Jewish MP is compelled to go to college in secret after pro-Palestine protesters threatened to focus on journey over his ‘Friends of Israel’ hyperlinks
A Jewish MP was forced to visit a school in secret after pro-Palestinian protestors threatened to target his trip over his links to ‘Friends of Israel‘.
Labour MP Damien Egan was meant to visit Bristol Brunel Academy in September last year but had to call off the plans after a campaign by far-Left members of staff at the school represented by the National Education Union (NEU) and Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC).
He was barred because of ‘safeguarding concerns’ after the activists, who claimed to be representing the views of teachers, parents, and residents, highlighted his links to Labour Friends for Israel.
To the NEU and PSC, forcing Mr Egan’s cancellation was ‘a win for safeguarding, solidarity, and for the power of the NEU trade union staff group, parents, and campaigners standing together.’
Mr Egan is the vice chairman of Labour Friends for Israel – a Parliamentary group which advocates for Israel, which it considers the ‘historic homeland’ of Jewish people, and a two-state solution to the conflict. It does not receive Israeli government funding.
The visit was rescheduled but teachers were not told, so Mr Egan made his visit in secret.
Mr Egan, Labour MP for Bristol North East acknowledged ‘people have got a right to protest’, but pointed to ‘security considerations’ for members of Parliament.
Mr Egan told The Times that he ‘had a lovely visit, meeting the head and the school council, the children, the questions, it was fabulous’.
Labour MP Damien Egan was barred from visiting Bristol Brunel Academy in September last year after a campaign against his arrival
Mr Egan had to visit to school in secret after NEU and PSC members rallied against his links to Labour Friends of Israel
Jon Redford, the NEU’s Bristol representative, told BBC Politics West that staff had ‘no intention’ of getting Mr Egan barred from his visit. He claimed there had only been a discussion that staff might wear keffiyeh scarves and watermelon badges, in support of Palestine, but the protest outside the school was ‘entirely independent’.
Staff ‘wanted to show their opposition to a supporter of a genocidal regime coming to their school,’ he said. ‘They wanted to show there was a different perspective, that he needn’t expect complete support for his views.’
When asked what evidence there was, Reddiford pointed to his links to Labour Friends of Israel and his visit to the country.
Mr Egan defended his visit as ‘a good thing’ because it allowed him ‘to go out and meet with people’.
Labour Friends of Israel’s website says it is funded by ‘the generosity of members of the Jewish community and those who share our commitment to the State of Israel’.
Egan, who became an MP after a 2024 by-election, told The Times: ‘This group works with left-leaning organisations in Israel, but also in Palestine in the West Bank as well.
‘They’ve been pushing the government to put money into a peace programme that will bring civil society organisations this year from Israel, from the West Bank, to come in and speak.’
An Ofsted inspection of Bristol Brunel Academy found ‘no evidence of bias’ in the day-to-day running of the school.
However, the trust that runs the school, Cabot Learning Federation (CLF), has agreed to commission an independent review of the decision to cancel Mr Egan’s visit in September.
The CLF also cancelled a speaker from Israeli tech company Check Point Software Technologies at its summer conference last July following NEU pressure.
A CLF spokesman reportedly said: ‘We were pleased to host Damien Egan MP for a productive visit to Bristol Brunel Academy on Thursday. He expressly asked that we did not share the plan for him to visit in advance, and we respected that request.
‘Any safety concerns related to protest that have been raised in relation to Mr Egan’s visit have come from outside the school.
According to the findings in the recent Ofsted inspection: ‘No member of staff inspectors spoke with were aware of a proposed staff-led protest against the MP’s visit.
‘Inspectors heard that staff were proud of the inclusive nature of the school towards pupils, and there was often deep hurt expressed at the way their school was being portrayed.
‘Regardless of how this has been reported elsewhere, there is no evidence that staff at the school proposed wearing specific items of clothing in response to a planned visit.’
