Talking about campus hate

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Shadow Education Minister, Senator Sarah Henderson has convened round tables of Jewish university students, staff and community leaders in Melbourne and Sydney.

“Students and academics shared terrible stories of intimidation, harassment and threats to their safety. The failure to protect Jewish students and staff … is particularly bad at the University of Sydney,” Henderson said. “USyd’s failure to uphold codes of conduct and shut down the encampment has emboldened the activists.”

Henderson slammed Education Minister Jason Clare for failing to condemn the ‘teach-in’ organised by Macquarie University academic Randa Abdel-Fattah at USyd, where young children were handed a megaphone to chant “intifada”.

“The Albanese government’s failure to take any action against antisemitism at Australian universities not only betrays the Jewish community, but fuels division across our nation,” Henderson said.

“There must also be the most serious consequences for students who endorse terrorist groups such as Hamas, including possible expulsion, as occurred this week at Australian National University.”

Henderson was referring to two student organisers of an anti-Israel protest camp at the ANU, Beatrice Tucker and Luke Harrison, who declared that Hamas “deserve our unconditional support”.

Hayley Southwick represented the Jewish Community Council of Victoria (JCCV) at the Melbourne round table and said Henderson has been “incredible standing up against what has been happening on university campuses”.

Meanwhile, co-chairs of the Parliamentary Friends of International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), Allegra Spender MP and Josh Burns MP, met with a group of AUJS representatives in Sydney last Friday.

One major concern that came up in the meeting was the normalisation of violent slogans and language on campus. “We know that the encampments are predominantly made up of non-students, and universities should take a zero tolerance to anyone not from the university harassing or vilifying students,” Burns said.

Spender said: “Since October 7, antisemitism on university campuses has reached alarming levels. I have spoken to many students who have recounted terrible instances of antisemitism. Many of them are no longer attending university and are hiding their Jewish identity.”