On Monday, the University and College Union (UCU) voted to reject use of the EUMC working definition of antisemitism, leaving nothing in its place. A letter from Trevor Phillips, chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, sent before the motion to Jewish communal leaders restated the importance of the MacPhearson definition of a racist incident, saying:
“..if the object of harassment or attack regards her treatment as being anti-semitic, even if the perpetrator maintains that their action is politically motivated, the presumption is that the victim’s perception is what defines the incident.”
In response to statements from the Jewish community labeling the UCU institutionally racist, John Mann MP, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group Against Antisemitism said: “these claims have been made and should be investigated independently, ideally by the EHRC”.
The Jewish Chronicle have picked up this release and run a story here.