22 May 2026
UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) wrote to Jo Grady, secretary general of UCU, to protest about a London region motion on academic freedom and freedom of speech (SFC27, which is now Motion 52) submitted for debate at the UCU Conference. This is more than ironic because the UKLFI are complaining about a reference to “Zionist pressure” in the motion as being derogatory and discriminatory. The UCU executive have indicated its readiness to retreat, but with at least 75,000 Palestinians killed by Israeli attacks on Gaza and probably twice as many injured, academics attending the Conference are in no mood to retreat. The UKLFI letter is reprinted below.
UCU warned over illegal language in Congress Motion
April 24, 2026
The leadership of the University and College Union (UCU) has been warned that there are serious legal concerns about a motion due to be debated at their upcoming annual Congress on 27-29 May 2026.
UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) has written to UCU General Secretary, Dr Jo Grady, and Head of Democratic Services, Catherine Wilkinson, warning that Motion SFC27 could expose the union to claims of unlawful discrimination and harassment under the Equality Act 2010.
The motion, tabled by the UCU London Regional Committee, addresses issues of academic freedom and calls for strengthened opposition to what it describes as “Zionist repression” and “dangers posed by Zionist groups.”
Apparently in support of these allegations, the motion bizarrely cites the case of Usama Ghanem, a student at KCL who was suspended following several serious disciplinary offences, including his participation in storming and forcing the abandonment of a campus meeting fostering dialogue between Iranians and Israelis. Ghanem also allegedly assaulted a KCL security guard when picketing a meeting of the London Defence Conference at the University.
UKLFI notes that the motion singles out “Zionist groups” as “dangers” against which branches across the higher and further education sectors should be advised, characterises “Zionist pressure” as a “threat” to staff-student freedoms, and calls for coordinated opposition to such groups through industrial action.
UKLFI argues that UCU’s adoption of this resolution would be detrimental to its Zionist and Jewish members and staff and would create an intimidating, hostile and offensive environment for them.
UKLFI warns that adoption of the motion would therefore discriminate against and harass UCU members and staff because of protected characteristics of Zionist philosophical belief, Israeli nationality and Jewish ethnicity and/or religion, in breach of the Equality Act.
UKLFI has called on UCU to withdraw Motion SFC27 from the Congress agenda and to set out steps it will take to ensure that Jewish and Zionist members are not subjected to a hostile environment.
A spokesperson for UKLFI said: “This motion inverts reality, which is that freedom of speech that is in any way supportive of Israel is significantly impeded at UK universities by the threat of disruption and violence, while speech hostile to Israel freely abounds. The motion is plainly discriminatory, intimidating, hostile and offensive, and in our view it is unlawful.”
