Distorting the truth: How UCL students whitewash antisemitism in their memorialisation of Palestinian poet Alareer

The Palestinian poet and writer Refaat Alareer was either famous or infamous, depending on who you ask. The University College London (UCL) alumnus, well known for his 2023 poem “If I Must Die,” and 2014 book "Gaza Writes Back," an anthology of short stories from young Gazan writers, his untimely death in December of 2023 as a result of the war, saw him become memorialised as the poster boy of the Palestinian movement. Unfortunately, those who commemorate him conveniently ignore his history of rampant antisemitism, support for terrorism, and consistent misinformation in order to amplify their narratives in major publications, such as the BBC and CNN. 

Student Palestine groups across London universities, including UCL, King's, and SOAS, have continuously memorialised Alareer's legacy on social media, promoting an uncontroversial image of the poet. UCL Student for Justice in Palestine (SJP) went so far as to accuse the IDF of intentionally targeting him and his family in a memorial post that goes as follows: 

"He was telephoned by the Israeli Occupation Forces, who threatened to kill him in the school he was taking refuge in. He fled to save the children from his fate, and later that day he was blown up along with his brother, his sister and her four children."  

The only source behind the claim is a report from Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, a self-proclaimed human rights organisation covering the Middle East and North Africa, with a well-documented history of spreading blood libels and disinformation against Israel. Unsurprisingly, Alareer had professional ties to the organisation. In actual fact, Alareer had proudly declared his refusal of the IDF’s repeated calls for civilians to evacuate Northern Gaza. A decision that endangered his and his family’s lives. There has yet to be any credible evidence to suggest that he was purposefully targeted in light of this and the fact that Hamas has not only embedded itself within the civilian population but has attacked Gazans for attempting to evacuate to safer areas.

It’s also important to note that Alareer was well-known for his outspoken, violent language towards Jews and Israelis. This behaviour became immediately more visible following the October 7th Hamas attack, where he took to social media to berate the victims. In now-deleted tweets, Refaat had responded to reports of infants being burned alive, mockingly asking, "with or without baking powder?" Alareer had also proudly referred to a video of Hamas members patrolling through the streets of Israel's southern kibbutzim in a pickup truck, where some of the most heinous acts were committed, as an "honourable military parade."

His comments didn't end there. In the aftermath of the attacks, there was widespread public condemnation of the brutal acts of terrorism, which resulted in the deaths of over 800 civilians. Politicians, celebrities, and global leaders alike expressed strong support for Israel during this difficult time and condemned reports of sexual violence, rape and the targeting of civilians. In response, Alareer went so far as to fiercely criticise prominent figures within the pro-Palestine movement, including US Representative Ilhan Omar, political commentator Medi Hassan, and leader of the Nepalese opposition, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, shaming them for rightly denouncing Hamas’s atrocities.

Alareer’s rhetoric didn’t start on October 7th. With a history of calling for violence against Israeli civilians, including an April 2022 comment where he justified violence against all Israelis in response to a terrorist attack on Dizengoff Street in Tel Aviv that left three Israelis dead. Alareer argued that "All Israelis are soldiers" and "Most Israelis have Palestinian and Arab blood on their hands."

Alareer's unfettered support for Hamas and their actions was on full display following October 7th and was entirely unambiguous to anyone familiar with his online activity. Therefore, when SJP groups across London campuses started to memorialise his death, praising him as a "martyr" of the Palestinian cause without acknowledging his provocative and violent language. Without fail, these groups have used his “martyrdom” as promotional fodder to push their BDS and other anti-Israel demands as well as justify further intimidation of Jewish students. When asked to comment on his previous hateful tweets, none of the London SJP groups responded to the request.

Along with the SJP groups’ online action, their large demonstrations commemorating him in May and June of 2024 have left Jewish and Israeli students feeling marginalised on campus. When speaking to the president of the UCL Jewish Society, Romily Blitz, she expressed how Jewish students felt intimidated, especially given the lack of action taken against these SJP groups despite multiple concerns being raised with the Student Union.

With record levels of antisemitism across the United Kingdom, the persistent memorialisation of Alareer by student Palestine societies serves as another example of what makes Jewish students feel unsafe on campus. When asked for a comment about the planned memorial for Alareer on UCL grounds, UCL quickly distanced itself from the event but took little action to denounce what was occurring on their campus. The lack of action from UCL could be interpreted as tacit approval of the behaviour exhibited by SJP groups, creating a troubling precedent promoting the type of behaviour Alareer encouraged. There are many instances of on-campus intimidation fueled by the kind of rhetoric Alareer was known for. One of the most significant examples occurred when an April 2024 KCL Israel Society event was cancelled due to threats of violence made against both attendees and organisers.