Universities are poised to settle their differences over a contentious definition of antisemitism that special envoy Jillian Segal and a scathing report warned was needed to protect Jewish staff and students on campus.

But universities are set to push back on a definition urged by Coalition figures such as opposition home affairs spokesman James Paterson and shadow education minister Sarah Henderson, as well as the government’s antisemitism envoy Ms Segal, that claims a broad range of criticisms of Israel and its government are antisemitic.