The vice-chancellor of Macquarie University in Sydney was unable to explain why the institution did not take disciplinary action against an academic staff member who posted anti-Semitic comments on social media.
During his recent testimony before a parliamentary committee, Vice-Chancellor S. Bruce Dowton was questioned about what measures the university had taken to address anti-Semitism on campus.
Labor MP Josh Burns, the committee chair, raised concerns about an incident in March 2024 involving Randa Abdel-Fattah, an author and a Macquarie University academic, who declared that “Zionists have no right to cultural safety.”
Zionists are Jews who consider Israel as their Jewish homeland and a central part of their identity.
Abdel-Fattah’s comment was made ahead of an event at the Sydney Opera House featuring hundreds of Jewish artists.
Abdel-Fattah also leaked details of the Jewish artists on social media.
As an Australian-born, Abdel-Fattah has been known for her long-term criticism of Israel and advocacy for Palestinians.
In December 2024, she made a series of comments calling for the end of Israel on social media.
Being Questioned About Disciplinary Action
Burns pressed Dowton on whether the university had taken any disciplinary action against Abdel-Fattah.The vice-chancellor did not give a direct answer but said the university had addressed concerns with its staff.
“In the event that a staff member makes a statement that raises concern, what we would do, and have done, is address that concern with the staff member at the local level in the first instance where conversations would happen, urging them to restrain themselves and to comply with the university’s policy framework,” he said.
“At the same time, we do have … rights and privileges of academic staff around freedom of speech and academic freedom.”
Burns then asked whether any Macquarie staff had been removed due to anti-Semitism, to which Dowton replied “No.”
The vice-chancellor also stated the hearing was not the right place to address the issue and that the university had the right to keep its dealings with staff confidential under current laws.
Burns was not satisfied with the answer and pointed out that Macquarie’s inaction was inconsistent with its claim of not tolerating anti-Semitism.
“You just said the university wants to create a safe space for students. You said that you abhor racism, [and] that you are absolutely in conjunction with the efforts to ensure that students are safe at university, he said.
“And yet you’ve got a staff member who is making comments saying … ‘may 2025 be the end of Israel.’”
Dowton raised the issue that his university was subject to policy framework and contractual obligations with staff members under employment contracts.
“This is the dilemma and the conundrum that my university and every university in Australia finds itself in–the intersection between a range of things which are essentially about social norms and social values, stopping short of the law and what the law demands and our employment contractual arrangements,” he said.
In a new development, Macquarie University has confirmed that it has set up a “safe room” for Jewish students to address their safety concerns.
During an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Dowton revealed that the safe room had high-security features and required a swipe card to access.
