Jewish Leaders in Australia Urge Judicial Inquiry into Increasing Antisemitism on Campuses

Jewish student and staff unions are pushing for a judicial inquiry into the growing antisemitism on Australian university campuses following the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks.

Noah Loven, representing the Australian Union of Jewish Students, urged the Senate committee led by Labor Senator Nita Green to recognize the seriousness of the situation. He cautioned that antisemitism is becoming entrenched due to universities’ failure to address the issue.

“Jewish students are staying away from campus, worried about their safety, with many removing identifiable Jewish symbols,” Loven stated, describing the situation as “untenable” and urging universities to take prompt action.

The Oct. 7 Hamas attack, the deadliest assault on Jews since the Holocaust, resulted in around 1,200 Israeli deaths. In retaliation, Israel’s response has allegedly led to over 41,000 Palestinian casualties, according to the Hamas-controlled Gaza health ministry.

This surge in violence has heightened tensions globally and within Australia, with Jewish students reporting unprecedented levels of hostility.

Professor Steven Prawer, a senior academic at the University of Melbourne, shared his own experience of being targeted due to his collaboration with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Prawer recalled being escorted from his office by security after students identified him.

He expressed concern about the potential impact of such actions on other staff members, especially those in less senior positions, who may now be hesitant to collaborate with Israeli colleagues for fear of repercussions.

Universities Report Surge In Antisemitism, Islamophobia

Luke Sheehy, CEO of Universities Australia, acknowledged the increasing incidents of both antisemitism and Islamophobia on university campuses but argued against a judicial inquiry that could hinder current efforts to address these issues.

“Unfortunately, university campuses have not been immune to the manifestation of this behavior in Australian society,” Sheehy remarked.

He mentioned that since Oct. 7, Universities Australia has been collaborating with its members, parliamentarians, and student groups to respond to cases of antisemitism and Islamophobia.

David Sulucki, director of the Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation at Monash University, echoed Sheehy’s concerns.

“There is a crisis in social cohesion on campuses, making it increasingly challenging for students to engage across cultural, political, and religious divides,” Sulucki stated.

Monash University has initiated a $1 million, two-year research program to explore students’ encounters with antisemitism and Islamophobia, aiming to develop initiatives to enhance social cohesion.

Half of Jewish Students Rate Uni Response as Poor

Erfat Eilam, an associate professor at Victoria University, recently conducted a survey on campus antisemitism.

The results revealed that over a third of Jewish students and staff feel insecure on campuses, and nearly half of Jewish students rated their university’s response to antisemitism as inadequate, giving it a score between zero and two out of ten.

Eilam also highlighted how Jewish students and staff have been subjected to targeting in classrooms by peers and lecturers, with some being singled out, spat on, and told they do not deserve cultural safety.

“Jewish students are reporting decreased class attendance and the need to conceal their identity to feel secure,” Eilam remarked.

She advocated for a judicial inquiry to uncover the extent of antisemitism on campuses, cautioning that current actions were insufficient to safeguard Jewish students and staff.

“Jewish students should not have to choose between their education and their safety,” Loven stated.

“Universities must acknowledge that while not all criticism of Israel is antisemitic, some clearly cross the line.”

Most representatives supported the idea of conducting a judicial inquiry to fully understand the extent of antisemitism and threatening behavior on campuses.

Loven referred to history, warning against normalizing antisemitism in academia.

“We must recall that just a century ago, Harvard restricted the admission of Jews or did not allow them on campus,” he mentioned.

Loven also expressed concerns that universities might be subtly limiting the entry of Jewish students into certain fields like medicine.

Meanwhile, University of Sydney Vice-Chancellor Mark Scott issued an apology in response to accounts by Jewish students and staff, describing the student testimonies as heartbreaking and unacceptable.

“Nobody should feel at risk, unsafe, or unwelcome in any educational setting, and no one should feel the need to hide their identity or stay away from classrooms or campuses,” he asserted.

Criticism of the Human Rights Commission

Jewish leaders have criticized the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) for its perceived lack of urgency in addressing antisemitism since the Oct. 7 attacks.

Alon Cassuto, CEO of the Zionist Federation of Australia, accused the AHRC of neglecting the concerns of the Jewish community.

He recounted how the community reached out to the Commission in May but only received a brief response in June from a junior research assistant, with no further follow-up.

“We have not heard back from them since,” Cassuto stated. “This lack of urgency reflects their ability to handle this nationwide systemic outbreak of antisemitism.”

Peter Wertheim, CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, echoed Cassuto’s concerns, pointing out the limited scope of the Commission, which primarily focuses on anti-discrimination legislation. He called for a broader investigation that could examine university governance and laws.

Wertheim expressed hope that under new leadership, the AHRC might improve its response and also cautioned that time was running out.

“We are hopeful that with new leadership, the situation will be rectified, but it will take time,” Wertheim remarked. “In the interim, we need to act swiftly.”

Despite these concerns, Jewish representatives unanimously called for an urgent judicial inquiry. They argued that only such an inquiry could effectively address the increasing antisemitism and ensure that Jewish students and staff feel secure on campuses once more.