Anti-Israel academic judge on NSW Premier’s Literary Multicultural Award sparks Jewish concerns

A Sydney academic who campaigns against Israel is the head judge on a prestigious literary prize. But Jewish groups want Chris Minns to remove her.

An anti-Israel Sydney academic who supported the dissemination of details of a group of Jewish creative people - and who argues “Zionists should feel culturally unsafe” - has been chosen to head the judging of the NSW Premier’s Literary Multicultural Award - outraging Jewish groups who want Premier Chris Minns remove her.

Palestinian Egyptian Muslim writer and activist Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah became embroiled in controversy after saying the group who disseminated information about Jewish creatives last month, along with Clementine Ford, were “heroes”.

Dr Abdel-Fattah, a sociology fellow at Macquarie University and the recipient of a $802,000 Australian Government ARC grant to research Arab Muslim Australian social justice activism, also sparked the ire of Jewish groups with her comment that “If you are a Zionist you have no claim or right to cultural safety” and that they should be “shamed into discomfort and silence if you support Israel, an apartheid settler colonial genocidal state”.

Zionism is the movement for the statehood of Jewish people in Israel.

Randa Abdel-Fattah has been chosen to head the judges for the Premier’s Literary Multicultural Award, sparking concerns by Jewish groups. Photo by Chris Pavlich for The Australian

The prestigious Premier’s Literary Multicultural NSW Award carries a $30,000 prize for a book, play, poem, film or screenplay deemed by the judges to have made a “significant contribution to an aspect of migration experience or multiculturalism”.

The judging panel also includes two other writers.

It’s understood Dr Abdel Fattah has judged the award four times before.

Anti Zionist Instagram post by Randa Abdel-Fattah. Photo: @randaafattah / Instagram,

Australian Jewish Association (AJA) called on Mr Minns to remove Dr Abdel Fattah while the Executive Council of Australian Jewry have accused her of harming multiculturalism.

AJA chief executive Robert Gregory said taxpayers should not be paying for her appointment.

“I am calling on NSW Premier Chris Minns to intervene,” he said.

“If Abdel-Fattah isn’t removed from the Panel, it would be better for the awards not to go ahead.

“I cannot think of a worse choice for someone to head this panel.”

“She has claimed that Zionists have no right to cultural safety. Since most Australian Jews identify as Zionists, it can be assumed that the awards will be unsafe for Jewish people.”

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin said the award’s credibility was harmed.

“She openly professes a desire to exclude and isolate Jewish Australians unless they share her desire for Israel’s destruction,” he said.

“She stands for everything that Australian multiculturalism fights against - intolerance, hatred, division and marginalisation of minorities.

“Her association with these awards makes a mockery of them.”

Dr Abdel-Fattah has been approached for comment. Arts Minister John Graham said the judges had already done their work and would not meet again, with the winner announced in May.

“I do not agree with these comments. They are directly at odds with the government’s view that people should feel safe in their own city,” Mr Graham said.

“We need to prioritise community cohesion. That is incredibly important. It is an obligation that the Government is taking seriously, including by cracking down on hate speech, anti-Semitism and vilification wherever it finds it.”

“In terms of cancelling the awards, it would be unfair to so many writers from across the state, who have had no participation in this. They deserve to get their awards,” Mr Graham said.