Education secretary Nadhim Zahawi said protests at an event at the London School of Economics featuring the Israeli ambassador to the UK represented “unacceptable intimidation”.
Video footage showed Tzipi Hotovely being rushed out of a university building by security guards into a vehicle while police held back a crowd of jeering and booing activists who chanted, “Shame on you.”
In a statement, Mr Zahawi said that the protests represented an attempt to shut down the ambassador’s right to free speech. But LSE said that the Debate Society event involving Ms Hotovely ran for its full planned duration of 90 minutes. The society was reportedly due to host the head of the Palestinian mission to the UK at an event on 11 November.
The episode erupted amid mounting debate about alleged antisemitism and restrictions on freedom of expression on UK university campuses. Just hours after the protest, the English sector regulator published figures showing that more than 200 English higher education institutions had adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism following pressure from ministers. Ninety-five universities had signed up, the Office for Students said, a rise from the 28 identified by the Union of Jewish Students last year.
Last month the University of Bristol sacked David Miller, a professor of political sociology, who was accused of making antisemitic comments. He has said that he will appeal.
Meanwhile the planned Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill, which would strengthen existing free speech duties on English universities and extend them to students’ unions, enabling individuals to sue for compensation if their free speech rights are breached, continues to make its way through the House of Commons. Critics have warned that it will give free rein to Holocaust deniers to speak on campus, something that the Westminster government has denied.
Mr Zahawi said that the LSE incident had occurred on the same day that he visited the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, an experience that “left me even more determined to ensure that the evil of antisemitism is driven out of our campuses”.
“Last night the Israeli ambassador was subjected to unacceptable intimidation. This is not disagreement or free speech – it is harassment and it will have deeply shaken Jewish students both at LSE and across the country,” Mr Zahawi said.
“I have invited Jewish students from LSE to a meeting to hear directly from them and offer any support that I can…Education is our vaccine against anti-Jewish hate.”
Protesters accused Ms Hotovely of supporting illegal Israeli settlements and of anti-Palestinian racism.
Home secretary Priti Patel tweeted that police would have her “full backing in investigating this appalling incident”.
An LSE spokeswoman said: “On Tuesday, 9 November, the LSESU Debate Society hosted the Israeli ambassador to the UK for an event on the LSE campus. The event, which attracted some protest outside, lasted approximately 90 minutes, with the ambassador speaking, taking questions from the audience and leaving on schedule.
“Free speech and freedom of expression underpins everything we do at LSE. Students, staff and visitors are strongly encouraged to discuss and debate the most pressing issues around the world, but this must be in a mutually respectful manner. Intimidation or threats of violence are completely unacceptable.
“We will be reviewing the processes around this event to inform future planning.”
