Jewish student and staff unions have called for a judicial inquiry into rising antisemitism on Australian university campuses since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks.
Noah Loven, a representative from the Australian Union of Jewish Students, urged the Senate committee chaired by Labor Senator Nita Green to recognise the severity of the situation. He warned that antisemitism is becoming entrenched due to universities’ failure to address the issue.
“Jewish students are avoiding campus, fearing for their safety, with many removing identifiable Jewish symbols,” Loven said, calling the situation “untenable” and urging universities to take immediate action.
The Oct. 7 Hamas attack, the deadliest assault on Jews since the Holocaust, killed approximately 1,200 Israelis. In retaliation, Israel’s counteroffensive has reportedly resulted in over 41,000 Palestinian deaths, according to the Hamas-controlled Gaza health ministry.
This surge in violence has exacerbated tensions, both globally and within Australia, and Jewish students are 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 evacuated from his office by security after students identified him.
He expressed concern over the potential effect such actions could have on other staff members, particularly those less senior, who may feel they can no longer collaborate with Israeli colleagues without fear of reprisal.
Universities Report Surge In Antisemitism, Islamophobia
Luke Sheehy, CEO of Universities Australia, acknowledged the rising cases of both antisemitism and Islamophobia on university campuses but argued that a judicial inquiry could hinder ongoing efforts to combat these issues.“Sadly, university campuses have not been immune to the materialisation of this behaviour in Australian society,” Sheehy said.
He said that since Oct. 7, Universities Australia has been working with its members, parliamentarians, and student groups to respond to incidents of antisemitism and Islamophobia.
David Sulucki, director of the Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation at Monash University, echoed Sheehy’s concerns.
“There’s a crisis in social cohesion on campuses, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult for students to engage across cultural, political, and religious divides,” Sulucki said.
Half of Jewish Students Rate Uni Response as Poor
Erfat Eilam, an associate professor at Victoria University, recently conducted a survey on campus antisemitism.Results revealed that more than a third of Jewish students and staff report feeling unsafe on campuses, and nearly 50 percent of Jewish students rated their university’s response to antisemitism as poor, scoring it between zero and two out of ten.
Eilam also highlighted how Jewish students and staff have been targeted in classrooms by both peers and lecturers, with some being singled out, spat on, and told they have no right to cultural safety.
“Jewish students are reporting reduced class attendance and the need to hide their identity to feel safe,” Eilam said.
She advocated for a judicial inquiry to uncover the extent of antisemitism on campuses, warning that current measures were insufficient to protect Jewish students and staff.
“Jewish students should not have to choose between their education and their safety,” Loven said.
“Universities must recognise that while not all criticism of Israel is antisemitic, some clearly crosses the line.”
Most representatives supported holding a judicial inquiry to uncover the full extent of antisemitism and threatening behaviour on campuses.
Loven referenced the past, warning of the dangers of normalising antisemitism in academia.
“We need to remember that only 100 years ago, Harvard didn’t allow Jews, or they restricted the number of Jews admitted to the campus,” he said.
Loven also expressed concerns that universities could potentially be subtly limiting the number of Jewish students entering certain fields, such as medicine.
Meanwhile University of Sydney Vice-Chancellor Mark Scott apologised in response to accounts by Jewish students and staff, calling the student testimonials heartbreaking and unacceptable.
“No one should feel at risk, unsafe, or unwelcome at any place of learning, and no one should feel the need to hide their identity or stay away from classrooms or campuses,” he said.
Criticism of the Human Rights Commission
Jewish leaders have criticised the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) for its perceived lack of urgency in responding to antisemitism since the Oct. 7 attacks.Alon Cassuto, CEO of the Zionist Federation of Australia, accused the AHRC of neglecting the Jewish community’s concerns.
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 follow-up.
“We haven’t heard from them since,” Cassuto said. “This lack of urgency is indicative of their capacity to deal with this national systemic eruption of antisemitism.”
Peter Wertheim, CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, echoed Cassuto’s concerns, citing the Commission’s limited remit which is largely focused on anti-discrimination legislation. He called for a broader investigation that could examine university governance and laws.
Wertheim expressed hope that AHRC’s leadership might improve its response and also cautioned that time was running out.
“We have some hope that under new leadership, the situation will be repaired, but it will take time,” Wertheim said. “In the interim, we need to act quickly.”
Despite these concerns, Jewish representatives were unanimous in their call for an urgent judicial inquiry. They argued that only such an inquiry could adequately address the rising antisemitism and ensure that Jewish students and staff feel safe on campuses once again.
