More anti-Semitic graffiti at Adelaide Uni

TWO more incidents of anti-Semitic graffiti have been found on campus at the University of Adelaide.

In a letter to Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) executive director Peter Wertheim, vice-chancellor and president Professor Warren Bebbington reported that the graffiti was “near identical” to that found earlier this month during O-Week.

In that incident, a campus sign had been defaced with the slogan “No Jew world order” next to a Star of David containing the number 666.

Bebbington said the new graffiti was immediately removed.

“This appears to have been an isolated incident,” he said.

“We increased our surveillance across the entire campus grounds, with support from SA [South Australian] Police, but thus far nothing further has been detected.

“I want to reassure you no form of racism or discrimination is condoned here. The campus is a place of tolerance, where we expect individual differences of race or belief to be respected and standards of civility maintained as a fundamental part of our community.”

Wertheim praised the vice-chancellor for his handling of the matter.

“Professor Bebbington is to be commended for the thoroughness and promptness of Adelaide University’s response to the appearance of anti-Semitic graffiti on its campus, and for working closely with the Adelaide Jewish community, AUJS and the police to remove the graffiti and try to identify the perpetrators,” he told The AJN.

“It is a model that other universities can and should emulate.

“Racist graffiti does not even begin to qualify as a legitimate exercise of the right of free speech. It is vandalism and incitement to hatred.”

Wertheim also thanked Bebbington personally via a return letter: “Your swift and unequivocal response and that of your university’s spokespeople have sent a clear message to the perpetrators, and more importantly, students in general, that racism has no place in civilised society.

“We therefore wish to thank you for your leadership.”

GARETH NARUNSKY

ECAJ executive director Peter Wertheim.