University leaders failed in their duty of care to Jews
University of Sydney vice-chancellor Mark Scott had no option but to apologise for the way in which Jewish students were treated when they should have been protected by the institution he leads. Mr Scott told a Senate committee into anti-Semitism at Australian universities that testimonials from Jewish students were “heartbreaking” and “unacceptable”. His apology confirms university leaders had abandoned their duty of care to vulnerable students. “No one should feel at risk, unsafe or unwelcome at any place of learning, and no one should feel the need to hide their identity or stay away from classrooms or campuses,” he said.
The fact they were is a blight on university leaders who have not done enough to quell the misguided actions of some students. This failure has allowed the menace of anti-Semitism to spread beyond campuses, having gained a legitimacy that should never have been allowed. Monash University Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation director David Slucki confirmed it was not only students who harboured ill-will towards Jewish students, but the institutions that had not taken their concerns seriously. This was on display in Canberra on Friday when Universities Australia chief executive Luke Sheehy effectively dismissed concerns, saying “mistakes are always made”.
Regrettably, many students and university leaders have been taking their lead from the top. The Albanese government failed to act quickly enough to nip the outbreak of anti-Semitic sentiment in the community in the bud. As we editorialised on Friday, Foreign Minister Penny Wong’s “disappointment” over not supporting the Palestinian Authority’s controversial resolution passed by the UN General Assembly adds to perceptions of a government hopelessly out of touch with Australia’s national interest when it comes to Gaza and the global war against terrorism. It beggars comprehension that in the UN General Assembly vote, our representatives could not take a more forthright stand against a resolution that did not make any mention of Hamas’s barbaric October 7 massacre of 1200 Jews. Events in the Middle East this week demonstrate how fragile the situation is. And former foreign minister Bob Carr has exposed the shameful calculation by Labor. He said recognising Palestinian statehood before the election would “rally the party base”. As historian Geoffrey Blainey wrote in Inquirer last weekend, the increasing dispute between Jews and Muslims has weakened social cohesion in this nation. So long as the Middle East war continues, our social cohesion is likely to be diminished, he said. Leaders have a responsibility to stop things getting out of control, not inflame them.
Having defanged Hamas, Israel is turning its attention to Hezbollah. As chief international correspondent Cameron Stewart writes on Saturday, this is one of the most dangerous moments in the Middle East since the October 7 attack. Israel has reset its military objectives to include returning displaced citizens to their homes along the northern border. The Hezbollah leadership has been badly disrupted by Mossad’s mass attacks via exploding Hezbollah pagers and walkie-talkies. A military offence against rocket launch sites pointed at Israel has increased tensions but it remains to be seen whether Hezbollah or its terrorist masterminds in Tehran are prepared to escalate to a full-blown regional war. The answer should be simple. Hezbollah and Hamas could end hostilities immediately by releasing the remaining hostages taken on October 7 and stopping the daily volleys of missiles fired at Israel. The Israeli government has shown it is willing to escalate to de-escalate. It deserves international support just as Jewish students deserve protection from the taunts and violence of misguided protesters thousands of kilometres from what is a tragic situation.