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Masked demonstrators on Wednesday stormed a classroom at City University of London and threatened an Israeli-born professor during a lecture.
Professor Michael Ben-Gad, an economist who has taught at City University since 2008, said one protester threatened to behead him. “They came right up to me and screamed in my face,” he told Sky News. “One of them made a threat about having my head chopped off.”
Threats and Intimidation in the Classroom
Videos shared online show masked protesters interrupting Ben-Gad’s class while shouting accusations that he was “part of the genocide in Gaza.” They chanted pro-Palestinian slogans and called him a “war criminal” and a “Nazi.”
The demonstrators accused him of serving in the “IOF,” a slur used by anti-Israel activists to describe the Israel Defense Forces. Security staff moved in as the group tried to take over the room.
Ben-Gad, who served in the IDF in the 1980s, has faced growing harassment from a group called City Action for Palestine. The activists demanded his dismissal and plastered flyers across campus branding him a “terrorist.” They falsely tied his military service during the 1982 Lebanon War to the Sabra and Shatila massacre — an atrocity carried out by Lebanese Christian militias, not Israel.
Pro-Palestine students disrupt the lecture of Michael Ben-Gad, an ex-Israeli soldier and current lecturer at City University in London.
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— Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) October 22, 2025
“My Only Crime Is Being a Jew”
Ben-Gad condemned the intimidation campaign. “My only crime is being a Jew who has lived in the Middle East,” he told The Daily Mail.
He vowed not to back down. “If the objective of the demonstration was to frighten or intimidate me, frankly they will have to try a lot harder than printing up a flyer, launching an Instagram campaign or a small demonstration,” he said. “I am indeed, as they claim, an IDF veteran, and I plan to act like one — these modern brownshirts are not going to send me into hiding.”
Ben-Gad has kept his sense of humor despite the threats. Joking about the video footage of the attack, he quipped, “Frankly, they captured me in profile and I really need to lose some weight.” His lighthearted remark underscored his resilience in the face of intimidation.
Incredible watching Professor Michael Ben-Gad keep his sense of humour in all this. What a hero ❤️ pic.twitter.com/1qMuw9PoIG
— M B Levin🎗️ (@M_B_Levin) October 22, 2025
University and Academic Community Stand Firm
City University of London publicly denounced the attack and reaffirmed support for Ben-Gad. “City St George’s fully supports and upholds freedom of expression within the law,” a spokesperson stated. “However, unlawful and repugnant attempts to obstruct and interfere with our academic operations are another thing entirely, and the University will not tolerate the harassment of its staff and students.”
The university clarified that the demonstrators were unaffiliated with the institution or its Students’ Union. It pledged to “support and protect” all staff, including Ben-Gad, who “has the full backing of the University’s senior management team and colleagues of all faiths and backgrounds.”
More than 1,000 UK academics signed a petition in solidarity. “Regardless of diverse views on the recent Gaza war and the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, we deplore any campaign that seeks to intimidate and drive out lecturers because they are Israeli, Jewish, or members of any other group,” the petition stated.
Surge in Antisemitic Incidents Across UK
The assault on Ben-Gad reflects a broader pattern of antisemitic hostility sweeping the United Kingdom.
According to the Community Security Trust (CST), which tracks antisemitic incidents nationwide, more than 1,500 attacks and threats occurred during the first half of 2025. The figure marks the second-highest total ever recorded.
The assault on a Jewish professor in London underscores how antisemitism — often cloaked in political rhetoric — threatens Jewish academics and erodes freedom of expression on campuses worldwide.
Take Action
CAM has launched Report It — a secure app to report antisemitic incidents anonymously and in real time. Don’t stay silent — download it today on the Apple Store or Google Play. See it. Report it. Stop it. Together, we can fight this hate.
