Until his employment was terminated last week, David Miller had been a professor of political sociology at one of Britain’s most prestigious higher education establishments, the University of Bristol.
The decision to cut ties with Miller, who has a documented history of making virulently anti-Israel statements, came after the university launched an investigation into a number of remarks he made earlier this year. Specifically, he claimed that Israel is a “violent, racist, foreign regime engaged in ethnic cleansing” and suggested students who had previously taken issue with comments he had made were “political pawns” of the Jewish state.
Miller accused the Union of Jewish Students of being “a threat to the safety of Arab and Muslim students.”
There is no question as to whether his “anti-Zionist” statements are antisemitic. Opposing the Jewish people’s right to self-determination by, for example, claiming that Israel is a racist endeavor falls within the widely-accepted IHRA working definition of antisemitism, which the University of Bristol adopted in December 2019. So, too, does accusing Jews of being more loyal to Israel or acting as agents of the country, as Miller’s “pawns” comment appeared to do.
Yet, a statement posted on the University of Bristol’s website said his actions “did not meet the standards of behaviour we expect from our staff,” while reaffirming the “principle of academic freedom as fundamental.”
There was no mention of the affected Jewish students or any reference to antisemitism or even Israel.
Instead, the statement noted that the university’s administration “recognise[s] that these matters have caused deep concern for people on all sides of the debate, and that members of our community hold very different views from one another.”
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Equally alarming is how Miller’s termination has been reported by the UK press.
An October 2 BBC article headlined, Bristol University: Professor David Miller sacked over Israel comments, encapsulates the reticence of some of the British media to identify and call out Miller’s comments for exactly what they are: anti-Jewish bigotry.
The BBC piece barely scratches the surface:
A University of Bristol professor being investigated over comments he made about Israel has been sacked. Prof David Miller accused the country of wanting to ‘impose [its] will all over the world,’ the Jewish Chronicle reported.”
But Miller did not just make comments about Israel. Rather, he suggested Jewish students at Bristol are being used to do Israel’s bidding. By neglecting to include the full details of what Miller said, the BBC effectively downplays the seriousness of the charges against the academic.
Indeed, Miller was not fired because he is a vocal critic of Israel; rather, because Jewish students reportedly said his assertions led to them “being subjected to weeks of harassment and abuse.”
Similarly, an article from The Evening Standard, Academic who faced criticism over comments about Israel dismissed by university, also glosses over the vileness of Miller’s remarks.
The piece reads:
A University of Bristol academic who received a barrage of criticism for comments he allegedly made about Israel has been dismissed.”
Despite the 500-word article quoting Miller at length, including his conspiratorial claim that “Israel’s assets in the UK have been emboldened by the university collaborating with them to shut down teaching about Islamophobia,” the Evening Standard failed to mention the nature of his extensive antisemitic comments.
Furthermore, the insertion of the word “allegedly” as though there is a dispute over the statements is baffling, not least because the publication cites Miller as saying he “stand[s] by [his] evidence-based comments.”
There have also been attempts to frame Miller’s departure as an “academic freedom” issue. An article in Spiked, a popular political magazine, written by Frank Furedi states:
I have little time for Miller or his obsessive fantasy that Zionism is responsible for the evils of the world. But despite his warped worldview, it is still wrong for Bristol to fire him. Academic freedom is a foundational principle in university life – it is far better to challenge Miller’s abhorrent views than to suppress them.”
However, as mentioned, it is clear that Miller’s employment was not terminated because he simply criticized Israel. In 2019, he made comments about the “Zionist movement” being involved in “funding Islamophobia” and was not censured by the University leadership.
Related Reading: The Intercept Offers Impassioned Defense of Ph.D. Student/Teacher Who Called Israel Supporters ‘Zionist Dirtbags’
And his latest remarks about the Union of Jewish Students being a threat to Arab and Muslims on campus could have real-world consequences for the body’s thousands of members who were effectively accused of placing other minorities at risk.
It is concerning that UK publications are so reluctant to call the sacked professor out for what he is: namely, an antisemite.
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