Davida Millerja, profesorja politične sociologije, so na univerzi v Bristolu odpustili zaradi njegovih stališč glede sionističnih politik izraelske vlade z obtožbo o protisemitizmu. Britansko delovno sodišče je v nedavni sodbi na 120 straneh spoznalo, da je bil profesor David Miller nepravično odpuščen zaradi svojih protisionističnih stališč in da bi moral biti protisionizem zaščiten s protidiskriminacijskimi zakoni.

Zgodba sega v leto 2019 in se nanaša na Millerjevo predavanje, zaradi katerega sta dva judovska študenta vložila pritožbo zaradi protisemitizma. The Guardian:

Two Jewish students complained about a 2019 lecture by Miller in which he identified Zionism as one of the five pillars of Islamophobia, the panel heard. The Community Security Trust, which campaigns against antisemitism, said Miller’s remarks were a “disgraceful slur”.

A review commissioned by the university found Miller had no case to answer because he did not express hatred towards Jews.

In an email to the university’s student newspaper sent in February 2021 Miller said: “Zionism is and always has been a racist, violent, imperialist ideology premised on ethnic cleansing.” In the message he also claimed the university’s Jewish Society was an “Israel lobby group”.

A separate review found these statements had been offensive to many, and in a hearing they were found to be “wrong and inappropriate”. He was then sacked for gross misconduct, the panel heard.

When his appeal was rejected he took the university to a tribunal, which he won earlier this year.

Senat sodišča je ugotovil, da so Millerjeva prepričanja izpolnjevala merila, da so “vredna spoštovanja v demokratični družbi, niso nezdružljiva s človeškim dostojanstvom in niso v nasprotju s temeljnimi pravicami drugih“.

Sodnik je dejal, da so bila protisionistična stališča, ki jih je izrazil Miller, “sprejeta kot zakonita, niso bila antisemitska in niso spodbujala nasilja ter niso predstavljala nobene grožnje zdravju ali varnosti katere koli osebe.”

Spodaj je nit o zagovoru na 97 straneh, ki ga je napisal Miller.

For the avoidance of doubt here is how I outlined my beliefs in court – which are now held to be “protected” beliefs which are “worthy of respect in a democratic society”. They are thus not – as the University of Bristol shockingly tried to maintain – “akin to Nazism”.

My witness statement amounted to some 97 pages. I reproduce three key extracts here in case they may aid people in defending themselves against Zionist provocations in their own life/work.

The excerpts start with my declaration that is it self evident that racism is wrong and offensive to human dignity. Zionism, being inherently racist, imperialist and colonial is therefore also offensive to human dignity.

It is because I believed this and was “prepared to say it out loud” that I believe I lost my job.

The second excerpt affirms that Zionism necessarily calls for the displacement of non-Jews in favour of Jews and is, therefore, bound to be genocidal.

I also noted the importance of understanding that Zionism operates outside Palestine via the transnational Zionist movement – a movement which we see all too much of these days in its attempts to smash resistance to Zionism and support for the Palestinians in the UK and elsewhere.

The last excerpt notes that my belief in anti-Zionism was so steadfast that I was prepared to defend it even under pressure of losing my job.

It also affirms my belief that I am a part of a global community of anti-imperialist anti-Zionists. Never was that more true than it is today.

Vir: David Miller