‘Intifada’ child protest has crossed dangerous red line

Students set up for a Pro-Palestinian Sit In which is happening in the UniversityÕs around the world to protest the continuing war in Gaza. Picture: Richard Dobson

Unbeknown to most decent Australians, our nation has crossed a dangerous line, sliding into a dark place that must be repudiated. The sight of young children chanting “intifada’’ (violent resistance or a rising up against oppression) and other anti-Jewish slogans at an encampment of Palestinian supporters at the University of Sydney last week suggests the nation’s oldest university has lost its moral compass, like once-great colleges in the US and elsewhere. In a clip from the despicable event at the University of Sydney, a child leads a march, chanting into a loudspeaker “five, six, seven, eight, Israel is a terrorist state”. Another child calls the Jewish state “haram’’, an Arabic term for “forbidden’’. The vile spectacle will test the leadership, or lack of it, of Anthony Albanese, Education Minister Jason Clare, University of Sydney chancellor Belinda Hutchinson, vice-chancellor Mark Scott and university senate members. To their shame, Mr Clare, whose Blaxland electorate has a high proportion of Muslims, and the university refused to directly condemn the protest on Sunday. Condemnation of racism in general, anti-Semitism or Islamophobia falls far short of what the situation requires.

Children led in chants of 'intifada' at the University of Sydney Gaza solidarity encampment.

The protest was organised my Macquarie University academic Randa Abdel-Fattah and “Families for Palestine.”

The protest was organised by anti-Israel Macquarie University academic Randa Abdel-Fattah and “Families for Palestine’’. Last week, Dr Abdel-Fattah told Instagram, followers it was a “kids’ excursion … we are bringing some colouring in and bubble wands. All kids are welcome.” Welcome to be brainwashed, more likely. Macquarie University, which did not respond on Sunday to requests for comment, has serious questions to answer about Dr Abdel-Fattah, who recently disseminated the leak of private details of hundreds of Jewish artists and publicly stated “Zionists have no right to cultural safety”. If the same were said about other groups, the public and political outcry would be deafening.

Dr Abdel-Fattah

The grotesque protest on the grounds of the nation’s oldest university cannot be defended on the grounds of academic freedom or free speech. It disrespects Jewish students attending the university to go about their studies and daily lives without fear of harassment. More broadly, at a time when teenage activism is a serious problem, inducting children as young as 10 in hate speech is fostering the atmosphere for religiously and racially motivated violence. As Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Alex Ryvchin said, in forcing children to repeat calls that Israel is “haram”, the organisers are attempting to convince Muslim children that Jewish Australians, who have deep emotional and historic bonds to the Jewish state, are their enemy: “The organisers of this horrific spectacle want to split our country apart by inducting children into racial hatred and religious extremism.’’

Pro Palestine protesters camp at Sydney University. Picture: Damian Shaw

For six days, students and protesters have pitched tents at the campus, demanding the university “cut ties with Israeli universities and weapons manufacturers”. Alienating itself from a longstanding Australian ally, the Middle East’s only democracy, which has an impressive record of scholarship in many fields, especially science, would work to the detriment of Sydney University and the nation. One of the founders of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1918 was Albert Einstein. The Israel Institute of Technology (Technicon), founded in 1912, has produced four Nobel laureates in science since 2000.

A sign on a tent at the Pro Palestine protesters camp at Sydney University. Picture: Damian Shaw

Since October 7, pro-Hamas protests have crossed several red lines, from the Sydney Opera House spectacle on October 9 onwards. Authorities’ responses have been weak. With shades of the anti-Semitism and indoctrination of the young that took hold in Europe from the early 1930s, events like that at Sydney University risk tearing our society apart. So do groups such as Teachers and School Staff for Palestine, exposed last week for trying to dismantle students’ understanding of Anzac. Political, academic and civic leaders who refuse to stem this ugly tide risk endangering our society’s fabric, the values of young people and the safety and wellbeing of Jewish Australians, whose contribution to the nation is immense.