Greens’ bigotry is out of place

“The contemptible behaviour of Pakistani-born Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi, who posed on Friday beside a placard reading ‘keep the world clean’ and showing an Israeli flag over a rubbish bin, has no place in a civilised society, let alone Australia’s upper house. Neither her apology nor Greens leader Adam Bandt’s attempts to dismiss the incident as inconsequential should let her off the hook.” So we said in November after the Greens deputy leader posed with students holding pro-Palestine posters.

In July, Senator Faruqi, who has refused to say whether Hamas should be dismantled, objected to the appointment of anti-Semitism envoy Jillian Segal. Senator Faruqi also has voted against a motion condemning “From the river to the sea”. Given her record, she is a poor choice to serve as a member of the Senate committee determining whether a judicial inquiry should be held into anti-Semitism on our campuses. Liberal member for Berowra Julian Leeser has questioned Senator Faruqi’s motivation in taking on the role.

After hostility and distress surrounding campus protests, the committee’s work is attracting interest and 170 submissions have been uploaded to its website, including many from students and staff highlighting their experience of anti-Semitic hate on campuses. The Executive Council of Australian Jewry’s submission says universities have “at times enabled or tolerated” discriminatory treatment of Jewish students. Senator Faruqi’s presence on the committee, ECAJ co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin said, compromised its integrity and could deter victims from giving evidence. They deserve better.