MELBOURNE – The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion commenced its Melbourne hearings this week, focusing intently on the lived experiences of Jewish students and staff within Australian university environments. Disturbing testimonies have painted a grim picture of pervasive antisemitism, ranging from casual discrimination to explicit threats and Nazi salutes, particularly in the wake of the October 2023 Hamas attacks against Israel.

The commission, now in its fourth block of hearings, is initially exploring personal accounts before delving into broader surveys, university responses, and evidence from the Department of Education. Several witnesses, choosing partial de-identification to protect their safety, bravely shared their stories, shedding light on the immense personal and professional toll of campus antisemitism.

ANU Student Details Escalating Hostility

One young Jewish Australian woman, identified by the pseudonym 'Liat', recounted a disturbing escalation of antisemitism during her time at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra. Liat, who moved from home at 18 in 2022, described an initial "low level hum" of antisemitic sentiments, including "unsavoury jokes" about Jewish people's physical features and financial acumen. She felt unable to challenge these remarks, despite their inappropriateness.

Following the October 2023 attacks in Israel, Liat described a profound sense of "numb horror and terrible foreboding" about the atmosphere on campus. She experienced personal alienation, with non-Jewish friends cutting ties after learning of her Zionist beliefs – a conviction rooted in the right of Jewish people to self-determination in their ancestral homeland. Liat was "deeply hurt" by these rejections.

The situation intensified with the publication of a student magazine article that she found deeply offensive, labelling Zionism as a "far-right political project" championed by "war criminals and proponents of genocide." Liat's complaints to university management about this article, and about the widespread abuse she faced, were allegedly met with a lack of decisive action. She claims the ANU dean informed her they lacked authority to remove the offending content.

A prolonged 110-day encampment on ANU grounds, reportedly the longest at any Australian university, exacerbated her distress. Liat and other Jewish students were regularly subjected to slurs like "baby killer and genocide supporter." Feeling physically unsafe as a "pretty small person," she highlighted the stressful "micro calculations" required daily, such as hiding her Jewish identity even when buying coffee. She noted that while the Palestinian flag itself is not inherently antisemitic, its pervasive display, coupled with slogans like "intifada revolution" and "from the river to the sea Palestine will be free," created an environment conducive to antisemitism. 'Intifada,' meaning 'shaking off' in Arabic, has been associated with periods of violent Palestinian protest against Israel and is viewed by many in the Jewish community as a call for violence.

During a counter-protest involving Liat and other Jewish students, a person unaffiliated with the university reportedly performed a Nazi salute. Further incidents included students making Nazi "gestures" and "moustache" actions during a university student association Zoom meeting while Liat was speaking. Liat expressed hope that her testimony would prevent other students from enduring similar abuse, conveying the profound difficulty of confronting "a surge of hatred" while living independently.

Former UNSW Academic Alleges Reprisal

The commission also heard from a former University of New South Wales (UNSW) PhD candidate, referred to as ACJ, who detailed a shocking incident where four students performed Nazi salutes at him during a business class he was teaching. ACJ described a "visceral" reaction, rooted in his grandparents' survival of the Holocaust and his family's history in Jewish pogroms in Poland. "When someone does a Nazi salute at me, it feels like they want to kill me," he testified, expressing profound shock, offence, and a sense of threat.

ACJ criticised UNSW's response as "offensive" and "lacklustre," claiming the university issued only a verbal warning to the students instead of treating it as a criminal incident. Taking matters into his own hands, he reported the incident to the police. Shortly thereafter, he alleges, he was no longer offered casual teaching shifts at UNSW, leading him to file a complaint with the Fair Work Commission, alleging reprisal for his police report. This "long, protracted, drawn out process" severely impacted his wellbeing. Although he eventually returned to work at UNSW, strained relationships led to his eventual departure. ACJ disclosed that he stopped reporting many other antisemitic incidents after early 2025, fearing job termination and lacking "the will or the strength" to continue the arduous process.

University of Sydney Academic Shares Frustration Over Delays

Dr. Andy Smidt, a speech pathology academic, shared her experiences at the University of Sydney in 2023, highlighting the university's slow and overwhelming complaints process. Her son, also a student there, was offered a security escort between classes due to safety concerns for Jewish students. This revelation, she stated, caused her to "break down" and angrily write to university management, questioning why they protected her child but did not ensure pro-Palestine protests were conducted safely.

Dr. Smidt, who left the University of Sydney in February 2024, testified on behalf of friends who formed a Jewish support group after the October 7 attacks, as they feared job loss if they spoke out. She claimed the university only began taking substantial action after nearly a year of receiving complaints. "We were constantly fighting with the university to be heard, as well as fighting with everything that was going on on campus that was overwhelming anyway," she explained, noting the severe burnout from the complaints process itself. Dr. Smidt underscored the critical role universities should play in educating students about tolerance and cultural sensitivities, lamenting the apparent failure to uphold these principles.