups (c) who hold anti-Zionist views and (d) who hold views which are critical of Israel and/or support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. 

This Inquiry takes place within a social and political context where unfounded accusations of antisemitism are used to silence Palestinian voices and those who stand with them. In addition to Palestinians, those most often targeted for standing up for Palestinian rights come from other marginalised groups. In ignoring this reality, the Inquiry’s approach perpetuates discrimination and represents a threat to freedom of expression and academic freedom.   

We have highlighted the discriminatory impact of the Inquiry’s approach in correspondence. In response, the College has refused to amend the Terms of Reference. The Chair of the Inquiry has similarly refused to include the effect of the process on these groups within the scope, offering a non-committal and general assurance that consideration of the impact on Palestinians and others “may inform” his outcome and recommendations. This is insufficient and unacceptable.  

Antisemitism is a scourge on our society, as are all forms of racism. Antisemitism is part of a larger context of this racism, and we should not fight one form of this oppression whilst also failing to see and understand another. The vital task of combating antisemitism in our community deserves a better custodian than this Inquiry.    

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