'Free Palestine' graffiti scrawled on University of Leeds campus Hillel

Demonstrators protest in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in London, Britain, October 28, 2023.

The Hillel House at The University of Leeds was vandalized with graffiti reading, “Free Palestine,” on Thursday, seen in pictures posted by the Hillel House on X, formerly known as Twitter. This occurred amid an ever growing hostile climate for Jewish students at Universities across the United Kingdom.

“We are heartbroken and angry that after an uplifting and inspiring Challah Bake, our JSoc Hillel House was defaced with antisemitic graffiti,” Leeds JSoc said in a statement also signed by the Union of Jewish Students. The statement also reveals that a University Professor revealed the address of the building “for the sole purpose of intimidating Jewish students on campus.” The Hillel House is supposed to be a safe place for Jewish students at the university.

Tracy Brabin, the Mayor of West Yorkshire published a statement on X regarding the incident, saying that “Vandalism of a Jewish student residence and death threats made towards a Jewish member of staff are deeply concerning.” She also said that shes written to the university and has contacted police.

The University of Leeds issued a statement saying “Antisemitism, Islamophobia, abuse, or harassment of any kind is not acceptable and we encourage our community to report incidents for investigation. The University does not support any views or actions which seek to exclude or make Jewish, Muslim or any other people unwelcome on campus.”

Rampant antisemitism at the University of Leeds

Regardless of its statements, the University of Leeds has seen alarming rates of antisemitism on campus. In January, the Jewish daughter of UK Secretary of State for Defense Grant Shapps, dropped a course at the University of Leeds due to antisemitism, according to a Telegraph report. Dropping a university course in the UK is unusual and a big deal.

Parkinson Building, Leeds University, Leeds, England. (credit: Wikimedia Commons)

Parkinson Building, Leeds University, Leeds, England. (credit: Wikimedia Commons)

On Friday, Palestine Solidarity Group at Leeds organized a protest against a Rabbi returning to campus following his service in the IDF. They posted on their Instagram account, “We are disgusted and outraged by the recent news that Rabbi Zechariah Deutsch has been allowed to return to campus after serving in the IDF, an army that has been committing genocide in its ongoing assault of Gaza. We will be peacefully demonstrating outside the Majorie and Arnold Ziff building. Please show your support and make it clear to the university we will not stand with a genocidal chaplain on our campus.”

The West Yorkshire Police tweeted that they are looking for witnesses of the vandalism at the Hillel House. They are treating the incident as a hate crime.