Camp Shalom: a Jewish response to pro-Palestinian encampments

The past few months have been a challenging and surreal experience for Jewish students and staff on campus.

Since the start of the semester, there has been an alarming increase in posters, flyers and protest events responding to the Israel-Hamas war. From aggressive chanting of ‘from the river to the sea’, to speeches that equate Zionism with racism and colonialism, and most concerningly, calls to ‘globalise the intifada’.

University of Queensland (UQ), where I study, was one of the universities across Australia to become home to a pro-Palestinian encampment.

I never imagined I would feel threatened or targeted in Australia simply because I was Jewish and Israeli, especially in an education setting where I am meant to be kept safe. But that is how I have felt as a UQ student in recent weeks.

Built against a backdrop of hostility against Jewish staff and students, the Students for Palestine’s encampment demanded UQ remove weapons companies from campus; disclose all ties with Israeli companies and universities; and divest from companies complicit in genocide.

The Gaza encampment at UQ is not genuinely aimed at helping Palestinian people or resolving the conflict. An installation at its entrance proudly shows a map of ‘Palestine’ that entirely omits Israel.

At one point, the flag of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a designated terrorist organisation, was hung. Some UQ students expressed support for Hamas, with comments on social media and during protests declaring their willingness to join the terrorist organisation.