Academic Reports Nazi Salutes in Class
A UNSW academic testified before the royal commission into antisemitism and social cohesion that four students performed Nazi salutes towards him during a business class for international students in 2024. The tutor and PhD candidate, referred to as ACJ, said his grandparents had survived the Holocaust and that the gesture felt like a death threat.
He reported the incident to his supervisors, noting it was a crime, and intended to go to the police. The students were initially issued a formal warning and later suspended after NSW police conducted an investigation.
Jewish Students Share Experiences
Another witness, appearing as Liat, moved to Canberra in 2022 to study at the Australian National University (ANU) and described herself as proudly Zionist. After the 7 October 2023 terrorist attack, she said she lost most of her non-Jewish friends, including being told at a university event, 'we're not friends any more, you're a Zionist.' She described being called a 'baby killer' and 'genocide supporter' by students involved in ANU's pro-Palestine encampment.
Michael Gencher, executive director of StandWithUs Australia, said he witnessed Jewish students at a university cafe being called 'baby killers' in mid-2024. He noted a significant increase in university responsiveness to antisemitism allegations since the Bondi massacre in December, but added that some Jewish students have stopped attending campuses due to safety concerns.
Identity Concealment and Lecturer Bias
A postgraduate Jewish and Israeli student at a Melbourne university, using the pseudonym ACL, said she never felt the need to hide her identity until after the 7 October attacks. She decided not to wear her Magen David on campus for the first time. 'Every time I went to class, I would quite literally strip myself of my Jewish identity,' she said. In one instance, a lecturer described a scholar as a 'good Jew' because they 'weren't a Zionist.'
Debate on Antisemitism and Free Speech
Counsel assisting the royal commission, Zelie Heger SC, said a recurring theme was Jewish staff and students being assumed to take a particular position on the Middle East, despite diverse views. Yasmine Johnson, a co-convener for Students for Palestine who is Jewish, argued that Zionism is a 'racist project' and that the primary concern in a democracy should not be whether someone's feelings are hurt.
Hugh de Kretser, president of the Australian Human Rights Commission, said there had been a 'surge in racism' since 7 October 2023 towards Jewish, Palestinian, and Islamic communities. He noted that the AHRC's Respect at Uni report found racism was 'systemic' on campuses and that denying opportunities, racial harassment, abuse, and threats are clear forms of racism.
University Requirements and Legal Standards
Australian universities will be required to adopt definitions of antisemitism, Islamophobia, and racism towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from next year under a legally enforceable standard designed to combat discrimination on campuses.
