Students describe abuse and institutional failure

Jewish university students have told the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion they were called “baby killers”, physically assaulted, subjected to Nazi salutes in classrooms and forced to hide their identities on campus, in two days of testimony that painted a picture of systemic failure across the Australian university sector.

The commission’s fourth hearing block, focused on universities, heard from students and staff across Monash, Deakin, the University of Sydney, UQ, ANU, UNSW and the University of Melbourne, describing escalating hostility that worsened sharply after October 7, 2023.

Data presented to the commission underscored the scale of the problem. AHRC president Hugh de Kretser gave evidence that 89.1 per cent of Jewish respondents to a major national university survey reported experiencing racism, among the highest of any group, yet only six per cent who experienced direct racism lodged a formal complaint.

Former Deakin tutor Yotam Barazani told the commission he attended a pro-Palestinian encampment in May 2024 carrying a sign reading, “I want peace for all. Let’s talk.” He was shoved off a stage and injured. Police said there was insufficient evidence to act, and a misconduct committee dismissed all allegations without informing him. He has not returned to campus in more than 18 months.

“The whole point of me being there was to show Jewish students it’s okay to be here,” he said. “And that day just proved the opposite.”