Universities urged to adopt global definition of anti-Semitism

Jewish community leaders are urging universities to adopt a global definition of anti-Semitism after a Queensland lecturer was subjected to anti-Semitic complaints by a student.

University of Queensland lecturer Joel Katzav. Picture: Glenn Hunt

Jewish community leaders are urging universities to adopt a ­global definition of anti-Semitism put forward by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance after a Queensland lecturer was subjected to anti-Semitic complaints by a student.

The lecturer, Joel Katzav, has lodged a complaint against the University of Queensland with the Australian Human Rights Commission over its handling of the student’s complaint about him. Dr Katzav was subsequently removed from a research review panel.

The postdoctoral student accused him of being “professionally inappropriate” and biased because of a falsely perceived reverence in Israel for 19th-century German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. He was accused of “whitewashing” Nietzsche, whose views are often associated with fascism and Nazism.

The Queensland Jewish Board of Deputies and Zionist Federation of Australia said similar incidents of anti-Semitism were on the rise, particularly within universities. They urged UQ and other tertiary education providers to adopt the IHRA working definition of anti-Semitism, which was endorsed last year by Scott Morrison.

Former education minister Alan Tudge had also urged universities to adopt the definition.

ZFA president Jeremy Leibler said the allegations raised by Dr Katzav appeared to be very serious and needed to be appropriately acknowledged by UQ.

“Anti-Semitism is on the rise around the world and in Australia,” he said.

“Universities have a unique platform to educate students and wider society about the dangers of anti-Semitism. I encourage UQ to follow the recommendation of the Australian government to adopt the IHRA working definition of anti-Semitism as an important educational tool in the fight against anti-Semitism.”

UQ has defended its handling of the incident and its anti-­discrimination processes.

“The university does not condone racism or discrimination in any form and we recognise the impact these behaviours can have on individuals,” UQ vice-chancellor Deborah Terry said. “We take all such complaints seriously and they are fully ­investigated.”

QJBD president Jason Steinberg said research by his organisation last year showed anti-Semitism was on the rise in Queensland and six out of 10 Jewish people living in Queensland said they had experienced anti-Semitism.

“A majority of those experienced it in the workplace,” he said. “We found universities are a bit of a hotbed of anti-Semitism.”

He said blaming a Jewish person for actions of the Israeli government was something they saw “a lot of on university campuses”.

Mr Steinberg said many Jewish people subjected to anti-Semitism did not report it because they feared further discriminatory responses and that they would not be taken seriously.

The intergovernmental IHRA defines anti-Semitism as “a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of anti-Semitism are directed towards Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, towards Jewish community institutions and religious facilities”.