April 28, 2024, J-Wire News Desk
please read the article
The Australian Jewish Executive Council is monitoring the deteriorating situation on US campuses and events at Australian universities, particularly the University of Sydney and the University of Melbourne.
Daniel Aghion
With grave concerns, the association's president, Daniel Aghion, issued the following statement:
“The establishment of encampments on several American campuses mobilizes anti-Israel and anti-Semitic fervor, puts Jewish students and faculty at risk, and is not bound by intimidation or racial motivations. Hatred and support for terrorism poses a direct threat to students' fundamental right to peacefully assemble and learn.
US President Joe Biden called events at some US universities 'blatant anti-Semitism' [which] It is reprehensible, it is dangerous, and it has absolutely no place on college campuses or anywhere in our country. ”
Recent days have seen similar attempts to form anti-Israel encampments at several Australian universities. We also witnessed anti-Israel activists at the University of Melbourne enter lectures and take photos of students who disagreed with their position on the Israel-Hamas war. At Sydney University, adults openly encouraged children to voice support for Palestinian suicide bombings and declare Israel “haram” (forbidden under Islamic law).
These alarming events require decisive leadership from the university administration and the government. Universities must be centers of learning, achieved through the free and respectful exchange of ideas. Intimidating, harassing, and trying to eliminate people who do not adhere to a strict ideological position is precisely the opposite of this. First and foremost, universities must remain safe places for students and academics to interact. Support for prohibited terrorist organizations, racial slurs, intimidation, and harassment must be addressed by universities and law enforcement.
AUJS and ECAJ have been in regular contact with the Federal Minister for Education, the Shadow Education Minister and the Vice-Chancellor to communicate the experiences and concerns of Jewish students and academics.
We call on the Federal and Provincial Education Ministers and Vice-Chancellors to take immediate action to ensure the safety of all students and staff. Failure to do so risks permanently damaging the reputation of our world-class university sector and turning our campuses into no-go zones for Jewish students and academics. The encampment must be cleared. ”
