The principal of St Andrews University revealed several campus hate incidents linked to the Israel-Palestine conflict in a letter to save a £2 million donation.
Dame Sally Mapstone attempted to reassure The Wolfson Foundation as the charity allegedly considered pulling the seven-figure grant after rector Stella Maris accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza.
In an extraordinary letter sent on November 30, 2023 – obtained by The Courier – the principal claimed 14 incidents of alleged antisemitism and Islamophobia had been reported over a two-month period.
They included allegations:
- A Jewish student had to move home and was ‘no longer welcome’ after her flatmate removed an Israel flag on the wall of her bedroom.
- A Muslim student was harassed by a man who questioned why she was wearing a hijab before he tore it off her head.
- Another Muslim studying at the university was ‘verbally abused’ for wearing a hijab.
- Jewish staff and students had eggs thrown at them after an event with the Chief Rabbi.
- A female student’s Star of David necklace was grabbed by a man outside a bar.
Ms Mapstone states the number of incidents was “slightly higher” than normal but “not unexpected” given heightened tension after the attacks by militant group Hamas which killed more than 1,000 Israelis on October 7.
In one case, the principal even sent a member of her team to monitor concerns over a brief one-man pro-Palestine protest on South Street in the town.
“We do not believe the individual was a student or staff member,” she said.
“By the time a member of my team arrived on scene following the report, the man had gone.”
Additionally, pro-Palestinian protesters claimed members of the university’s Jewish society took photographs of them at a peaceful rally and posted online urging others to “shame” participants.
Meanwhile, an email sent to a large group of students alleged that Star of David and swastika graffiti had to be removed from several properties in St Andrews.
The university made inquiries and found that its clean-up team had found no such graffiti.
In an effort to reassure The Wolfson Foundation, she wrote: “Even one report of an antisemitic or Islamophobic incident is, of course, one too many.
“In a compressed student and staff community of 12,000 inhabiting a small town, news and rumour, and by association fear and concern, can travel quickly.
“Looking at this in the round however, and given that my senior team and I are keeping a daily watch on these things and witnessing the reported rise in antisemitism elsewhere in the UK, I do not believe that St Andrews has a systemic issue with antisemitism, nor do I believe the evidence exists to argue that it does.
“The incidents I have detailed above are sporadic, or arise from misunderstandings.”
Ms Mapstone branded the remarks made by rector Ms Maris “ill-judged and hurtful”.
According to university “intelligence”, less than 1% of university staff supported her Gaza ceasefire message.
Funding secured ‘by a whisker’
On December 15, 2023, Ms Mapstone claimed she had spoken “extensively” to the CEO of The Wolfson Foundation.
She claims the £2 million donation which had been left hanging in the balance was secured “by a whisker”.
The charity has flatly denied these claims, saying the funding was never at risk.
The principal told the university court: “The Wolfson Foundation still has members of the Wolfson family, who are Jewish, on its board.
“The CEO of the foundation was in touch with me three weeks ago to let us know that members of the family were questioning whether the £2m green hydrogen bid from St Andrews to the Wolfson Foundation could be supported in light of the rector’s letter and its impact on our Jewish community and the wider Jewish community.”
She added: “I want to emphasise again that this was not about pressure being put on the university.
“It was about whether one of our most distinguishable charitable foundations in the country felt it should be associated with the university.”
A spokesperson for The Wolfson Foundation told us: “That funding was not in jeopardy because of comments made by the university’s rector.”
An independent investigation into the controversy surrounding Ms Maris was launched in January 2024.
It was headed by Morag Ross KC, now known as Lady Ross, and shaped by the university’s governance chief Alastair Merrill.
Her report found Ms Maris had “exercised poor judgement” and was “in breach” of her responsibilities as rector and as a charity trustee.
The judge claimed there was “room for an argument” that her comments might encourage the expression of antisemitism by others, especially in a tense and divided environment”.
Ms Maris claimed she had been subjected to a “smear campaign”.
She was stripped of her senior powers and removed as head of the university court for refusing to accept the investigation’s findings.
Her appeal against the decision was successful and she has since resumed her role as head of the university court.
A St Andrews University spokesperson said: “At no point was any influence in respect of the rector brought to bear upon the university either by Wolfson, its trustees, or the UK Government.
“This is made explicitly clear in the publicly availably minutes of the special court meeting of December 15.
“Wolfson was one of several groups and individuals to raise concerns about reports of antisemitic incidents at St Andrews, and the effect of the rector’s statement on the fear experienced by Jewish students in the immediate aftermath of the Hamas attacks on Israel.
“Those concerns were fully addressed and dealt with prior to the court meeting in December 2023.
“Six months later, in July 2024, the rector was discharged from her duties for her actions and activities after she issued her statement, and because she repeatedly refused to accept that as a member of court, she was by law bound by the same responsibilities and rules as all trustees.
“The rector has been re-instated as a member and president of court, and fellow members look forward to working with her for the good of all St Andrews students and staff.”
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