Best and worst Australian uni responses to antisemitism

Best practice examples of university responses to antisemitism tend to reflect a proactive approach with regard to ensuring that the physical security of Jewish students, academics and staff is safeguarded.

However, even in best practice examples, we note that there is nevertheless a normalisation of antisemitic discourse in such settings.

While these universities have a far better record than many others in Australia, there remains room for improvement. We note that in the case of all universities, there is a failure to properly identify the boundaries of academic freedom and freedom of speech or to give appropriate berth to the fundamental right of freedom from discrimination.

The best performers

Deakin University demonstrated proactive engagement by organising a pre-emptive meeting with AUJS representatives to explain their position and support from a security perspective. The University also took prompt action by positioning campus patrol units near Jewish events and verbally telling protestors to leave before any other university did. Additionally, the SafeZone app was an effective incident-reporting tool that gave Jewish students a reliable resource for reporting incidents.

It does bear noting that we also understand that some members of the community have lodged complaints through the Safer Communities Act regarding serious incidents and discourse, including the spitting on Jewish students by prominent individuals associated with the encampment and anti-Israel protests. To our knowledge, these complaints have not been responded to or addressed.

University of New South Wales (UNSW) collaboration with AUJS has been notably effective, particularly in managing protests and ensuring Jewish students' safety during these events. The University's commitment to preventing encampments and maintaining a strong security presence during protests has reassured Jewish students. While there have been some reported incidents of antisemitism as well as some incidents that remain confidential, the UNSW administration has generally been proactive and has considered its responses.