Campus antisemitism inquiry would be too slow, says Senate panel

A government-dominated Senate committee has rejected an opposition push for a judicial inquiry into antisemitism on Australian campuses, even though it found that universities’ responses to the problem had been “woefully inadequate” and the proposal had been backed by the government’s special envoy into antisemitism.

The Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee concluded that the proposed inquiry would be “too slow”, requiring at least eight months.

The committee’s report says the “deeply” troubling accounts of antisemitism warrant a quicker and “more agile” reaction “to the situation on the ground”.

“It is entirely within the power of Australian universities to take action to address antisemitism now,” the report says.

It recommends that universities work with the higher education regulator, Teqsa, and the special envoy, Jillian Skinner, to ensure that their complaints processes are “understood by students and staff and deliver real and meaningful outcomes”.

Antisemitism on campuses should also be investigated by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights and the national student ombudsman, which is due to be established in February.

The committee found that universities’ handling of antisemitism had been “remarkably similar to their historically poor responses to sexual assault and harassment”.

“It is a sad indictment on Australian universities that it is only…in crisis that they feel compelled to address serious safety issues on campus, and even then, reluctantly.”

In a dissenting report, the committee’s Liberal Party members said the inquiry should be established “as soon as practicable”. They offered additional recommendations including antisemitism training for university leaders and legislation requiring universities to disclose “a breakdown of all revenues and all agreements…with foreign persons or entities”.

The dissenting report says “the sense of fear in the Jewish community is palpable” and an inquiry was supported by “hundreds of Jewish students and academics who…bravely shared their stories”.

Only a commission of inquiry can offer such people the “confidence to [testify] without fear of reprisals, retaliation, vilification, bullying or even threats to physical safety”, Liberal senators said.

In a statement, shadow education minister Sarah Henderson said the anniversary of the 7 October massacre was days away and Australia’s Jewish community was “grappling with the ugly spread of antisemitism”. She demanded “urgent action”, including financial penalties for universities that failed to comply with student safety policies.

“After the distress and harm suffered by Jewish students and staff for almost a year, any suggestion universities should be responsible for reviewing their own policies is untenable,” Ms Henderson said.

john.ross@timeshighereducation.com