Jewish students demand action on antisemitism

The peak body for Jewish university students has called for immediate implementation of a parliamentary inquiry’s recommendations on campus antisemitism.

The Australasian Union of Jewish Students (AUJS) warned on Thursday that failure to act will see hatred persist throughout Australian society. Speaking at a press conference at Parliament House, AUJS co-president Danielle Tischmann welcomed the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights report while expressing frustration at universities’ past inaction.

“It should not have taken a parliamentary inquiry to get a straight answer on what universities are doing to address antisemitism,” she said. “We raised our legitimate concerns, we made reasonable requests, and yet this inquiry has made one thing abundantly clear – we were not listened to.”

Committee Chair Josh Burns, MP for Macnamara, criticised universities’ varied responses to antisemitism concerns.

“Some have been pretty good, but on too many occasions, university vice chancellors and leadership have ignored the calls of Jewish students. They ignored the calls of Jewish staff. They’ve ignored incidents of clear antisemitism on campus,” he said.

Burns particularly condemned the Australian National University’s “inadequate” response to recent incidents, including an alleged Nazi salute.

“I have no idea what [a ‘superficial Nazi salute’] means. It’s either a Nazi salute or it’s not. And frankly, the engagement with the university at the hearing and subsequently has been inadequate,” he said.

Tischmann emphasised AUJS’s readiness to work with university administrations but insisted real change must follow.

“This cannot be another report that sits on a shelf. We are eager to work with university administrations and government to implement these recommendations,” she said.

“This is an opportunity to reset the tone of our conversations with one another. This is an opportunity to put out the fire and throw its ashes and rebuild a society cemented in the principles that unite us as Australians, and that starts with our students,” she said.

Burns said over half of Jewish students had been hiding their identity on campus, while two-thirds have experienced antisemitism. Nearly a quarter were avoiding campus altogether – and this was before October 7, 2023.

“That is why we had to spend summer working on this report, in order to give universities the tools and the direction in order to make changes,” Burns said. “Each and every Jewish student and all students on campus must feel safe.”

The report recommends immediate changes including revised complaints processes, mandatory meetings between vice-chancellors and Jewish students and staff, and antisemitism awareness training for university personnel.

The Student Ombudsman will review implementation over the next 12 months, with Burns indicating that further options, including a judicial inquiry, remain on the table if universities fail to act.

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