UK 'Tackling Antisemitism in Education' Program Labeled 'Pro-Israel' by Critics
On Feb. 7, 2024, X (formerly Twitter) account @Lowkey0nline tweeted that "the British Department of Education is tendering a £5.5million contract for a new pro-Israel push in schools and universities." The post received more than 529,000 views and 9,800 likes, as of this writing.
"I thought the government works for the people, not to foreign countries," one user responded to the post.
The British Department of Education is tendering a £5.5million contract for a new pro-Israel push in schools and universities.
The group which wins the contract will be tasked with pushing the anti-Palestinian IHRA definition on institutions and "tackling disinformation about…
— Lowkey (@Lowkey0nline) February 7, 2024
Another popular X account, @MintPressNews – which describes its content as "independent watchdog journalism" – posted a similar claim and garnered more than 12,700 views, as of this writing. The user @Lowkey0nline hosts a podcast for MintPress News, according to his profile.
The British Department of Education is tendering a £5.5 million contract for an organisation to push a pro-Israel agenda in schools and universities
The contract requires a supplier that will help push universities to commit to the IHRA definition of antisemitism, which equates… pic.twitter.com/wpz0oRCFWk
— MintPress News (@MintPressNews) February 7, 2024
The full tweet read as follows:
The British Department of Education is tendering a £5.5 million contract for an organisation to push a pro-Israel agenda in schools and universities
The contract requires a supplier that will help push universities to commit to the IHRA definition of antisemitism, which equates anti-Zionsim [sic] with antisemitism.
It also states that the supplier will help counter "disinformation about what has happened in Israel since the terrorist attacks of October 7th."
It is true that on Feb. 6, the U.K. Department for Education published a "contract opportunity" for a prime supplier for a program titled "Tackling Antisemitism in Education." According to the official posting, the contract is worth up to £5.5 million ($6.9 million) and submissions would be accepted until March 7, 2024.
The contract would begin on April 23, 2024, and end on March 31, 2027.
The contract opportunity was divided into two separate "lots." The first addresses "tackling antisemitism in universities," as defined by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (more on that below), and the second directly addresses antisemitism in schools and colleges, which involves "the development and rollout of training for school and college staff and student engagement opportunities."
Will the Program "Push a Pro-Israel Agenda"?
In regard to whether the U.K. Department for Education is looking to push a "pro-Israel agenda" in schools and universities as MintPress News alleges, the answer is somewhat complicated and may be more a matter of opinion than fact.
The description of the program mentions Israel only once: "The Supplier(s) will also be responsible for the development and implementation of supporting resources, including on the situation in Israel following the terrorist attacks on 7th October, which tackle mis- and disinformation, and can be used in student engagement activity."
The description also states that the "cornerstone of this contract will be the development, testing and rollout of a Quality Seal for universities, that will allow universities to demonstrate practical commitment to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, and to the safety and welfare of Jewish staff and students."
It's important to note that the IHRA's definition of antisemitism repeatedly mentions Israel throughout, perhaps leading commentators and news outlets to conclude that a program built on such a "cornerstone" would be pushing a "pro-Israel agenda." The IHRA's non-legally binding working definition of antisemitism is as follows:
Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.
The definition states the following as further illustration: "Manifestations might include the targeting of the state of Israel, conceived as a Jewish collectivity. However, criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic."
Snopes received this comment via email on behalf of Dr. Kathrin Meyer, secretary general of the IHRA: "The working definition on antisemitism emphasizes that 'criticism of Israel similar to that levelled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic'. Any of Israel's policies can be criticized. However, it's important to be mindful that criticism of a policy can cross the line into antisemitism."
The IHRA's emailed response did not address a related question: namely, whether the IHRA's definition of antisemitism equates anti-Zionism with antisemitism as claimed by MintPress News.
In sum, the U.K. Department for Education did post a contract opportunity worth up to £5.5 million for a supplier to fulfill that addresses antisemitism in schools, colleges, and universities. Because the IHRA's working definition of antisemitism states that "manifestations [of antisemitism] might include the targeting of the state of Israel," some may consider this a pro-Israel stance.
We reached out to the Department for Education contract buyer for comment, but had not received a response as of this writing. This story will be updated as necessary.
Sources:
Human Rights and Other Civil Society Groups Urge United Nations to Respect Human Rights in the Fight Against Antisemitism | Human Rights Watch. 4 Apr. 2023, https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/04/04/human-rights-and-other-civil-society-groups-urge-united-nations-respect-human.
'Https://Twitter.Com/Lowkey0nline/Status/1755180774188335570'. X (Formerly Twitter), https://twitter.com/Lowkey0nline/status/1755180774188335570. Accessed 14 Feb. 2024.
'Https://Twitter.Com/MintPressNews/Status/1755240460673601934'. X (Formerly Twitter), https://twitter.com/MintPressNews/status/1755240460673601934. Accessed 14 Feb. 2024.
'Member Countries'. IHRA, https://holocaustremembrance.com/who-we-are/member-countries. Accessed 14 Feb. 2024.
'Reject Definitions of Anti-Semitism That Encompass Protected Speech'. American Civil Liberties Union, https://www.aclu.org/documents/reject-definitions-of-anti-semitism-that-encompass-protected-speech. Accessed 15 Feb. 2024.
Tackling Antisemitism in Education - Contracts Finder. https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/79abdcb2-29af-481d-ae0e-deab2c90c285?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2024-02-07&utm_source=SavedSearch. Accessed 14 Feb. 2024.
Walker, Peter, and Peter Walker Political correspondent. 'UK Adopts Antisemitism Definition to Combat Hate Crime against Jews'. The Guardian, 12 Dec. 2016. The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/dec/12/antisemitism-definition-government-combat-hate-crime-jews-israel.
'What Is Antisemitism?' IHRA, https://holocaustremembrance.com/resources/working-definition-antisemitism. Accessed 14 Feb. 2024.
You Are Being Redirected... https://www.adl.org/resources/backgrounder/about-ihra-working-definition-antisemitism?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAlJKuBhAdEiwAnZb7lbw8K5BqaKZyULNcCHTeubpcNe4P3qpfWbJqsjpLuSnt1zT_719-3BoCCbIQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds. Accessed 14 Feb. 2024.
Updates:
Feb. 15, 2024: This article was updated with the addition of opposing views on the adoption of the IHRC definition of antisemitism.
