Cambridge University Jewish Society (CUJS) have criticised the Student Union (SU) for “saying one thing in private and doing another in public”, concerning their statement to Varsity that accused “mal-actors in the government and media” of co-opting allegations of antisemitism, in the wake of the publication of the recent report into antisemitism in the National Union of Students (NUS).

Last week, an independent investigation into antisemitism within the NUS found that the organisation had failed to protect Jewish students from “numerous instances” of antisemitism over the last decade.

The report found that allegations of antisemitism within the organisation were viewed as being made in “bad faith to try and avert pro-Palestinian or anti-Israel policy advocacy”. The report concluded that “this has resulted in antisemitism, as well as hostility towards Jews, which has not been challenged sufficiently robustly or proactively by NUS”.

Varsity approached the SU for comment on this particular section of the report, because the SU had previously said, in relation to the NUS report, that the government and media had exploited “genuine student concerns about antisemitism… to weaken student power and silence students of colour and those advocating for Palestinian rights”.

After the suspension of the NUS president Shaima Dallali in September, SU undergraduate president Zaynab Ahmed had also reaffirmed this position and said: “[we] remain concerned that those claims [of antisemitism] are being weaponised against students of colour and support for Palestinian rights.”

In response to Varsity’s approach for comment, after the report was published, a spokesperson for the SU said that they “welcomed the NUS investigation into antisemitism because we believe antisemitism has no place in student campaigning and complaints must be taken seriously when they arise”.

The SU continued: “When the investigation was first announced it was also incredibly troubling to see mal-actors in the government and media co-opt the announcement to attack, harass and intimidate Palestinian organisers and students of colour online.”

The SU said that they “remain concerned by the antisemitism detailed in the report and are committed to supporting marginalised students against all racist abuse”.

The Tuck report into antisemitism singles out the view within the NUS that allegations of antisemitism were made in “bad faith to try and avert pro-Palestinian or anti-Israel policy advocacy” as directly contributing to widespread antisemitism in the NUS.

The SU had already released a statement addressing the report which was written with the cooperation of CUJS.

A spokesperson for CUJS has criticised the additional statement, telling Varsity: “We are disappointed that the SU has chosen to release an additional statement, after we had jointly agreed an appropriate response. We cannot understand why the SU has now seen fit to go behind our backs, saying one thing in private and doing another in public. If they are serious about engaging with Cambridge’s Jewish student community, they know how to get in touch with us.”

The CUJS spokesperson continued: “Solidarity with Jews in the fight against antisemitism should be unconditional. The Tuck report is an unprecedented exposé into antisemitism at the heart of the student movement and the impact it has had on generations of Jewish students. This should be the focus of any decent response. We hope the SU understand this.”

The Oxford Student Union was set to hold a vote this week on whether there should be a referendum on disaffiliating from the NUS in the wake of the Tuck report into antisemitism. The resolution was put forward by two students who have both served as NUS delegates and say they have witnessed “the horrendous issues the NUS has continually been associated with, not least the long-term antisemitism of the body”. However, the motion was withdrawn over concerns that it lacked clarity.

Varsity has contacted all of Cambridge’s JCR presidents to seek a response to the report. At the time of publication only four out of thirty-one JCRs had responded, at Newnham, Robinson, Selwyn and St Catherine’s Colleges.