: What action is the
Welsh Government taking to eradicate antisemitism in
Wales?
(First Minister of
Wales): Good afternoon, Deputy Presiding Officer, and I
thank the Member for the question.
For over a decade, the Welsh Government has funded the Holocaust
Educational Trust to provide its Lessons from Auschwitz programme
in Wales. That, and other actions to address antisemitism,
will be reflected in our anti-racist Wales action plan, to be
published later this year.
: Thank you, First
Minister, for your response. I'm sure all Members from across the
Chamber here today agree that antisemitism is abhorrent to
us all, and all efforts must be made to ensure that this and all
forms of racism are stamped out in Wales. And as the First
Minister will know, back in May 2017, Welsh Government adopted
the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of
antisemitism. Nevertheless,
I do find it deeply concerning that the majority of universities
in Wales still haven't adopted this definition for themselves.
Whilst you may not have direct control over universities in
Wales, the Government does provide significant funding, and, as
First Minister, you have a significant role in setting the tone
and expectation of how people, public bodies and publicly funded
organisations present themselves here in Wales. So, in light of
this, First Minster, will you join me in urging and setting the
expectation that all of our universities in Wales should adopt
the IHRA definition of antisemitism?
: Well, Llywydd, it
is my expectation that no public body in Wales tolerates antisemitism,
Islamophobia or any other form of discrimination against
groups in our society. As the Member said, the Welsh Government
has adopted the IHRA definition of antisemitism. The
Minister for education has been discussing this matter over
recent months. He met with , who is carrying out the review
of antisemitism policies for
the UK Government currently, and the Welsh Government has
provided evidence to that review. The Minister for Education met
back in November and this issue
was discussed there. He met with the Union of Jewish Students
here in Wales at the end of February and once again this matter
was raised. He has a meeting with senior university staff on
Monday, I think, of next week, and this item is on the agenda.
So, the Member can be assured that the Welsh Government is
drawing this matter to the attention of universities across Wales
when we have the opportunity to do so, and setting that
discussion in the context of the general expectation we set about
public bodies doing everything they can to combat discrimination.
However, as the Member said, universities are autonomous bodies.
They are not controlled, nor should they be controlled, by the
Welsh Government. We will discuss this matter and bring it to
their attention, but as , the Conservative Minister
for higher education in the UK Government said just this weekend,
free and open academic discourse underpinned by the values of
freedom is fundamental, and that freedom applies to universities
to make their own decisions within the matters that fall within
their own ambit.
