Published: 30 September 2026
Last updated: 30 September 2026
The University of Sydney has promised to review security, student groups and codes of conduct after the University Student Representative Council allowed a ‘Globalise the Intifada’ ticket for last week’s student election.
The decision follows complaints from the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, New South Wales Board of Deputies, Australian Union of Jewish Students, Australian Academic Alliance Against Antisemitism and the university Jewish chaplaincy.
University of Sydney Chancellor David Thodey and Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Mark Scott issued a statement promising the review and stating that disciplinary investigations were against students involved in the campaign.
“The University of Sydney Student Representative Council’s decision to allow a ‘Globalise the Intifada’ ticket for last week’s election was totally unacceptable.
“We reject the contention that this phrase is innocuous. The deliberately provocative use of this slogan has caused – and continues to cause – overwhelming distress to members of our University community. These hateful campaigns must stop.
“It is intolerable that any public events and activities at the University of Sydney should lead to an apprehension of violence, leaving staff and students feeling uneasy or unsafe on campus,” Thodey and Scott said in a statement.
The independent review will consider matters arising from the campaign including:,
- A review of campus security, involving police and federal intelligence and counter-terrorism agencies
- An assessment of the affiliation and funding arrangements for student representative groups to ensure compliance with legal, regulatory, and psychosocial safety requirements
- An assessment of t staff and student codes of conduct “to ensure they adequately reflect our commitment to a safe and welcoming environment, in which there is no place for harassment, victimisation or intimidation”.
