An academic has been reported to the police for ‘heinous’ antisemitism after she referenced a ‘blood libel’ that accused Jews of killing a monk to use his blood to bake bread.
Dr Samar Maqusi, an American academic, also accused Jews of controlling international finance during the time of Napoleon at a lecture she delivered to Students for Justice in Palestine society at University College London (UCL).
In the lecture, on ‘The Birth of Zionism’, Dr Maqusi said that Jews murdered a monk in Syria so they could use his blood to bake ‘special pancakes or bread’ as part of a holy ceremony.
The London university, who said Dr Maqusi is not a current member of staff, reported her to police on Thursday and banned her from campus.
UCL Students for Justice in Palestine have also been barred from holding further events until the investigation is completed.
The lecturer, who previously worked for UNRWA, the UN’s agency for Palestinians, referred to the Damascus Affair – a 200-year-old scandal where Jews were tortured and murdered after being falsely accused of murdering a Christian priest to obtain his blood.
But rather than highlighting that the incident was used to persecute Jews, she urged students to ‘draw your own narrative’.
Dr Maqusi told students: ‘This is a Jewish feast, and the story goes – and, you know, again, these are things that you read and again, as I said: do investigate, draw your own narrative. But the story is that during this feast they make… these special pancakes or bread.
Dr Samar Maqusi has been reported to police for ‘heinous’ antisemitism after delivering a lecture at UCL
‘And, part of the holy ceremony is that drops of blood from someone who’s not Jewish… has to be mixed in that bread. So, the story is that a certain investigation was undergoing to try and find where Father Thomas is. He was found murdered, and a group of Jews, who lived in Syria, said that, you know, admitted to kidnapping him and murdering him to get the drops of blood for making the holy bread’.
A blood libel is a false allegation that Jews used the blood of non-Jews for ritual purposes. It is an antisemitic trope which has been used to persecute Jews for centuries.
Her comments were part of a five-part lecture series by the student group.
Dr Maqusi, who completed her doctorate at UCL’s Bartlett School of Architecture, also claimed that ‘Jews pretty much controlled the financialisation’ during the time of Napoleon and that, in return ‘he would erect the Jewish kingdom’.
The lecture also referred to Sir Moses Montefiore, a British financier.
‘So we can also start making connections between Britain and the wealthy Jewish leaders of Britain into this whole story,’ she added.
The academic claimed the mainstream media was ‘Zionist controlled’ and ‘when you’re trying to read about Zionism you’re most probably being guided or censored or being directed.’
Saqib Bhatti, the shadow education minister, said: ‘I’m very concerned about this. Over the last two years life has been made intolerable for many Jewish students across the UK due to the surge in antisemitism. This is not what Britain is about. UCL need to investigate this immediately.’
UCL President Dr Michael Spence said he was ‘utterly appalled by these heinous antisemitic comments’.
He added: ‘Antisemitism has absolutely no place in our university, and I want to express my unequivocal apology to all Jewish students, staff, alumni, and the wider community that these words were uttered at UCL.
The former UCL academic claimed that Jews killed a monk to use his blood to bake bread
‘The individual responsible is a former fixed-term researcher at UCL, but not a current member of UCL staff. We have reported this incident to the police and have banned her from campus.
‘We have launched a full investigation into how this happened and have banned the student group which hosted it from holding any further events on campus pending the outcome of this.
‘Regrettably, like many UK universities, we continue to confront incidents of antisemitism and are committing to banishing this from our campus. We have initiated disciplinary proceedings against a number of students in relation to antisemitism and reported incidents to the police where appropriate.
‘Freedom of speech and academic freedom are fundamental to university life, but they can never be misused as a shield for hatred. UCL remains steadfast in our commitment to ensure our campus is a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for everyone.’
