Documentary Director Warns UK Antisemitism is ‘Off the Rails’ Amid Rising Campus Tensions

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Antisemitism in the UK has reached alarming levels, according to Wendy Sachs, the director of October 8, a new documentary highlighting escalating violence on American university campuses. Sachs, who also serves as the film’s executive producer, believes that the hostility faced by Jewish students in the US mirrors what has been happening in the UK for over a decade.

 

The film’s release coincided with a controversial move by the Trump administration, which withdrew $400 million in federal funding from Columbia University, citing its failure to protect Jewish students during pro-Palestinian protests. Sachs argues that while the US is experiencing a new wave of antisemitism, the UK has been dealing with it for much longer.

 

The new documentary ‘October 8’ is a film that should be seen by all. On Oct. 8, just one day after the Hamas massacre, Sachs was shocked to see pro-Hamas protests erupt in Times Square. Even before Israel had a chance to defend itself. Determined to push back against the growing wave of misinformation and antisemitism, Sachs drafted a treatment for a documentary.

The new documentary ‘October 8’ is a film that should be seen by all. On Oct. 8, just one day after the Hamas massacre, Sachs was shocked to see pro-Hamas protests erupt in Times Square. Even before Israel had a chance to defend itself. Determined to push back against the growing… pic.twitter.com/nX81qkK498

— Eretz Israel (@EretzIsrael) March 15, 2025

 

“As someone who is very much entrenched in Democratic politics and progressive causes, I can tell you what’s happening on the left here in America really mirrors what’s been happening on the left in the UK for more than a decade,” Sachs said. She pointed to the UK’s large Muslim population and the scale of pro-Palestinian demonstrations, adding: “The antisemitism is off the rails in your country as well.”

 

She traced the UK’s surge in campus antisemitism back to the tenure of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, saying his leadership “led to an explosion of antisemitism in the UK.” Sachs suggested that while antisemitism exists on both ends of the political spectrum, “the only place where the far left and far right agree is on antisemitism.”

 

Some analysts argue that the UK is a decade ahead of the US in the rise of left-wing antisemitism. Sachs’ documentary seeks to unpack how antisemitism manifests today and explore how narratives surrounding Hamas have shifted. “We got to this moment when Hamas are being celebrated as freedom fighters rather than as terrorists,” she said.

 

Watch: British patriot attacked by Muslims in London for holding a sign against Hamas after its Muslim terrorists raped and murdered 1200 people in Israel and kidnapped hundreds more into Gaza. As you can see in this video, one of the Hamas supporters even pulled out a knife. Is this what the media call diversity?

pic.twitter.com/cjxoUl2ztp
Watch: British patriot attacked by Muslims in London for holding a sign against Hamas after its Muslim terrorists raped and murdered 1200 people in Israel and kidnapped hundreds more into Gaza.
As you can see in this video, one of the Hamas supporters even…

— Liza Rosen (@LizaRosen0000) January 12, 2025

 

Her concerns are backed by data from the Community Security Trust (CST), a UK charity focused on protecting British Jews from terrorism and antisemitism. The organization reported a dramatic increase in antisemitic incidents at UK universities following Hamas’s October 7 attack. In the 2023-24 academic year, CST recorded 272 university-related antisemitic incidents, the highest number ever documented in a single year. This was a sharp rise from 53 incidents the previous year and 55 the year before that.

 

Similar trends have been observed in the US, where Jewish students have faced verbal abuse and even physical assault in the wake of Israel’s military response to the October 7 attacks. At prestigious American universities, student societies have signed statements blaming Israel for the attack, including nearly three dozen groups at Harvard that released a statement holding “the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence.”

 

The documentary features shocking footage, including a Cornell University professor referring to Hamas’s attack as “exhilarating” and “energizing.” Sachs aims to bring October 8 to British audiences within the next six months, hoping to spark greater awareness of campus antisemitism.

 

A spokesperson for CST welcomed the film’s message, stating: “Rising campus antisemitism is a big problem, and we welcome anything that raises awareness of this.”

 

Reviews of the documentary have been mixed. Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter acknowledged its strong message but noted that October 8 “does some cherry-picking of facts and draws some questionable conclusions.” Meanwhile, Michael O’Sullivan of The Washington Post commented that while the film does not demonize either side, it illustrates “how Israel’s pattern of mistakes, if not arrogance, may have helped set a pot on the stove that is now boiling over with venom.”

 

As antisemitism continues to rise on campuses in both the US and UK, Sachs hopes her documentary will serve as a wake-up call to those who may not yet understand the severity of the situation.

 

Based on a report by The Times  2025-03-17