ANU student asked to show death certificates to prove relatives died in Gaza, royal commission hears | Royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion

An Australian National University student whose relatives were allegedly killed by the Israel Defense Forces in Gaza was asked to produce death certificates to get an exam extension, a royal commission into antisemitism has heard.

Lawyer Yasser Bakri, representing the Australian Palestine Advocacy Network, asked ANU provost Prof Joan Leach about a case in which a student requested more time for assessment due to deaths. Bakri told the commission on Thursday that the student was told by his superior that he needed to obtain evidence.

Leach said he was unaware of the incident but that the staff’s reaction was inappropriate.

The fourth hearings at the royal commission into antisemitism and social cohesion are examining the lived experiences of Jewish students and academics, including the response of universities.

Leach also denied that the university had “lost control” of its campus to a pro-Palestinian camp. An internal security review found the camp had a “high” psychosocial risk rating.

Students camped on university grounds in April 2024 in solidarity with Palestinians during the Israel-Gaza war, and the group targeted the university’s connections to arms manufacturers.

The workplace inspection was completed in October 2024. The direct and permanent psychosocial risks of the camp were found to be high.

“There is now a procedure in place to ensure that security knows what to do in the event of a camp-like protest,” Leach said.

Asked whether the ANU had “essentially lost control”, Leach said he “wouldn’t describe it that way”.

“But I think at that point there were concerns about risks to students and people in the university community,” he said.

“Security services at the university know many of the students and staff and were very active in engaging with the camp to ensure they were constantly monitoring what was going on.

“And again, to encourage students who want to leave or perhaps fall under peer pressure to do so.”

The ANU attempted to break up the camp on multiple occasions, with a dispute over electricity and lights ending in the evening. This statement comes on the heels of the university’s announcement that it “will not invest in controversial arms manufacturers and civilian small arms manufacturers.”

Leach was also asked about the university’s investigations into an alleged Nazi salute at a student union meeting.

The alleged salute received widespread media coverage after video footage was released allegedly showing a student making what appeared to be a Nazi salute and another student imitating a Hitler moustache.

Approximately 500 people attended the ANU Student Association meeting in question in May 2024. A student has been removed from an online meeting, which featured discussions about ANU’s ongoing pro-Palestinian camp and Jewish students’ experiences on campus, for his behavior.

In the case of the alleged mustache gesture, the investigator determined it was a “commonly performed” gesture to cover a facial feature the student was uncomfortable with, Leach said. The investigation also revealed that the Nazi salute was not given.

“In the alleged greeting incident, the video was shot during the General Assembly. Unfortunately, it was not fully reflected in the video,” he said. “It’s very difficult to understand what’s going on.

“During the investigation, other students were asked how they interpreted the gesture, and students responded that it was not a Nazi salute. A lengthy interview and investigation took place. There was good reason to believe that a salute would be quite contrary.” [to that person]. So no irregularities were detected.”