Organisers of the Cambridge encampment have dismissed concerns that it is making Jewish students feel unsafe.
When asked about the Jewish student who was pushed and had the Israel flag tossed aside at the group’s rally, a spokeswoman for the group said “we are a peaceful non-violent protest”.
“We are welcoming of everyone who is anti-genocide and pro-Palestinian liberation,” she added.
A spokesman for the group, 27-year-old PhD student Ibrahim, who would not give his surname, claimed “we actually have a lot of Jewish students in the camp”, though did not provide a figure.
But Ari Vladimir, 19, the first-year Cambridge history student from the US who was shoved at the group’s rally, told The Telegraph: “I wouldn’t say this makes me feel especially loved, but I’m lucky enough to have quite a community of friends, Jewish and non-Jewish, around me who have shown their support.
“In Christ’s College for almost the entirety of last term and a bit of the term before, there was a Palestinian flag hanging that I found and I knew for a fact that if I hung my Israeli flag outside, then I’d have a brick thrown though my window.
“It’s obviously not great but I’m Jewish, this is what’s been happening to us for our entire history and it just shows that the state of Israel is so needed because we would never be safe without the state of Israel, without a place to call our home.”
Mr Vladimir said “there should be more protections in place for counter-protesters” and that it would “make me feel safer” if police – who have not been seen once at the camp – would monitor the protest.
He added that he “would not feel safe” attending the King’s College library currently with the camp outside.