Anti-Semitism a ‘complex’ issue on university campuses
Identifying Jew hatred on university campuses is an unsolved challenge, experts have warned the royal commission investigating antisemitism.
Australian Human Rights Commission chairman Hugh de Kretser was among several witnesses who mocked the distinction before the inquiry body on Monday.
It was the first day of a series of hearings in Melbourne exploring the experiences of Jewish students and academics, including their institutions’ efforts to combat hate.
Mr. de Kretser said distinguishing between legitimate criticism of Israel and anti-Semitism can be “complicated.”
“There are public debates about where to draw the line on criticism of Israel, where it is racism or anti-Semitism,” he said.
“If you deny people opportunities, if you racially harass them, if you exploit them, if you threaten them, that’s racism.”
But he said the university environment has “unique aspects” and complexities in determining what constitutes anti-Semitic when considering academic freedoms.
“I think the way anti-Semitism spreads, the way anti-Palestinian racism and Islamophobia plays out in Australia creates certain tensions in certain sectors.”
Professor Josh Keller, representing the Australian Academic Alliance Against Anti-Semitism, said critics of the Netanyahu government were not necessarily anti-Semitic.
“I share some of these criticisms,” he said.
But he said anti-Semitism occurs when prejudice extends to “the way people talk, feel or act about Jewish people living in Israel.”
He talked about a sticker on a college campus that featured the Star of David and said “we stand with baby killers.”
“When you call a group of people baby killers, not only is that not true, it’s referring to the most immoral act a person can do,” he said.
He argued that the complexity of antisemitism meant that it required its own basket of legal protections, unlike other forms of defamation.
The royal commission is using the week to focus on anti-Semitism and other hate issues in university settings, including questioning the intersection between criticism of Israel and Jewish students who feel unsafe.
From Monday, the government will strengthen university governance standards, including requiring institutions to adopt anti-racism standards that include definitions of anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and racism towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
