Andrew Bolt: Pro-Hamas comments, encampments are a sickness plaguing Australia’s universities

When terrorists slaughtered Israelis, raped women and kidnapped people I thought the atrocity was so plainly evil that it couldn’t be excused. Fast forward months and student leaders are “unconditionally” supporting Hamas.

There’s a sickness coming over our universities, a savagery that threatens not just Jews, but everyone who still believes in our civilisation.

I saw this with terrifying clarity after two student leaders told the ABC they supported Hamas “unconditionally”.

When Hamas terrorists last October 7 slaughtered 1200 Israelis, raped many women and kidnapped 253 people I thought the atrocity was so plainly evil that only the depraved would excuse it.

After all, I’ve seen footage of civilians being shot dead, beheaded, or raped so badly that their pants filled with blood. I saw one woman on her knees, begging for her life, only to be calmly shot in the head.

I saw the broken body of a woman driven through Gaza in triumph, as howling Palestinians punched it or hit it with sticks.

For a short while – indecently short – anti-Israel activists would at least say they couldn’t condone what happened, before saying blah, blah, blah.

A pro-Palestine encampment at Melbourne University. Picture: Blair Jackson

But now look. On Monday, two students went on Canberra ABC radio to explain why they were running an “encampment” at their ANU campus to protest against Israel.

One was Beatrice Tucker, an encampment organiser and representative last year on the ANU’s student association. After speaking with utter certainty and utter ignorance about evil Israel, she was asked if she at least condemned Hamas.

No. “I actually say that Hamas deserves our unconditional support, not because I agree with their strategy.”

The interviewer asked again. Tucker was more adamant: “I will not condemn what Hamas did. We must be unconditional.”

Luke Harrison, the ANU student association’s education officer, agreed: “No, I do not condemn.’’

Asked about Israeli babies I know were killed, Tucker resorted to an obscene canard: “The thing about babies being killed, the numbers are quite false … There’s a lot of evidence to say that Israel and the IDF (Israel Defence Force) itself did murder a lot of their own people.”

What is the climate now that such things are freely said?

That a Macquarie University academic can clap along as children she’s encouraged chant “intifada, intifada”, before marching around Sydney University demanding Israel’s destruction “from the river to the sea”.

I see Melbourne University vice-chancellor Duncan Maskell has abruptly quit his job. I’m not surprised, having seen him hounded by anti-Israel students as he walks to his office.

Are his children safe? Are we?

Originally published as Andrew Bolt: Pro-Hamas comments, encampments are a sickness plaguing Australia’s universities