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Australia tells universities they will face cuts if they fail to tackle antisemitism
Australia's special envoy to combat antisemitism has said anti-Jewish racism had become ‘normalised’ on campuses
July 28, 2025 15:28
Australia's special envoy to combat antisemitism has said anti-Jewish racism had become ‘normalised’ on campuses
July 28, 2025 15:28The Australian government is threatening to cut funding from universities that fail to deal with Jew-hate.
The move follows a report by Australia's special envoy to combat antisemitism, Jillian Segal, who said anti-Jewish racism had become “ingrained and normalised” within higher education.
Segal has recommended that universities produce annual reports on their efforts to deal with the problem.
Segal said: “The plan is not about special treatment for one community; it is about restoring equal treatment. It’s about ensuring that every Australian, regardless of their background or belief, can live, work, learn and prosper in this country.”
Anti-Israel protests at universities in the country have dwindled after restrictions were tightened and some protesters were threatened with being expelled.
This comes after a series of violent antisemitic attacks including a Melbourne synagogue that was set on fire with 20 people inside earlier in the month.
The plans have been welcomed by the Executive Council of Australian Jewry who said the report’s release “could not be more timely given the recent appalling events in Melbourne”.
Universities Australia chief executive Luke Sheehy said the group would “consider" the recommendations of the report.
He said: “Academic freedom and freedom of expression are core to the university mission, but they must be exercised with responsibility and never as a cover for hate or harassment."
One pro-Palestine Jewish group, the Jewish Council of Australia, which was set up last year, has some concerns.
The chief executive of the group, Max Kaiser, said: "The plan proposed by the Antisemitism Envoy Jillian Segal is based around the IHRA (International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance) working definition of antisemitism which notoriously conflates political criticism of Israel and Zionism with antisemitism and has been used as a weapon of repression in many different cases around the world.
"This is particularly concerning given Segal’s own comments and previous reports that suggest that the protest movement is inherently anti-Jewish.
"When legitimate protest against the genocide in Gaza is labeled antisemitic, it becomes a tool to suppress political dissent — especially when universities are threatened with funding cuts if they don't comply."
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has attempted to settle concerns that the plans would be a barrier to protesters. He said: “In Israel itself, as a democracy, there is protest against actions of the government, and in a democracy, you should be able to express your view here in Australia about events overseas.
“Where the line has been crossed is in blaming and identifying people because they happen to be Jewish.”
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