Arabic version: المفوضية الملكية تحقق في معاداة السامية داخل حرم الجامعات
The royal commission is holding a week of hearings in Melbourne to scrutinise universities and the experiences of Jewish students and staff since October 7, 2023.
According to ABC News, a secular Jewish academic at the University of Wollongong who uses the pseudonym ZR said he received a six‑page typed letter of antisemitic hatred and later felt unsafe attending campus. ZR told the ABC, “Every time I go onto campus, I wondered to myself is there going to be someone waiting for me with an axe or a gun?” Documentation seen by the ABC shows the university acknowledged an “unacceptable” delay in providing a personal protection plan.
The University of Wollongong said it would “cooperate” with the royal commission and when necessary assist staff with personal protection plans and reports to police but could not comment on individual cases. The commission is hearing evidence this week from academics and students about their lived experiences; individual universities, including several Group of Eight institutions, are expected to appear later in the week to address institutional responses.
Sector bodies and advocacy groups have described campuses as flashpoints since October 7, 2023. The Group of Eight chief executive Vicki Thomson said the “tensions and divisions evident across broader society played out on university campuses”. After the Bondi terror attack, Go8 universities engaged Dr Alan Finkel to examine antisemitism on campuses; his report found progress had been made but more needed to be done. Dr Finkel is expected to give evidence to the commission to discuss the expert panel’s report.
Student and staff groups say the situation has real effects on university life. The Australian Union of Jewish Students told the ABC many Jewish students were fearful of attending campus, facing chants, name‑calling and disruptions to events, and some were studying online or moving to institutions where they could do so more easily. The Australian Academic Alliance Against Antisemitism described the sector’s overall performance as “poor” in protecting Jewish staff and students.
The hearings seek to examine how universities have balanced academic freedom with responsibilities to keep staff and students safe and to abide by federal and state hate speech laws. What happens next: universities, including several Group of Eight institutions, are likely to appear later in the week to respond and Dr Alan Finkel will be called to discuss his panel’s report.
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