We’re in despair at the continuing crisis in Israel and Palestine. 

This is a live ongoing situation and there's no telling what tomorrow will bring. It's terrifying, especially for those in our community who we know have been directly or indirectly impacted by the conflict. The anxiety for our students who have been separated from family and friends, and the uncertainty that this brings, is exhausting. Many of us can only imagine what this experience must be like, but as a Sabbatical Officer team, our full solidarity is with anyone experiencing pain, loss, anxiety, or trauma over the events currently unfolding. If you are struggling, please ask us for support, please access our services, we do not want anyone to feel or go through this alone. 

In times of crisis, we’re focused wholly on supporting our students and student groups. First and foremost, our role as a students’ union, and our job as the elected leaders of the students’ union, is to make sure our members are safe. In the past two weeks, we’ve seen an increase in reporting of both antisemitism and islamophobia. It is utterly unacceptable that our students have experienced antisemitism, islamophobia, or other forms of racially motivated prejudice, and we condemn this in the strongest possible terms. We all have a responsibility to call this out and report it so that those responsible can be dealt with appropriately. UCL must be a place free from harassment, where diverse, often conflicting, but legal views can be expressed. Examples such as holding Jewish students collectively responsible for the actions of the Israeli government, or casting those showing solidarity with Palestinians as supporters of terrorism, are entirely wrong and help no one. As a community, we have a duty to stay away from such dangerous language and framing and we encourage anyone to report such acts as quickly as possible.  

The students’ union’s role as a charity enables us to create safe spaces for challenging conversation and debate, where we can remain an impartial enabler. Facilitating our students to assemble, to host events, fundraisers, and guest speakers is where we’ve focused much of our energy in recent weeks. We want to create space for students to share collective feelings of grief, anger, and solidarity - this strengthens our student communities and empowers students to support each other. Last week, for example, the students’ union supported Friends of Israel Society to hold a vigil on campus, and the following day supported Students for Justice in Palestine Society to hold a fundraiser for humanitarian aid. Many more events like this are taking place with our full support and guidance. As part of our responsibility to mitigate risk for students, we’ve been working hard to make sure the leaders of our student groups are empowered and informed to make decisions in line with the law around freedom of expression, or in the case of our student media, supported to report on the conflict and the experiences of students. This work will continue as the situation evolves. 

For the sake of all those suffering, we hope this conflict ends swiftly. Take care and please reach out for support. We’re here for you.

Your Sabbatical Officer team - Mary, Issy, Ahmad, Shaban, and Aria.

  • UCL’s campus has security coverage 24/7 and will be increasing security coverage in key areas. Security support can be accessed by calling +44 (0)20 7679 2222 or extension 222 from a UCL landline.
  • You can also contact security directly through the SafeZone app. Download the SafeZone app. The app is available to all UCL students and makes it easier for you to contact UCL Security directly from your phone.  Remember: if you are in an emergency, call 999 and ask for the appropriate service.
  • You can contact the Support Team for Students affected by War, Conflict and Disaster. The team provides emotional and practical support to students affected by events in their home countries by offering sessions of Psychological First Aid (PFA).
  • If you need to, you should access UCL's 24/7 Student Support Line for support with your mental health and wellbeing, and additional support services around faith and belief at UCL, including quiet spaces for prayer and advice from the Interfaith team.
  • We know that it may be difficult to focus on your studies at this time. If you are struggling with academic work, you should first talk to your tutor, who will be able to offer support and advice. Departments can also provide Extenuating Circumstances or Academic Adjustments to support any student who experiences sudden, unexpected difficulties that may affect their performance at assessment. 
  • If you face financial difficulty due to the conflict, we encourage you to speak with one of our Student Funding Advisers. Students who are in unexpected financial need with their living costs can also apply to the Financial Assistance Fund.
  • The Students' Union Advice Service offers independent impartial advice on a range of matters including housing, employment, finance, and academic issues. We are separate from UCL.
  • Reports of hate crimes are taken extremely seriously - report instances of hate crime on campus through the Report + Support tool page. You can do this anonymously.
Last updated 1 year ago Read time 4 mins