Universities not doing enough to deal with protests and ‘highly personal’ attacks, antisemitism royal commission hears

Lead

The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion has heard evidence about the experiences of Jewish staff and students on Australian university campuses, with the University of Melbourne's handling of pro-Palestinian protests coming under scrutiny. Interim vice-chancellor Professor Glyn Davis appeared before the commission on Wednesday, while physics professor Steven Prawer testified a day earlier about being targeted by protesters who occupied his office.

Coverage Comparison

Reporting from ABC Australia and The Guardian focused largely on the testimony of Professor Davis and Professor Prawer, with both outlets detailing the university's policy changes and the personal impact on Professor Prawer. ABC Australia's reports conveyed a neutral tone overall, while The Guardian's coverage of Professor Prawer's testimony adopted a sympathetic framing. The outlets agreed on key facts, including the occupation of Professor Prawer's office, the university's decision not to publicise the names of disciplined students, and the reversal of expulsion decisions for two activists. Neither outlet suggested that the university's response was universally condemned, though Professor Prawer's criticism was prominently featured.

Key Claims

The royal commission heard that on 9 October 2024, approximately 20 masked protesters entered Professor Steven Prawer's office at the University of Melbourne, refusing to leave until police were called. Professor Prawer, who describes himself as an observant Jew and Zionist, said he did not know at the time whether the incident was a protest or a terrorist attack, given it occurred a year after the October 7 attacks in Israel. He told the commission that protesters accused him of being complicit in genocide due to the university's research partnership with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, a claim he described as "ridiculous" and a "highly personal attack."

Professor Prawer told the commission that the protest left him feeling intimidated and forced him to install security cameras at his home and take additional precautions at work. He said he hired a private investigator to identify the protesters, fearing potential "Hamas connections," but the university did not use the investigator's report. The university disciplined two students with expulsion and two with suspension, but the academic board overturned the expulsion decisions following an appeal. Professor Prawer said the university needs to show it does not "tolerate misbehaviour" and that he still does not know the identities of the protesters, which he believes he should know for his protection.

Interim vice-chancellor Glyn Davis acknowledged the university "grappled" with whether to publicise the names of disciplined students but chose not to, saying it would avoid making a "stain" on their young lives. He described Professor Prawer's treatment as "appalling" and said the university had improved security for him at its own cost, noting that the day tradespeople were working on the office security was when the protesters got in.

Professor Davis also addressed broader changes to the university's protest policies, saying pro-Palestine sit-ins led to "quite sharply" changed policies, including prohibiting outsiders from protesting on campus and banning camping. He confirmed that a pro-Palestine encampment on the South Lawn created "fear and unsafety" among some staff and students, but said the university's aim was to end protests without violence, having seen events in the United States go "terribly wrong." He noted that while misconduct such as "heckling and harassment" occurred during the encampment, those incidents were "not claimed to be antisemitic" and did not breach the university's racism policy.

The commission also heard from Jeremy Leibler of the Zionist Federation of Australia, who said he had raised concerns about rising antisemitism on campus since the pandemic, including an example of a gay law student being told they were not welcome in an LGBTQ+ group because they were a Zionist. Leibler emphasised that criticism of Israel is legitimate and that many Jewish students are progressive and comfortable with such critiques.

Perspectives

University of Melbourne: Interim vice-chancellor Glyn Davis defended the institution's handling of protests, emphasising the aim of ending them without violence and the decision not to publicise the names of disciplined students. He acknowledged misconduct occurred but maintained that the university's policies and actions were appropriate.

Professor Steven Prawer: The physics professor criticised the university's initial response as "timid" and lacking in moral clarity, and called for stronger action to show that misbehaviour is not tolerated. He stressed the personal impact of the protest, including security measures at home and work, and his desire to know the identities of the protesters.

Zionist Federation of Australia: Jeremy Leibler expressed concerns about rising antisemitism on campus, providing examples of Jewish students being targeted for their identity, while also distinguishing between legitimate criticism of Israel and antisemitism.