Topics: Inquiry into Commission of Inquiry into Antisemitism at Australian Universities Bill
Cheng Lei: A Senate inquiry today has heard the University of Sydney is one of the worst places to be a Jewish student. It comes as the Coalition calls for a judicial inquiry into antisemitism on university campuses. Joining me live is shadow education minister, Sarah Henderson. Hi there Sarah, thank you for your time, what else have we heard at the Senate inquiry?
Senator Henderson: Lei, terrific to join you. Well, we’ve heard very damning evidence from Jewish students and staff today about their profound distress and fear after spates of shocking antisemitism on various university campuses, with, of course, the University of Sydney being labelled the worst. We’ve also heard from Professor Mark Scott, the vice-chancellor of the University of Sydney, that he has failed Jewish students and staff. He has apologised and, of course, more work is now being done at the university, but I have to say, Lei, this underscores the failure of the Albanese government to show the moral courage to hold universities to account when they have failed. And that’s a really huge issue that education minister, Jason Clare, has not taken the universities on. He has not held them to account, whether it’s allowing children to chant ‘Intifada’ in protests, the barricading of visiting academics in a room by pro-Palestinian protesters. There’s been so many terrible incidents, and so today’s inquiry has been really important in terms of saying, we must ha ve a judicial inquiry into antisemitism at Australian universities.
Cheng Lei: What do you think of the fact that antisemitism has been now seen as somehow anti-establishment as being progressive and liberal, and we’ve even seen some academics support it, you know, to what extent does that play a role in how students are feeling about the Palestine movement?
Senator Henderson: Well the bottom line is, every student, every staff member, every visitor, has a right to be safe on a university campus, there could be no room for any form of antisemitism, just as there can be no room for any form of racism, and Lei, what we have seen at some universities is an appalling failure to keep students and staff safe, the decision to allow these encampments, which were fuelling so much antisemitic hate and incitement week after week, with even the vice- chancellor of Sydney defending the encampment as a legitimate protest. I mean there have just been too many incidents where universities have failed, not just Jewish students and staff, but all students to foster a safe and, importantly, a safe place to learn and a safe place to be, a safe place to visit. And the fact that we really haven’t heard today or understood why Mark Scott failed to take appropriate action when members of the extremist group Hizb ut-Tahrir were on campus and menacing students, is just shocking. I mean, why didn’t the university take the strongest action, enforce its own rules to say we will not tolerate this. So, as I say, a full judicial independent inquiry is necessary. It gives Jewish students and staff a very safe place to tell their stories. They can tell their stories in confidence. Documents can be compelled to be in a place before the commission of inquiry, and it is the appropriate method to ensure that this never happens again, because much work needs to be done and there needs to be a complete overhaul of university policies and procedures.
Cheng Lei: How do you draw the line? How do you balance the need to protect free speech and the right to protest and prevent its abuse?
Senator Henderson: Well, free speech is fundamental. There is no doubt about that. I mean, it’s one of the hallmarks of every university campus, academic free speech. But you cannot cross the line, because when free speech becomes hatred, when it becomes intimidation, when it becomes racial vilification, that is not on. And I think that’s the problem, Lei, that on too many occasions, universities have sat back, argued oh well, this is just free speech when, in fact, these protests were fuelling shocking antisemitic hatred and violence and racial vilification. And so really, I think, a number of universities Sydney, not just Sydney, though, the University of Melbourne, UQ, there have been a number of other universities which have really failed Jewish students and staff. And as I say, we can never see that happen again.
Cheng Lei: We’re also seeing a rise in antisemitism in US colleges, you know, have we had a look at what some of the things that they’re doing?
Senator Henderson: Look we have, and there’s been some evidence, very important evidence, given by the antisemitism envoy, Jillian Segal, she appeared the other day, and of course, she was appointed by the Prime Minister, and she has come out strongly in favour of a judicial inquiry. She says that antisemitism at universities is systemic and it is embedded and there is a crisis. And she specifically pointed to some of the responses of universities in the US, so NYU, Columbia, where they have completely reshaped their policies. So, for instance, one of the code words for Jewish hatred is to use the word Zionist. And we heard evidence today from, frankly, one appalling group that said that to say Zionists are terrorists, is not antisemitic. But so we’ve seen, as I say, other universities who’ve taken very strong action against hate speech, including the use of the word Zionist, which is another word for saying, you know, Jew or someone who’s Israeli, but we haven’t seen the same action here in this country, I will say, though, Monash University did take some strong action in relation to that term. So some universities are being much more responsible than others, but it really does underscore the need for strong action across this country, and that’s why judicial inquiry is so important. And frankly, Lei, that is why education minister, Jason Clare, has got to get his head out of the sand and come to grips with what is happening on university campuses, take a strong stand and support this judicial inquiry.