ANU to be hauled before Senate for campus anti-Semitism response

Australia’s national university will be hauled before Senate estimates over its handling of anti-Semitism on campus.

ANU deputy vice-chancellor Grady Venville.

Australia’s national university will be hauled before Senate estimates over its handling of anti-Semitism on campus. It will be only the second time in history the Australian National University has been summoned.

In scenes likely to resemble the interrogation of US college presidents in congress, opposition ­education spokeswomen Sarah Henderson said ANU administrators would “face tough questions about the dramatic increase in hate and incitement on its ­campus”.

Three weeks ago, The Australian revealed the university took disciplinary action after allegations that protesters made Nazi-­inspired gestures at a meeting where Jewish students tried to ­address anti-Semitism. A week earlier, encampment protesters said on radio that Hamas deserved “unconditional support”.

“While ANU belatedly ordered the removal of the pro-Palestinian encampment, the protesters have merely moved their tents to ­another location on campus,” Senator Henderson said. “The ­Coalition is concerned universities are not taking appropriate misconduct proceedings against students and staff for intimidating and vilifying others on campus.”

The broader higher education sector in the past month has been engulfed by reports of rising anti-Semitism on campuses across the country. There have been reports of pro-Palestinian protesters ­“hijacking” classes, occupying a campus building, displaying a terrorist flag, and an incident where children chants of “intifada”.

Jewish groups and the ­Coalition lashed the Labor government for its watered-down ­inquiry into campus racism announced in the budget. They have renewed calls for a judicial inquiry into campus anti-Semitism.

“While the questioning of ANU will shine a light on its policies and operations, a judicial ­inquiry into anti-Semitism at universities would hold all university administrators to account,” Senator Henderson said. “The ­Coalition continues to call on the Prime Minister to back this critical initiative for Jewish Australians and our nation.” She added that the Coalition would “interrogate the Albanese government’s failure to adopt a zero-tolerance ­approach to anti-Semitism on campus, including (Education Minister) Jason Clare’s tacit support for encampments”.

The announcement followed tense scenes on Monday as ANU protesters faced demands they ­vacate the encampment. Protesters moved the encampment before the Tuesday noon deadline.

In an all-staff and students email on Tuesday, ANU deputy vice-chancellor Grady Venville thanked protesters for moving the encampment and signalled openness to negotiate on demands about university investments.

“I want to personally thank the encampment participants for working with us and ACT Policing to ensure the safety of everyone in our busiest precinct on campus as well as our broader community,” she wrote. “ANU has also invited protesters to genuine and open dialogue about their demands, in particular ones that the university can reasonably consider. This ­includes looking at our investments as a university and our sector-leading socially responsible ­investment policy. ANU has committed, in collaboration with (the ANU Students Association), to re-examine this policy. Protesters have been invited to meet with the university leadership to discuss this matter. So far, they have not taken up this invitation.”

Labor is also expected to be challenged by the Greens on its stance on Palestinian statehood on Wednesday. Greens leader Adam Bandt will put forward a motion that “this house recognise the state of Palestine”.

Mr Bandt gave notice of the motion on Tuesday and said that, if supported by the House of Representatives, it would see Australia join more than 140 countries in recognising a Palestinian state.

Earlier this month, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the government would recognise a Palestinian state “when the time is right”. “We would need to see the progress … in relation to the reform of the Palestinian Authority, a commitment to peace from the Palestinian Authority, the disavowing of violence and the willingness to engage in a meaningful political process,” she said.