The Australian Academic Alliance Against Antisemitism (5A) is a registered non-for-profit company, established in response to the rise in antisemitism post 7 October. We have over 230 members from 26 Australian universities and medical centres. Our shared goal is to counteract antisemitism in the tertiary sector and medical affiliates, through education and advocacy, and ensure that Australian universities uphold inclusivity and intercultural sensitivity.
Since its inception in early November 2023, 5A has established itself as a leading Jewish voice in all matters concerning Australian academia.
The strength of the organisation relies on the extraordinary capacities of its 230 academics.
To the best of knowledge, this is the first time in Australian Jewish life, that highly qualified multidisciplinary academics have joined together to address the complex problems of antisemitism, at the university sector.
- Domains of Action
Our work spans across six domains of action, where antisemitism is currently proliferating within Australian universities, and advocacy against antisemitism is required.
- Advocating for policy development
Our goal is to have each of the 40 Australian universities adopt the working definition of antisemitism of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). Furthermore, we advocate for the establishment of a high-level Task Force, nominated by Universities Australia, the peak body for the sector, for determining the rules of engagement across Australian universities. In following the model set by Colombia University, the aims of the Task Force would be to determine how to ensure freedom of speech, while safeguarding the rights of others to speak, teach, research, and learn, as well as the prevention of antisemitic discrimination and harassment across Australian universities.
- On-campus advocacy.
We have established a network of 5A Academic Advisors across Australian universities. Their roles are to advocate for zero tolerance to antisemitism. Our advocacy include: (i) dealing with case-by-case assistance to students and staff that encounter antisemitism; (ii) working with university managements to embed policies and tools for preventing antisemitism on campuses; and (iii) dealing with toxic groups or individuals on campus, who violate various codes of ethics and policies.
For example, we have approached the Vice-Chancellor of Macquarie university requesting that disciplinary actions will be taken against Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah, who has been publishing calls to persecute Jews, stating that Jews have “no claim or right to cultural safety,” and it is a “duty […] to ensure that every space Zionists enter is culturally unsafe for them.”
- Combat calls for boycotting Israeli academia.
One of our prime goals is to protect and safeguard the ongoing academic exchanges between Australian and Israeli universities. To this end, we have developed a comprehensive strategy that includes measures to enhance academic exchanges and ensure their smooth running, as well as responding to incidences of Israeli academics’ cancelling when they arise.
For example, 5A in collaboration with other Jewish bodies have dealt extensively with the cancelling of Dr Moshe Farchi, an Israeli Trauma specialist. Moshe was invited to give a Keynote at a conference. When he arrived in Australia he was notified that his participation was cancelled and they have also cancelled his hotel booking.
Our alliance was active in formulating a media release, later used as a petition, gaining over 2500 signatures, we have also initiated a joint meeting of the Jewish bodies involved in responding to the case. Eventually the conference committee issued a public apology and reimbursed Moshe with the full expenses .
Similarly, we have been dealing with the appalling treatment of the Tel Aviv University delegates by the University of Sydney. A high-level delegation led by Professor Millete Shamir, Vice President of Tel Aviv university was prevented from presenting at a Study Abroad Fair at Sydney uni campus. A group of protesters, prevented students from approaching the Tel Aviv stall, shouting abusive accusations at the delegation. The university’s security did nothing to prevent the students from sabotaging the event. The delegation had no choice but to pack and leave. Instead of the university’s security accompanying the intruders out of the room, they accompanied the delegation. Thus far the university made no public apology for this outrageous behaviour.
Additionally, we work with academic conference organisers, supporting them in preventing interruptions and personal intimidations of Israelis attending their conferences. We are currently working with four such conference committees.
Finally in this domain, we are working tirelessly to increase ongoing and long-term collaborations between Australian and Israeli academics.
- Responding to antisemitic publications by academics.
Increasingly academics use grey literature such as the Overland or The Conversation to spread anti-Israel, anti-Zionist and antisemitic propaganda. Often academic authority is used as a shield against fact-checking, where facts are re-written to serve ideological purposes. In responding to such misinformation, 5A academics identify appropriate opportunities to respond to such publications with counter-arguments.
- Examining and providing an alternative option to the existing workers unions.
We led an inquiry into the National Tertiary Education Union’s appalling responses to the 7 October massacre and their one-sided support of Hamas. Following extensive unsuccessful negotiations with the union heads and their various heads of branches, we are now able to offer our members, including school and TAFE educators, an alternative option for union membership through TPAA – Teachers’ Professional Association of Australia, in partnership with RUSH – Red Union Support Hub.
- Data collection
We developed a comprehensive survey for data collection regarding antisemitism across Australian universities and for ranking the Australian universities for their actions in combatting antisemitism on campuses. Additionally, efforts related to data collection are ongoing through multiple methodologies.
Finally, 5A is working closely with stakeholders across the sectors, including government, Australian universities’ high-level management, Israeli universities and the range of Jewish organisations.
