A Cambridge University professor has been accused of telling colleagues that he “relished” watching videos of Hamas killing Israeli soldiers, according to The Jewish Chronicle (JC).

In a conversation reported to the newspaper by a Jewish academic at the same college, a professor allegedly stated that watching these videos “gave him reassurance about the world”.

The academic, who lost a family member in the October 7 attacks, said there was an “atmosphere of extremism that has come to surround this issue”, adding that “the voice of moderation, of civility, of co-existence between Israelis and Palestinians has been lost”.

This comes after Ivan Berkowitz, a Jewish-American corporate executive and Trinity alumnus, accused his alma mater of failing to properly investigate the defacing of a 1914 painting of Lord Arthur Balfour.

Berkowitz has since withdrawn a £315,000 donation to Trinity College, claiming that it has failed to take the defacing of Balfour’s portrait seriously.

The Trinity alumnus was also allegedly “dismayed at reports claiming that the Master of Trinity Dame Sally Davies, was considering divesting the College from arms companies linked to Israel following pressure from pro-Palestine student activist groups.”

Last year, Harvey Brown, then welfare officer for the Cambridge Students Union (SU), came under fire after liking online content supportive of Hamas attacks in Israel.

Brown has since apologised for his decision calling it “rash” and acknowledging the “harm done”.

“Like many online, I reacted instinctively to early images of Palestinians escaping Gaza without fully thinking through the language in these tweets,” Brown said.

He added, “I absolutely condemn all violence against civilians. I wanted to be reflective, honest, and clear in my anti-racism and my opposition to state violence”.

Brown would go on to resign his position as welfare officer over the SU’s stance on the conflict in Gaza, claiming the institution was “fragrantly disconnected with student movements”.

A spokesperson for Cambridge University told The JC: “We abhor antisemitism and any form of racism”, adding that “senior members of the University have been in regular contact with Jewish groups”.

They continued, “our priority is and will remain, the safety and wellbeing of our staff and students. We will not tolerate unlawful discrimination, bullying, intimidation or harassment of any individual or group. Where staff or students have faced racist incidents, we will support them to report them to the police and raise a complaint through the university where appropriate.”

Referencing the Working Group, which was set up to look into arms investments, the University spokesperson said: “We remain keen to move forward with this important process and want to ensure the full range of views on these complex and vital issues are represented.”