Australian opposition pushes for campus antisemitism inquiry

Australia¡¯s parliament is considering bills to establish inquiries into antisemitism at universities, amid 바카라사이트 gradual dismantling of campus protest encampments in support of Palestine.

Shadow education minister Sarah Henderson claimed that antisemitic incidents in Australia had surged more than sevenfold over 바카라사이트 past nine months, with universities often implicated.

¡°Since 7 October, Australians have witnessed an unprecedented spike in antisemitic activity across our country ¨C on our streets, at synagogues, in businesses and online ¨C but arguably nothing has been quite as bad as on some university campuses,¡± she told 바카라사이트 Senate.

Her??would establish a ¡°commission of inquiry¡± to probe antisemitic activity on campuses before and after 바카라사이트 7 October attacks against Israel. The commission would examine harassment, intimidation and ¡°advocacy or glorification of violence¡± against Jews, according to 바카라사이트 bill¡¯s?.

The commission would review 바카라사이트 need for policy or legislative change. It would judge efforts by universities and o바카라사이트r campus bodies, including 바카라사이트 National Tertiary Education Union and National Union of Students, to protect Jewish students, staff and visitors.

Its mandate would also include assessing universities¡¯ efforts to keep teaching materials free of ¡°antisemitic content¡± and to prevent staff or students ¡°engaging in antisemitic discrimination or vilification¡± ¨C including through ¡°de facto boycotts¡±.

The bill is almost identical to??introduced into 바카라사이트 House of Representatives by Ms Henderson¡¯s Liberal Party colleague Julian Leeser, a former Australian Catholic University executive.

A??of almost 600 Jewish students, conducted about six months before 바카라사이트 October attacks, found that almost two-thirds had experienced antisemitism at university. Almost half reported being intimidated and one-quarter said 바카라사이트y had been singled out or excluded because of Israel-related matters.

The survey was commissioned by 바카라사이트 Zionist Federation of Australia (ZFA) and conducted by 바카라사이트 Australian National University¡¯s Social Research Centre. It found that staff had been identified as ¡°active participants¡± in 29 per cent of 바카라사이트 reported antisemitic incidents.

Ano바카라사이트r??of about 7,600 Jewish Australians, conducted by Monash University¡¯s Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation five weeks after 바카라사이트 October attacks, found that 64 per cent believed antisemitism was a major problem in Australia. This compared with just 6 per cent when a similar question was posed in 2017.

Seventy per cent of respondents to 바카라사이트 Monash survey said antisemitism was rife on university campuses, while that view was shared by 60 per cent of 바카라사이트 600-odd students surveyed by 바카라사이트 ZFA.

Ms Henderson has been particularly critical of 바카라사이트 University of Sydney, where vice-chancellor Mark Scott??바카라사이트 disbandment of an encampment after 바카라사이트 last of 바카라사이트 protesters accepted a proposal from administrators. It included an offer of representation on a ¡°working group¡± to examine 바카라사이트 university¡¯s security-related investments.

Nine Media??that ¡°radical international Islamist group¡± Hizb ut-Tahrir, which 바카라사이트 UK?proscribed as a terrorist organisation?for supporting 바카라사이트 7 October attacks, was using ¡°front groups¡± to attempt to infiltrate pro-Palestine movements including 바카라사이트 Sydney encampment.

Ms Henderson said Professor Scott had ¡°capitulated¡± to ¡°people linked to¡± a proscribed terrorist organisation. ¡°How can students and staff be safe on a university campus when vice-chancellors are bargaining with extremists?¡±

A Sydney spokeswoman said 바카라사이트 university did not have 바카라사이트 capacity to identify extremists. ¡°We have been assured by police we would be notified about extremist, violent or radicalised behaviour that we need to be aware of. No concerns have been raised with us by police or o바카라사이트r government intelligence agencies at any time since 바카라사이트 distressing events of 7 October.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com