A former president of the National Union of Students who was dismissed following allegations of antisemitism has agreed a settlement with the union before her case went to an employment tribunal.
Shaima Dallali was ousted as NUS president in November 2022 following an investigation that found she had breached the union’s antisemitism policies.
The investigation followed a complaint about a tweet she posted in 2012 that read: “Khaybar Khaybar O Jews … Muhammad’s army will return Gaza”, referencing a seventh-century battle between Muslims and Jews. Dallali later apologised for the tweet, which was posted when she was a teenager and long before she became NUS president.
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She had sought to take the union to an employment tribunal, but this week a joint statement from the NUS UK and Dallali revealed they had reached a confidential settlement to end the proceedings.
The statement said: “NUS accepts that pro-Palestinian and anti-Zionist beliefs may be protected beliefs, as may pro-Zionist beliefs.
“As a private individual Ms Dallali is, and as president of NUS she was, entitled to hold protected beliefs.
“As has been noted repeatedly in the media, NUS was very concerned by a tweet that was written by Ms Dallali when she was a teenager, before she was even a student, in 2012. Ms Dallali has accepted that while it was not her intention, the tweet was antisemitic. Both parties accept that Ms Dallali has repeatedly apologised for that tweet.
“Throughout this matter, Ms Dallali has suffered truly horrific abuse, which has included death threats, threats of sexual assault and flagrant Islamophobia. This is wholly unacceptable, and NUS categorically condemn it.
“Ms Dallali now has the right to move on with her life and her career free from harassment or abuse.”
Dallali said: “I am an anti-Zionist and a proud pro-Palestinian. Following today’s settlement, I look forward to being able to focus on continuing to dedicate myself to the Palestinian cause and to serving my community.
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“I am immensely grateful to those who have supported me during this difficult chapter in my life and I am pleased that all parties can now move on. Now more than ever, it is important that all communities come together for peace and justice.”
Earlier this year a sociology professor won a discrimination claim against the University of Bristol, which he said he was unfairly dismissed from because of his anti-Zionist beliefs.
