Universities failing Jews on campus
"There are far too many influential academics for whom their social construct is stuck in an us and them mode, with no greys in between", says David Knoll.
The Australian Academic Alliance Against Antisemitism (5A) has called for fundamental cultural change at Australian universities.
Following the release of the report of the parliamentary inquiry into antisemitism on Australian university campuses, the organisation has warned that Jewish safety remains dangerously overlooked on campus.
5A Director, Associate Adjunct Professor David Knoll told The AJN, “The evidence that I’ve seen so far suggests to me that the safety of Jewish students and academics is not a priority for university administrations in Australia.
He identified two critical factors perpetuating antisemitism in higher education: entrenched prejudice among influential academics and a lack of accountability for university administrations.
“There are far too many influential academics for whom their social construct is stuck in an us and them mode, with no greys in between. And for those academics, Jews are always ‘Them’,” Knoll explained.
“Secondly, university administrations have not been compelled to take antisemitism seriously, and until they are compelled to do so, it is unlikely that they will.”
Knoll described the claims made by some Vice Chancellors to the inquiry that enterprise agreements require universities to permit academics to engage in antisemitic racial vilification as a pretence of academic freedom.
“There really can be no excuse for universities permitting their employees to engage in racial vilification of any kind” Knoll said.
5A continues to advocate for a judicial inquiry to fully investigate the scope of campus antisemitism, a position also supported by the Australian Government’s Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism.
Knoll believes that the current situation undermines the fundamental purpose of universities as places of universal learning and safety.
“If it is not possible for a Jewish student or academic to be safe in any part of a university environment, then universities have failed in a fundamental duty,” he said.
“In other words, it is a place of learning, but not universal.”
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