Description
Since the terrorist atrocities of Hamas on October 7, the surge in antisemitism on Victorian university campuses has caused immense harm to both Jewish students and the tertiary education sector as a whole.
As they have in the United States, university encampments have descended into havens for antisemites, anti-Western extremists, and open supporters of terrorism. They preach hate and intimidate students and staff who do not subscribe to their radical agenda. Leaders of university encampments have praised Hamas, going as far to say the October 7 attacks were “justified” or that the terrorist organisation “deserves our unconditional support”.
These encampments are not simply the work of overzealous students and academics. Instead, they have been overrun by outside activists, seeking to stoke as much fear as possible, for their own gratification.
On campuses across Australia, we have seen Jewish students marginalised, targeted, and actively harassed – simply because of their immutable spiritual and cultural connection to the State of Israel. In the United States, Jewish students have been told by some university administrations to avoid campus altogether, whilst thousands of Jewish students in Australia are forced to do everything they can to avoid going to class.
This has no place in Australia.
The petition therefore requests that the Legislative Assembly of Victoria call on the Victorian Government and the Federal Government to take swift and decisive action by:
Immediately dismantling encampments on all university campuses.
Instructing Victoria Police and other state police forces to patrol universities and keep students safe.
Convening a roundtable on fighting antisemitism with the Federal Minister for Education, State Minister for Education, and university Vice-Chancellors.
Mandating that universities establish, implement, and enforce clear policies prohibiting hate speech on campus.
Mandating that every university and tertiary education institution adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism.
Continuing to engage with educators, Jewish community leaders, and students to address and combat antisemitism.
