USYD vice-chancellor grilled on October 7 response amid anti-Semitism surge on campuses

A university vice-chancellor has been grilled on his response to the brutal October 7 terrorist attacks in Israel amid rising anti-Semitism on campuses.

Embattled University of Sydney vice chancellor Mark Scott has been grilled on his response to Hamas’ brutal October 7 terrorist attacks in Israel amid a spike in anti-Semitism on Australian campuses.

Fronting a parliamentary committee on Friday, Mr Scott struggled to give any details of meetings he had with Jewish students in the wake of last year’s attacks, which represent the worst loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust.

“If you haven’t met with them, it’s OK,” committee chair Josh Burns said after Mr Scott gave vague answers about his efforts to personally contact Jewish students.

USYD vice-chancellor Mark Scott insists he reached out to Jewish students following the October 7 terrorist attacks in Israel. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Mr Scott insisted he had held meetings and asked to double check “the timing”.

“Do you think months, maybe? Weeks?” Mr Burns pressed on.

But Mr Scott again said he wanted to check the detail.

“It doesn’t sound like that after October 7 there was a concerted effort for you personally to reach out to Jewish students on campus,” Mr Burns said.

“That seems like something you would remember.”

Mr Scott disagreed, saying USYD tried identifying Israeli and Palestinian students despite gaps in data and “reached out and connected”.

He then recounted a dinner he had with students at a Jewish residential college seven days after Hamas’ assault.

“I had a meeting at Mandelbaum House, as I recall, on the 14th of October at dinner,” Mr Scott said.

“After that dinner finished, we had a roundtable discussion with Jewish students there, informally, talking with them about their experiences at the university for about an hour, as I recall.”

Labor MP Josh Burns grilled Mr Scott on his response to the October 7 terrorist attacks in Israel. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Mr Scott has previously drawn heat for how his university handled pro-Palestine student encampments earlier this year.

Students pitched tents on the lawns of USYD and other major universities as part of demonstrations protesting Israel’s military action in Gaza.

Anti-Semitic chants such as “from the river to the sea” often burst from the student encampments, which coincided with a surge in reports of anti-Semitic behaviour toward Jewish students and staff.

Hamas, which runs Gaza, killed at least 1200 people in its October 7 attacks last year, inflicting the worst loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust.

The ensuing Israeli ground and air assault has killed upward of 40,000 people in Gaza and annihilated much of Hamas’ upper echelon.

Students pitched tents on the lawns of USYD as part of demonstrations protesting Israel’s military action in Gaza. Picture: NewsWire / Max Mason-Hubers

In his opening remarks on Friday, Mr Scott admitted the university “did not get everything right” in its response to the encampments.

“Since the horrific attacks of October 7 and through the ongoing and harrowing war in Gaza, universities around the world have grappled with the impact of these disruptive events on their students and staff and the distress triggered across university communities by passionately held oppositional views,” he said.

“As I’ve said in previous hearings before parliament, at The University of Sydney, we did not get everything right, and there are clearly differing review, differing views and our responses to certain events, particularly the encampment earlier this year.

“What we have committed to do is learn from these hugely challenging and complex events and the experiences of other universities around the world and to listen to those who would work with us to ensure our campuses are safe and welcoming for all.”

Mr Scott also said USYD “has accepted all 15 recommendations in principle” made by an independent probe into anti-Semitism at the university.