LONDON – The UK government’s independent adviser on antisemitism, Lord John Mann, said students who threaten or intimidate university staff should be expelled after masked protesters stormed a lecture at City St George’s, University of London, and allegedly threatened to behead the presenter.
The targeted academic, Professor Michael Ben-Gad, an Israeli-born economist who served in the Israel Defence Force decades ago, told Sky News that masked protesters called him a war criminal and screamed in his face. He said one protester threatened to have his head chopped off as they refused to leave the classroom.
Lord Mann described the disruption as antithetical to free speech and said universities must act decisively. He told Times Higher Education that the conduct was the antithesis of free speech and that those who threaten in this way should be immediately expelled from higher education.
More than 1,000 academics across the UK have since signed an open letter supporting Professor Ben-Gad and condemning the campaign against him. Signatories warned that targeting academics because they are Israeli, Jewish, or members of any other group sets a dangerous precedent and chills academic freedom.
The Royal Economic Society issued a statement saying it was deeply concerned by reports that an academic had been publicly harassed because they are Israeli. The society said such targeting undermines the safety and dignity of the academic community and has no place in universities. It said it was in direct contact with the individual and with the university.
Video footage and posts shared online by a group calling itself City Action for Palestine show masked demonstrators confronting Professor Ben-Gad, chanting “all terrorists off our campus” and other slogans. The clips also capture attempts by security staff to remove the protesters as they continued to shout and impede the lecture.
Masked students threaten 'to behead' Israeli professor during lecture at London university
— Ynet Global (@ynetnews) October 23, 2025
Masked activists stormed a lecture by Israeli economics professor Michael Ben-Gad at City University of London, calling him a 'terrorist' and threatening to behead him; he vowed to keep… pic.twitter.com/OrVt3mmlFt
City St George’s senior leadership condemned the disruption. A university spokesperson said it would not tolerate harassment of staff and students, describing the group as unaffiliated with the institution and promising an investigation. Vice-Chancellor Sir Anthony Finkelstein reiterated the university’s commitment to freedom of expression within the law and to protecting staff and students.
Campaign Against Antisemitism and other advocacy bodies said the incident reflected a wider pattern of anti-Jewish harassment on campuses since October 2023. They urged universities to report incidents to police, to apply disciplinary measures where appropriate, and to protect Jewish staff and students from targeted campaigns that cross into hate and intimidation.
Legal and academic commentators say the episode highlights the boundary between legitimate protest and unlawful intimidation. If threats are established, they can constitute criminal offences. Mann and other critics argue that failing to apply university sanctions will further embolden campaigners who use harassment to silence particular voices on campus.
For pro-Israel and Jewish community readers, the incident is a stark example of how academic settings can become arenas of hostile targeting that disproportionately affect Jewish and Israeli staff. Supporters of Professor Ben-Gad say the wider academic community must defend the right of scholars to teach without fear and must not allow political dispute to serve as a cover for prejudice or threats.
Universities now face calls to review policies on campus safety, to speed disciplinary procedures for those who intimidate staff, and to ensure that criminal conduct is referred to police promptly. Lord Mann’s statement represents a clear demand for tougher institutional responses to harassment that crosses the line from protest into threats and targeted campaigns.
This article is based on verified information from Times Higher Education, Sky News, the Royal Economic Society, the Times of Israel, and Haaretz.