Jewish academic emotional after ‘public humiliation‘ at QUT ‘anti-racism’ symposium

An Aussie academic has broken down in tears after being subject to “a co-ordinated humiliation” at a university.

A Jewish academic who attended an “anti-racism” conference at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) was left in tears after enduring “a co-ordinated humiliation”, allegedly at the hands of other delegates.

The university this week hosted the National Symposium on Unifying Anti-Racist Research and Action, an event that has outraged Australia’s Jewish community after attendees were shown an image titled “Dutton’s Jew” at a “comedy debate” hosted by executive officer of the pro-Palestinian Jewish Council of Australia, Sarah Schwartz, on Wednesday.

During the presentation, Ms Schwartz accused the Opposition Leader of hiding behind the Jewish community to promote a right-wing agenda. After footage of her talk was shared on social media, Ms Schwartz said in a statement the clip had been taken out of context, and that was pillorying “Peter Dutton’s racist, ignorant and monolithic conception of Jewish people”.

A Jewish academic who attended an 'anti-racism' conference at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) was left in tears after enduring 'a co-ordinated humiliation', allegedly at the hands of other delegates. Picture: The Australian

University of Queensland Associate Professor Yoni Nazarathy became emotional when speaking about his ‘public humiliation’. Picture: The Australian

“Only opportunists could wilfully misrepresent my point, which is that Peter Dutton is exploiting the rise in anti-Semitism for political gain,” she said.

QUT vice-chancellor Margaret Sheil has apologised for the “significant offence” caused.

On Friday, however, University of Queensland Associate Professor Yoni Nazarathy, said his fellow attendees stood and yelled “‘shame’ in unison” in his direction during the symposium, which he alleged was motivated by the leaking of the Dutton cartoon.

The presentation was hosted executive officer of the pro-Palestinian Jewish Council of Australia, Sarah Schwartz. Picture: Supplied

The ‘Dutton’s Jew’ cartoon was shown during a ‘comedy debate’ at the symposium on Wednesday. Picture: Supplied

“It was a co-ordinated humiliation. All I could do is sit there and try to exit respectfully,” Professor Nazarathy, a lecturer in artificial intelligence, said.

He became emotional when speaking to The Australian about his “public humiliation”.

“Maybe it was a lesson in racism,” he said, fighting back tears. “So maybe I got my money’s worth.

“I felt like this was a racist attack on me and an unfortunate one because this is not what Australia needs right now.

“As a person that identifies as Zionist and is Jewish in Australia, I don’t feel too safe these days, I look over my shoulder.”

Another cartoon shown at the symposium on Wednesday featured the slogan “throat punch a racist today”.

While the presentation that accompanied the cartoon was “satirical”, Prof Nazarathy said that if “you have a talk about punching a racist in the neck, and somebody talks and vilifies Zionists as though we are the devils … then I feel somewhat unsafe”.

“I could not stand up because I was called out as the spy, so I sat there and took it.”

Jewish academic Yoni Nazarathy. Picture: John Gass

A Labor-led parliamentary inquiry on campus anti-Semitism is also now considering calling QUT leadership to publicly testify.

”I understand why the presentation at this pre-symposium event caused significant offence and I am sorry for the hurt caused to anyone within, and outside, the QUT community, Professor Sheil said in a written apology issued Friday afternoon.

“I will undertake to review the circumstances of this presentation and take any action necessary.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gaye Gerard

QUT vice-chancellor Professor Margaret Sheil. Picture: John Gass

“As for the appropriateness of the speakers on the main symposium program, it is important that universities continue to engage in rigorous discussion and debate about the issues so important to our time. It is equally important that this is done in a way that is respectful and safe.

“I expect this event will be subject to further scrutiny in the upcoming parliamentary inquiry into anti-Semitism in Australian universities and we will fully co-operate with that inquiry.”

Pro-Palestine protesters at the University of Sydney. Picture: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

Jewish students and staff at Australian universities have alleged months of harassment and abuse from pro-Palestine campus protesters in the wake of the October 7, 2023 attacks.

Palestinian terror group Hamas, which runs Gaza, killed at least 1200 people in the attacks, inflicting the worst loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust. The ensuing Israeli retaliatory on Gaza has killed at least 47,000 people to date.

Australia’s special envoy to combat anti-Semitism, Jillian Segal, told a Senate inquiry last year there was “systemic anti-Semitism” which was “embedded” on university campuses and that there was a “degree of self-denial” as to how bad the situation was.

“Cultural change is therefore incredibly important, and needed,” she said.

“It is a special form of racism, it is different. A generalised approach doesn’t work. You need to have a focused approach to anti-Semitism.”

Originally published as Jewish academic emotional after ‘public humiliation‘ at QUT ‘anti-racism’ symposium