Comments to the Cherwell Newpaper about the Oxford Rugby "anti-Semitism" controversy

"Happy that the university has taken action, and I don't want to exaggerate the behaviour of students.

I am, however, concerned about the trend following the hosting of David Irving at the union, which also offended the sensibilities of the Jewish community and students.

One might be able to dismiss each event individually but combined they seem to reflect an ignorance and lack of sensitivity directed at the Jewish students at the university.

In the case of the Jewish social, the line that was crossed was the bringing of money bags which tapped into anti-Semitic Jewish stereotypes. The captain, Phil Boon, did not seem to understand why the event caused offence.

I think that the university should take these matters more seriously and focus not just on diversity but on the problems in society of racism, homophobia and anti-semitism, and the results of these in history.

I did not mean that the university should send the students to visit Auschwitz as part of the disciplinary diversity course, but rather it would be good for these students involved to be encouraged to visit Auschwitz or a Holocaust museum, where they would be able to learn about history, allowing them to become more sensitive and aware of the full implications and meaning of their behaviour.