The View from the Ground: An Israeli’s Experience Studying in the UK this Past Year

Every time a fellow Israeli asks me if I am okay, assuming I experience antisemitism in my daily life I am slightly taken aback. Since the October 7th attack, messages, phone calls, and inquiries from nearly everyone I know have poured in, all wondering if my time at  the University of Oxford mirrors what is portrayed in Israeli news: university campuses worldwide as hotbeds of antisemitism, where Jews and especially Israelis feel unsafe. After having shared my opinions and experiences in private, I think it is time to make them public. My first year at Oxford was fantastic, I learned and experienced things that are unimaginable in Israeli Universities. Who I am, an Israeli Jew, among other things, did not impead me from fulfilling myself or making the most of this year, nor has brought any negative experience.

 

Much ink has been spilled in Israel detailing the political environment on university campuses worldwide. Israelis have read hundreds of news stories about pro-Palestine and anti-Israel protests, in addition to countless social media posts and videos. Most of the articles feed the same narrative of enraged fear. They are fueled by a never-ending stream of Jewish or Israeli students sharing their encounters of hostility from protestors. The gist of it is that “the whole world went mad and turned against us because they are antisemites.” What these articles rarely discuss, however, is the experience of Jewish and Israeli students who study peacefully at the institutions they have always dreamt of attending. 

 

So, when I share my experience, which is one such story, I am often met with skepticism, disbelief, and disinterest. Some ask (more or less bluntly) if my liberal political opinions shield me from antisemites. Others, while expressing relief that I am not subject to such antisemitism, still remain doubtful, perhaps thinking I am hiding the truth. Their suspicions were confirmed on June 24th when a major Israeli news website published a story titled “Oxford is an unpleasant place for Jews, and we have no way to help you” (in Hebrew). For some Israelis, this was good news, exposing the truth, because my story “did not make sense.” 

 

This has made it clear to me that something is wrong. This state of mind cannot accept a reality in which univ

ersities and students do not victimize Jewish and Israeli students presents the students (as well as Jews and Israel) as absolute victims. Still, I want to make clear I am not claiming that mine is the universal experience or that other people’s experiences are untrue. I am saddened every time I hear of an antisemitic incident and take people at their word regarding their experiences. But, since the beginning of the war, friends, friends-of-friends, and strangers reached out to me and sought first-hand stories because they want to study abroad but the news scared them so much. My story has contradicted the victimhood-narrative and helped maintain their dreams of studying at universities abroad.

It is true that in some cases, campuses have become a war zone between supporters of Israel and supporters of Palestine. At Oxford, we had marches and vigils by both sides; a pro-Palestine encampment; and an Oxford Israel Society which was briefed by a spokesperson of the IDF. Yet, I always found it simple to sidestep such events and remain focused on my personal, social, and academic life. In addition to what I learned during long library sessions, studying abroad during this war has shown me something invaluable: most people treat others how they would like to be treated, have good and thoughtful reasons to hold the beliefs they hold, and look for dialog and not fights.

 

For the past year, my experience has been like that of many of my peers. Studying in libraries, going to pubs and parties, writing for a student newspaper, and attending debates and guest lectures. While I hear about antisemitic incidents at Oxford, no Jewish student I know suffered from them. When the Oxford pro-Palestine encampment opened, I interviewed students and reported on the story. Even there, introducing myself as a Jewish and Israeli student, I felt safe and comfortable and found people interested in dialogue. In other words, my experience may not be true for all Jewish or Israeli students, but neither is the experience portrayed by the media.

I have lived in Israel my whole life, studied in public schools, and fulfilled my mandatory military service. This makes Oxford a very alien place in many ways. While I can count on one hand the times I’ve worn a suit in my 22 years living in Israel, I now wear one twice a week for formal dinners. At Oxford, I meet people every day from more countries than I would meet over the course of a month in Israel. I regularly get to interact with people at the top of their fields. And, I have learned far more than I thought I would. 

 

It could be that I am still wearing the rose-tinted glasses of a new beginning. However, even under the circumstances of this atrocious war, studying abroad is the best experience I have ever had. For any Israeli who wants a similar experience but fears the political climate on campus, reach out to me and ask me about what worries you.