Jewish Academics Targeted by Antisemitism: Boston University and Queensland University of Technology

29.01.25

Editorial Note

Two cases of Antisemitism in academia deserve attention.

In August 2024, B’nai B’rith International, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, global Jewry, and human rights, sponsored a three-day exhibition in City Hall Plaza in Boston. The exhibition simulated the experiences of Israeli hostages in the Hamas tunnels in Gaza. It included audio footage from body cameras worn by Hamas terrorists. Douglas Hauer-Gilad, a human rights lawyer and adjunct professor at the Boston University School of Law, organized the exhibition.  He told Jewish media, “We wanted to increase awareness and amplify visibility of the hostages… Time is of the essence… We need to bring the hostages home now.” 

This was not Hauer-Gilad‘s foray into the Gaza War.  In February 2024, the Boston University Students for Justice in Palestine led a march in protest, calling for a cease-fire in Gaza and the divestment of BU funding from companies supporting Israel. When one of the pro-Israel students wrote a complaint about hearing threatening chants from protesters, Hauer-Gilad came to help him and asked, “is that chanting From the River to Sea going on still and where? Please contact me at dhauer@bu.edu if it occurs. I am adjunct faculty at the Law School. If there is any threatening chanting, please be in touch with me and I will personally raise it with President Freeman. All dialogue must remain civil despite any passions.”

However, earlier this week, Hauer-Gilad published a post on Facebook stating, “On January 5, 2025, I was forced to resign from adjunct teaching at Boston University School of Law. I was the target of antisemitism- driven by the very top – on account of my Israeli nationality and because I spoke out against violent social media targeting Jews. I wish Boston University School of Law well. My hope is that leadership across BU engages in a genuine way with antisemitism. In my case, the degree to which I was singled out for especially aggressive treatment by people involved in ‘Inclusion’ at BU is indicative of a culture that does not want Jews around, unless the buy into an anti-Israel narrative. No matter that I helped at-risk students all the time. Irrelevant that for 8 years I taught without any student complaint. I was stripped of all rights, and statements were made to me implying I was violent for merely speaking out about a BU insider who teaches at another school, for her violent tweets (attached). I was exonerated but the damage is done. We are at the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. This is a solemn marker for humanity. The fact that I faced targeted, aggressive, and damaging antisemitism at Boston University School of Law, 80 years after Auschwitz’s liberation, is astounding. I was targeted for refusing to be silent. I will never be silent (as all of my friends of course know).”

Hauer-Gilad explained he was speaking out about a BU insider who teaches at another school, for her violent tweets, which he attached. The two tweets by Sahar Aziz, who wrote on January 18, 2024, “Three Palestinian American college students were shot because Zionists are flaming Islamophobia by accusing Muslims Arabs and Palestinians of supporting terrorism. Blood is on their hands.” Her second tweet was from October 2023, “Enough! Turns out she wasn’t ‘paraded naked’ but was taken to hospital! Turns out there were no rapes or ‘beheaded babies’! Israel & its MSM accomplices are making up so many outrageous lies to distract from its carnage in Gaza! 900 Gazans killed, inc 260 kids & 230 women!”

IAM will report on the Hauer-Gilad case in due course.

The second antisemitic incident occurred in Australia when Jewish professor Yoni Nazarathy, a lecturer in artificial intelligence at the University of Queensland, attended a “National Symposium on Unifying Anti-Racist Research and Action” at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT). Nazarathy said that many fellow attendees stood up during the symposium and yelled “shame” in his direction. “It was a coordinated humiliation. All I could do is sit there and try to exit respectfully.” The abuse happened after attendees were shown an image titled “Dutton’s Jew” at a “comedy debate” hosted by Sarah Schwartz, the executive officer of the pro-Palestinian Jewish Council of Australia. Ms Schwartz accused Peter Dutton, the Opposition Leader, of “hiding behind the Jewish community to promote a right-wing agenda.” In response, QUT vice-chancellor Margaret Sheil apologized for the “significant offense” caused by an anti-racism conference that ridiculed “Dutton’s Jew.”

Antisemitism in Australia is growing fast. Recently, the government has held an “Inquiry into Antisemitism at Australian Universities.” Hugh de Kretser, President of the Australian Human Rights Commission, spoke to the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights on January 22, 2025. He said, “Antisemitism is an insidious form of racism and hatred. It has no place in Australia. Antisemitism harms individuals and communities… The focus of this inquiry is on responding to the rise in antisemitism at Australian universities. Antisemitism in universities is connected to broader antisemitism in our communities and neighborhoods. Universities exist to promote learning and thinking, the exchange of ideas and the development of people and communities. Essential to these objectives is fostering a culture of respect and inclusion and ensuring safety and freedom from discrimination for all students and staff. Also essential is ensuring universities are places where ideas can be questioned and different views can be respectfully shared.” He said they released an Interim Report last month, but the final report is due in June.  

IAM will report a follow-up on these two cases in due course.

REFERENCES:

Douglas Hauer-Gilad

26 January 2025

On January 5, 2025, I was forced to resign from adjunct teaching at Boston University School of Law. I was the target of antisemitism- driven by the very top – on account of my Israeli nationality and because I spoke out against violent social media targeting Jews.

I wish Boston University School of Law well. My hope is that leadership across BU engages in a genuine way with antisemitism.

In my case, the degree to which I was singled out for especially aggressive treatment by people involved in “Inclusion” at BU is indicative of a culture that does not want Jews around, unless the buy into an anti-Israel narrative.

No matter that I helped at-risk students all the time. Irrelevant that for 8 years I taught without any student complaint.

I was stripped of all rights, and statements were made to me implying I was violent for merely speaking out about a BU insider who teaches at another school, for her violent tweets (attached).

I was exonerated but the damage is done.

We are at the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. This is a solemn marker for humanity.

The fact that I faced targeted, aggressive, and damaging antisemitism at Boston University School of Law, 80 years after Auschwitz’s liberation, is astounding.

I was targeted for refusing to be silent.

I will never be silent (as all of my friends of course know).

#Israel

#Democracy

#POTUS

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Students protest for BU to divest, call for cease-fire in Gaza

February 20, 2024 8:55 am by George Lehman and Leia Green

Student protesters called for a cease-fire in Gaza and the divestment of BU funding from companies supporting Israel.

Boston University Students for Justice in Palestine led the protest, which marched from Marsh Chapel to 1 Silber Way.

“This protest is mainly directed towards increasing the call for divestment from our university endowment from companies or investments that are complicit in supporting the Israeli government or the State of Israel,” said Faisal Ahmed, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences and member of BU Students for Justice in Palestine. 

BU SJP recently wrote a letter to Jon Webster, director of dining, and Paul Riel, associate vice president for auxiliary services, demanding that the university divest from Sabra products.

“Serving Sabra’s products on campus contributed to their monetary support of colonial violence in occupied territories as Sabra’s profits go directly to Israeli settler oppression,” BU SJP wrote in the letter.  

In an Instagram post, BU SJP said the protest Friday also came in response to Israel’s recent bombardment of the city of Rafah, where more than 1.3 million Palestinians are seeking refuge, according to CNN.

Israel’s defense minister announced that Israel is planning a military offensive in Rafah, despite concerns among the international community regarding the safety of the Palestinians currently residing in the southern Gaza city, according to the Associated Press

“Boston University is complicit in the genocide through investments, entanglements with the Israeli financial system and Israeli companies on campus,” said Steven Macawili, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences. “Boston University should immediately divest [from] any financial connections with Israel and the apartheid regime.”  

Macawilli said he believes BU should “take active steps” in protecting the free speech of students. 

“We’re protesting the response by Boston University [and] the lack of support for Palestinian, Arab and Muslim students,” Macawili said.

BU Students for Israel Co-President David Kotton, a junior in CAS, said “there are a limited number of pockets of hope”  regarding the student dialogue on campus. He said that to him, the political climate of campus is “one of exhaustion and frustration” for Jewish and pro-Israel peers who are “tired of hearing these things.”

“I’m certainly hoping that the working groups on antisemitism and Jewish life, as well as Islamophobia, hopefully come up with something productive,” Kotton said.

Ahmed claimed there is a lack of “direct ways” for Palestinian, Muslim and Arab students to get support at BU. 

“The protests have enabled us to have conversations and demonstrate,” Ahmed said. “They’re also incredibly effective for the population that feels kind of powerless right now.”

BU Student Health Services began the Arab & Muslim Students Support Group this February which was promoted in an Instagram post by BU SJP as “a safe space for students identifying as Arab, Arab-American, Biracial, and Muslim to discuss their experiences related to their ethnic, racial, cultural, and religious identities.”

Some protesters said BU should be more explicit in their support for Palestinians.

“I don’t feel like we’re setting the bar really high,” Ahmed said. “We’re just saying internationally recognized human rights … those things ought to be respected.” 

Sophia Pinto Thomas, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences, said it is critical to help “people all over the world whose voices are not being heard or who are suffering.”

“I think it’s really important that campuses and college students show up to things like this and know about things like this,” Pinto Thomas said. “This is the world that we are young leaders in and it’s important to show commitment and solidarity for people everywhere.”

2 Comments

  1. David Kotton CAS ’25February 22, 2024 at 2:30 pmThanks for reporting on this. I want to add some context to my claim that Jewish and pro-Israel students are “tired of hearing these things.” By “these things,” I mean SJP’s deeply troubling chants, specifically:“From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”
    “Globalize the intifada”
    “We don’t want a two state, we want ’48”So many students across campus are frustrated by the “river to the sea” chant, a call for the elimination of the Jewish state. “Globalize the intifada” promotes a globalization of the violence of the First and Second Intifadas.“We don’t want a two state, we want ’48” is the most troubling chant yet. SJP wants the Jewish state to be wiped off the map and return to a pre-1948 world. Any student of history knows what a pre-1948 world looked like for world Jewry.Thank you for this article, Leia and George. Just wanted to add some context to my claims.
  2. Douglas HauerFebruary 25, 2024 at 1:37 pmDavid is that chanting From the River to Sea going on still and where? Please contact me at dhauer@bu.edu if it occurs. I am adjunct faculty at the Law School. If there is any threatening chanting, please be in touch with me and I will personally raise it with President Freeman. All dialogue must remain civil despite any passions. Doug Hauer

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https://www.jns.org/multimedia-tunnel-exhibit-in-boston-offers-glimpse-of-experiences-of-hostages-in-gaza/

Multimedia tunnel exhibit in Boston offers ‘glimpse’ of experiences of hostages in Gaza

Some 1,200 people signed up to see the installation, B’nai B’rith International said.

David Swindle
A B’nai B’rith International-sponsored exhibition in Boston simulating the experiences of hostages in Gazan tunnels in August 2024. Credit: B’nai B’rith.

(Aug. 22, 2024 / JNS)

Some 1,200 people signed up to visit a multimedia tunnel exhibition on City Hall Plaza in Boston that simulates the experiences of hostages whom Hamas continues to hold underground in Gaza.

The exhibit, which ran for three days earlier this week and which B’nai B’rith International sponsored, was previously presented in Washington, D.C., and across Europe. Organizers plan to bring it to other cities.

The show was developed in “close coordination” with the Hostages and Missing Families Forum and hostages released from Gaza in November. It “aimed to raise awareness of the suffering of the 109 who still remain in captivity, including eight Americans,” according to B’nai B’rith.

Daniel Mariaschin, CEO of B’nai B’rith International, at a B’nai B’rith-sponsored exhibition in Boston simulating the experiences of hostages in Gazan tunnels in August 2024. Credit: B’nai B’rith.

“The hostages were quickly forgotten. The posters of these hostages were quickly torn down as soon as they were put up,” said Daniel Mariaschin, CEO of B’nai B’rith whose cousin was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz by Hamas, at the exhibit opening. “These hostages have been held in unimaginable deplorable conditions.”

“The objective of Hamas is to destroy the State of Israel,” Mariaschin added. “That glimpse that we had in the beginning on Oct. 7, similar to what was seen every day for six years in the Holocaust, was indeed reminiscent of all the other attempts in history that have been made to erase our people and to erase the State of Israel.”

“We wanted to increase awareness and amplify visibility of the hostages,” Douglas Hauer-Gilad, an organizer of the exhibit, told JNS.

“Time is of the essence,” the Boston lawyer added. “We need to bring the hostages home now.”

The exhibit includes audio footage from body cameras worn by Hamas terrorists.

“Visitors were given a glimpse of the roughly 300 miles of underground tunnels beneath Gaza and gained insight into the horrors of Hamas captivity,” per B’nai B’rith. “For a moment, they experienced the terror that hostages have endured over the past 10 months.”

Ed Flynn, a member of the Boston City Council, recognized the exhibit’s significance in a resolution, and Latvian, German, Japanese and Israeli diplomats and Boston Jewish and Catholic leaders visited the show.

“I joined with many members of the greater Boston Jewish community to visit the exhibit due to its importance in understanding the horrors of Hamas captivity, as well as the recognizing the dignity and humanity of the hostages and their families,” Flynn told JNS.

“I also had the opportunity to visit Israel earlier this year in January and witness the aftermath of the Oct. 7 terrorist attack by Hamas,” the councilman added. “Boston City Hall Plaza is the epicenter of civic life in Boston, where local, state and federal responsibilities overlap. This made City Hall Plaza the appropriate location to amplify the visibility of the hostages.”

Flynn added that “we must continue to stand with our Jewish American neighbors and call out and denounce antisemitism when we see it.”

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Jewish academic emotional after ‘public humiliation‘ at QUT ‘anti-racism’ symposium

An Aussie academic has broken down in tears after being subject to “a co-ordinated humiliation” at a university.

Natalie Brown and Frank Chung

January 25, 2025 – 10:29AM

A Jewish academic who attended an “anti-racism” conference at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) was left in tears after enduring “a co-ordinated humiliation”, allegedly at the hands of other delegates.

The university this week hosted the National Symposium on Unifying Anti-Racist Research and Action, an event that has outraged Australia’s Jewish community after attendees were shown an image titled “Dutton’s Jew” at a “comedy debate” hosted by executive officer of the pro-Palestinian Jewish Council of Australia, Sarah Schwartz, on Wednesday.

During the presentation, Ms Schwartz accused the Opposition Leader of hiding behind the Jewish community to promote a right-wing agenda. After footage of her talk was shared on social media, Ms Schwartz said in a statement the clip had been taken out of context, and that was pillorying “Peter Dutton’s racist, ignorant and monolithic conception of Jewish people”.

“Only opportunists could wilfully misrepresent my point, which is that Peter Dutton is exploiting the rise in anti-Semitism for political gain,” she said.

QUT vice-chancellor Margaret Sheil has apologised for the “significant offence” caused.

On Friday, however, University of Queensland Associate Professor Yoni Nazarathy, said his fellow attendees stood and yelled “‘shame’ in unison” in his direction during the symposium, which he alleged was motivated by the leaking of the Dutton cartoon.

The ‘Dutton’s Jew’ cartoon was shown during a ‘comedy debate’ at the symposium on Wednesday. Picture: Supplied

“It was a co-ordinated humiliation. All I could do is sit there and try to exit respectfully,” Professor Nazarathy, a lecturer in artificial intelligence, said.

He became emotional when speaking to The Australian about his “public humiliation”.

“Maybe it was a lesson in racism,” he said, fighting back tears. “So maybe I got my money’s worth.

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https://www.theaustraliatoday.com.au/outrage-erupts-over-antisemitic-display-at-quts-anti-racism-symposium/#google_vignetteOutrage erupts over antisemitic display at QUT’s anti-racism symposium“The caricature demonises Jewish Australians who support the Coalition. It’s offensive and unacceptable.”

25 January 2025 1:34 PM
BY AMIT SARWAL

The Queensland University of Technology (QUT) is facing mounting backlash after an image deemed antisemitic was presented at its recent National Symposium on Unifying Anti-Racist Research and Action.

Intended as a platform to tackle systemic racism, the symposium instead sparked accusations of enabling hate speech under the guise of anti-racism.

The controversy centres on a slide titled “Dutton’s Jew,” presented by Sarah Schwartz, a representative of the anti-Zionist Jewish Council of Australia.

The image, which allegedly caricatured a Jewish figure alongside a list of stereotypes, referenced Opposition Leader Peter Dutton. It was widely condemned by Jewish leaders, sparking national outrage and reigniting debates on antisemitism in Australian universities.

Daniel Aghion KC, President of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), labelled the image a disgraceful trope. “It is ironic that such blatant racism was showcased at an anti-racism symposium,” he said.

“The caricature demonises Jewish Australians who support the Coalition. It’s offensive and unacceptable.”

Jason Steinberg, President of the Queensland Jewish Board of Deputies (QJBD), echoed these sentiments, revealing his organisation had warned QUT about the risk of antisemitic content ahead of the event. “We wrote to the university asking for assurances that the symposium would not promote hate speech,” Steinberg said.

“To see this unfold—it’s upside down. A conference supposedly dedicated to anti-racism instead vilified Jewish people. It’s disgraceful.”

Critics argue that the event’s speaker lineup reflected an anti-Israel bias, with Steinberg describing many as “anti-Israel extremists.”

Sarah Schwartz defended her presentation, stating it was satirical and targeted Peter Dutton’s political exploitation of the Jewish community. However, her justification failed to placate Jewish leaders who saw the caricature as crossing the line into hate speech.

The backlash extended beyond Jewish organisations, with Liberal MP Andrew Wallace calling for decisive action. “Public universities should be spaces for learning and inquiry, not platforms for antisemitism,” he said. Wallace urged the Federal Education Minister to withhold funding from QUT until the university takes firm steps to address antisemitism.

The incident has highlighted the growing hostility Jewish students and faculty face on Australian campuses. A submission by the Australian Union of Jewish Students to the Parliamentary Inquiry into Antisemitism in Universities described an alarming rise in incidents of hate and exclusion.

QUT’s Vice-Chancellor, Margaret Sheil, defended the symposium, stating it aimed to foster diverse perspectives. However, Jewish leaders dismissed this response, accusing the university of prioritising free speech over combating hate speech. “Freedom of expression cannot excuse racism,” Steinberg said.

“QUT leadership has failed to uphold this principle.”

The incident has now reached the federal level, with ECAJ forwarding details to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights. Aghion stated,

“We expect QUT leadership to explain their actions before the inquiry. Universities must not be allowed to become propaganda factories instead of spaces for learning.”

The episode has sparked wider conversations about antisemitism in Australia. Liberal MP Julian Leeser called for a judicial inquiry into antisemitism on campus, while Zionist Federation of Australia President Jeremy Leibler warned that unchecked rhetoric is “recklessly dangerous,” especially following recent domestic terror attacks targeting Jewish Australians.

The fallout also included reports of targeted humiliation. University of Queensland Associate Professor Yoni Nazarathy described being publicly shamed by attendees at the symposium after the controversial slide leaked. “It was a coordinated attack,” Nazarathy said. Fighting back tears, he added,

“As a Jewish Australian, I don’t feel safe. This is not what Australia needs right now.”

As the uproar continues, many are demanding stronger national leadership to combat antisemitism. QUT has apologised for the offence caused but is yet to announce concrete measures to address the situation.

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https://thenightly.com.au/australia/queensland/queensland-university-of-technology-vice-chancellor-margaret-sheil-apologises-for-anti-racism-symposium-c-17502010

Queensland University of Technology vice-chancellor Margaret Sheil apologises for anti-racism symposium

David Johns
The Nightly

25 Jan 2025

Queensland University of Technology vice-chancellor Margaret Sheil has apologised for an anti-racism symposium that has come under fire for anti-Semitism. Credit: AAP

The head of an Australian university has been forced to apologise after anti-Semitism claims were made during a two-day symposium on racism.

The National Symposium on Unifying Anti-Racist Research and Action, organised by Queensland University of Technology, ran from January 23-24 at the Brisbane Convention Centre.

A speaker at a pre-symposium event used a slide depicting what they called “Dutton’s Jew”, a concocted profile of a Jewish person the speaker reportedly said would fit Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s political motivations.

Another cartoon shown at the conference reportedly encouraged audience members to “throat punch a racist today”.

In a video posted on news.com.au, University of Queensland Associate Professor Yoni Nazarathy said he was “publicly shamed” at the event for calling out the one-sided nature of the speakers.

“I’m a member of the Australian Academic Alliance Against anti-Semitism, called 5A, and together with other colleagues from 5A, we called out this conference with concerns that it only presents speakers from one side.

“This comes at a time where synagogues, cars, childcare centres and more are graffitied and burned in Melbourne and Sydney with other anti-Semitic attacks taking place here in Brisbane as well.

“It is a shame that the organisers for the conference did not use this moment to bring together all communities, including Jews like me, that identify as Zionists.

The “Dutton’s Jew” slide at the conference. Credit: Supplied

“If the organisers of the conference think that the solution to anti-racism is to single out the one person in the room that actually holds a different view that comes and listens respectfully, listens to the elders, listens to the First Nations people, and yes, even listens to the Palestinian speakers — of which there were many.

“If the conference organisers think that anti-racism is putting me there and in a coordinated manner shaming me, well, I think that another conference on anti-racism should be organised sooner rather than later.”

QUT vice-chancellor Margaret Sheil issued a statement apologising for the “hurt and offence” caused at the symposium.

“Seeing the slide, I understand why the presentation has caused significant offence, and I am sorry for the hurt caused to anyone within, and outside, the QUT community,” she said.

“I will undertake to review the circumstances of this presentation and take any action necessary.

“As for the appropriateness of the speakers on the main symposium program, it is important that universities continue to engage in rigorous discussion and debate about the issues so important to our time.

“It is equally important that this is done in a way that is respectful and safe.

“I expect that this event will be subject to further scrutiny in the upcoming parliamentary inquiry into anti-Semitism in Australian universities and we will fully cooperate with that inquiry.”

A QUT spokesperson said the symposium was “an opportunity for leading anti-racist researchers and practitioners to explore strategies for addressing systemic racism, locally and globally”.

The spokesperson said the slide shown at the pre-symposium event “caused significant concern”.

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https://humanrights.gov.au/about/news/speeches/statement-inquiry-antisemitism-australian-universities

Statement: Inquiry into Antisemitism at Australian Universities

Opening Statement by President Hugh de Kretser to the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights, Inquiry into Antisemitism at Australian Universities, delivered on 22 January 2025
 

Thank you for the opportunity to appear today and for the work of this committee on this important issue. I acknowledge we are meeting on the lands of Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

Antisemitism is an insidious form of racism and hatred. It has no place in Australia.  

Antisemitism harms individuals and communities. It affects people’s identity and self-esteem, their sense of belonging and inclusion, their participation in public life and their wellbeing and safety.

There is an alarming and intensifying nationwide rise in antisemitism including arson attacks on synagogues, a parliamentarian’s office and now a childcare centre. There has been racist violence, racist graffiti on schools and homes and racist abuse and threats.

The purpose of these vile attacks is to instil fear and division. The targeting of the Australian Jewish community impacts all of us. The strength of any community lies in its ability to defend others. If we fail to protect any minority group from harm, we fail as a nation.

The focus of this inquiry is on responding to the rise in antisemitism at Australian universities. Antisemitism in universities is connected to broader antisemitism in our communities and neighbourhoods.  

Universities exist to promote learning and thinking, the exchange of ideas and the development of people and communities.  

Essential to these objectives is fostering a culture of respect and inclusion and ensuring safety and freedom from discrimination for all students and staff. Also essential is ensuring universities are places where ideas can be questioned and different views can be respectfully shared.

The Australian Human Rights Commission is strongly focused on addressing antisemitism and all forms of racism.  

We provide important access to justice services for people and communities affected by racial discrimination and vilification by receiving, investigating and conciliating complaints under the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth).  

We provide expert advice on laws and policies to address racism, discrimination and hate speech including by identifying changes needed to make our national discrimination and vilification laws more effective.

Our National Anti-Racism Framework launched late last year outlines a comprehensive approach for eliminating racism in Australia. We are also undertaking community engagement and awareness raising about racism to support safety in Jewish, Palestinian, Muslim and Arab communities in Australia.

Perhaps most importantly given the terms of reference of this inquiry, we are conducting a landmark national study on the prevalence, nature and impact of racism at universities and how to address it. Eliminating antisemitism at universities is a focus of this work. The Commission’s legislation has strong provisions to protect confidential information shared with us through the study. We released our Interim Report last month and our final report is due in June this year.

Our work will complement the work of this inquiry and also that of the inquiry last year by the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee. We thank those who have shared their experiences with these inquiries. The many submissions of students and staff bear witness to the human impact of antisemitism at universities.  

Issues around the intersection between freedom from discrimination and vilification and freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are at the heart of this inquiry into antisemitism.

Human rights principles provide practical guidance on how to balance human rights when they intersect and maximise intersecting rights to the greatest extent possible. They require that any limitation on a human right must be for a legitimate purpose and must be no wider than is necessary to achieve that purpose.

Applying these principles will help universities to address antisemitism and promote the human rights of all students and staff.

******

Hugh de Kretser, President Area: Commission – General

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