Members of staff and the public were planning to protest
11:32, 13 Jan 2026
A school in Bristol cancelled a visit from a Labour MP after ‘concerns’ were raised about his links to Israel.
Damien Egan, who represents Bristol North East, was meant to visit the Bristol Brunel Academy in September. However, the school shelved the visit at the last minute due to plans for a public protest against Mr Egan's attendance.
Mr Egan is a vice chair of the ‘Labour Friends of Israel’ group. He converted to Judaism in 2018 and his husband, Yossi Felberbaum, was born in Israel.
A spokesperson for the Cabot Learning Federation, the trust which manages Brunel Academy, said they had chosen to postpone Mr Egan’s visit for safety reasons and to minimise disruption to students.
“Damien Egan MP – as a high-achieving alumnus of the CLF, and in common with other local MPs from across the political spectrum – was invited in September to visit Bristol Brunel Academy, a secondary school situated in his constituency of Bristol North East,” the spokesperson said.
“On the evening before Mr Egan’s scheduled visit, we were made aware of plans for a public protest outside the school. As this protest was scheduled to coincide with the end in the school day, we opted to postpone Mr Egan’s visit to ensure everyone would continue to feel safe when entering and exiting school and to prevent any disruption to our students’ learning.”
Many businesses and organisations in Bristol with links to Israel have been the subject of protests during the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The factory of Elbit Systems, an Israeli arms manufacturer, in Aztec West has been regularly targeted.
Israeli forces have killed over 72,000 people in the territory since the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on October 7 2023, which killed 1,195 people. Destruction and bloodshed in the region continues despite Israel and Hamas agreeing a cease-fire in October last year.
On Sunday (January 11), communities secretary Steve Reed told a Jewish Labour Movement conference Mr Egan had been banned from the school.
“I have a colleague who is Jewish, who has been banned from visiting a school and refused permission to visit a school in his own constituency, in case his presence inflames the teachers," he said. "That is an absolute outrage.”
However, the CLF’s spokesperson said the visit had simply been rearranged for a new date.
“We have remained in contact with Mr Egan, and an alternative date for his visit was arranged some time ago. We have also been in contact with the police and followed their advice.”
Mr Egan was contacted for comment.
In a statement posted to Facebook in September, the Bristol branch of the National Education Union said the cancellation had come off the back of ‘concerns’ raised about Mr Egan’s links to Israel.
“MP Damian (sic) Egan’s planned school visit at Bristol Brunel Academy this Friday has been cancelled after concerns were raised by the NEU trade union staff group, parents and local constituents,” the post, which was also shared by the Bristol Palestine Solidarity Campaign, read.
“This is a clear message: politicians who openly support Israel's genocidal assault on Gaza are not welcome in our schools.
“Egan is Vice Chair of Labour Friends of Israel and has visited Israel since the current onslaught on Gaza began, demonstrating his support. We celebrate this cancellation as a win for safeguarding, solidarity, and for the power of the NEU trade union staff group, parents, and campaigners standing together.”
The NEU was contacted for further comment.