University orders removal of ‘Zionist not welcome’ signs as protests escalate

Australia’s biggest university has ordered the removal of “Zionist not welcome” slogans after receiving legal advice it was vilification.

The move came as the federal education minister demanded a clampdown on antisemitism, with explicit support for Hamas growing at pro-Palestinian tent protests at some universities.

Palestinian and Israeli supporters confront each other at Monash University on Wednesday.Credit: Justin McManus

As scuffles between supporters and opponents of Israel broke out at a pro-Palestine encampment at Monash University, the institution confirmed it was acting after days of pressure on vice chancellors to take the tone of the protests more seriously.

“Our best judgment based on that advice, is that this statement likely constitutes harassment and/or vilification,” Monash said in a statement. “The university is now taking action accordingly.

“When considering where to draw a line between free speech and speech that can justifiably be limited, the distinction is not one of offence. Democratic debate requires us to tolerate people being offended – even deeply offended – or having their feelings hurt. The distinction is one of harm.”

Two university sources, speaking anonymously to detail confidential planning, said Monash and other universities had sought legal advice on whether authorities could move protesters off public land.

Counter-demonstrators clash with university security at Monash.Credit: Justin McManus

But the universities are reluctant to follow the federal Coalition’s suggestion to send in the police for fear it could escalate hostilities to the level seen in clashes at New York’s Columbia University this month. Students have not occupied buildings at Australian campuses.

Education Minister Jason Clare told this masthead the tertiary education regulator had set up a new team to monitor the protests after days of Coalition claims that Labor has failed to respond.

Senior police are working with university leaders in new critical incident response teams in Sydney and Melbourne, where a deputy commissioner has been deployed.

“A lot of Jewish students have told me they feel unsafe and unwelcome at university – that is not on,” Clare said. “In the lifetime of our grandparents, we have seen the evil that antisemitism leads to.

“I have made it clear to universities that there is nothing more important than the safety of students and staff.”

A pro-Palestine march at Monash was called off on Wednesday as protesters clashed, leading to shirts being torn and flags being snatched.

Third-year student Aisha Rhodary, a member of Socialist Alternative, said the university needed to disclose financial ties to Israel and blamed pro-Israel groups for setting up clashes. “This is an anti-racist encampment,” she said.

Second-year student Isaac Shiloah said he was there to support Israel, his country of birth. “They’re anti-Zionist; they don’t believe in the concept of a Jewish country in Israel,” he said. “They’re not peaceful people trying to promote a two-state solution – not at all.”

The tension on campus comes as Australia and allies like the US plead with Israel to avoid a bloody invasion of the Gazan city of Rafah, which Israel claims is a Hamas stronghold and where many Palestinians have lived since being forced to leave other cities that have come under bombardment.

While Australia’s campus tent protests have been relatively peaceful so far, the rhetoric used by some campaign leaders, who have praised the Hamas attack, has alarmed Jewish organisations and attracted police attention.

An Adelaide University encampment leader has repeatedly praised Hamas and its “magnificent” October 7 attacks, which killed 1200 people, leading to Israel’s invasion of Gaza, which has so far killed more than 34,000. Israel has so far ignored the latest calls for a ceasefire.

Habibah Jaghoori was sacked as an editor of the student newspaper, in part for her authorship of an article titled “Death to Israel”. Jaghoori denied this was the basis for her sacking and said it was instead because she “debated and upset a Zionist kid”.

On her social media she has expressed support for Iran and Lebanese group Hezbollah and was last year charged with producing or distributing extremist material. The charges were dropped.

Jaghoori told this masthead the encampments were an important part of the global movement against Israel’s military action, which have been condemned internationally, including at the United Nations and in the International Court of Justice.

“This is called the student intifada,” she said, referring to the Arabic word for a revolutionary uprising. “This encampment takes its lessons and values from previous student movements in the past such as the anti-Vietnam War, as well as previous revolutionaries such as Malcolm X.”

University of Adelaide said peaceful protests held a “privileged position within society”, stating the need for respect and safety.

Last week, ANU’s camp leader said Hamas deserved “unconditional” Australian support, and the University of Queensland has referred two unspecified incidents to police, heightening Jewish groups’ concerns about the tone of the demonstrations.

At Monash University, images posted on social media showed prominent Melbourne activist Ihab Al Azhari at the campus demonstration on Wednesday. Al Azhari was filmed recently on the steps of the Victorian Parliament saying that October 7 was the first of many attacks on Israelis that would ultimately result in the collapse of the state of Israel.

“This is escalating. It’s becoming increasingly violent and tensions are rising. Someone is going to get seriously hurt, or worse. Police need to step in,” said Labor MP Josh Burns, who is Jewish. The comments made him the first Labor MP to call for authorities to intervene.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese continued to condemn the phrase “from the river to the sea” as undermining the two-state solution supported by Australia, but he has not criticised the protests.

Labor MP Josh Burns.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

On Monday, senior minister Tony Burke, a leading critic of Israel in the government, backed the protesters’ right to make their point on campus but noted it must be done with respect and avoid hate speech.

“And on a university campus, of all places, that should be OK,” he said on ABC’s Q+A.

Opposition education spokesman Sarah Henderson welcomed Monash’s move, saying it was important some universities were stepping up to counter vilification.

“Hate speech and incitement are flourishing at some universities because of a failure of moral courage and leadership by the Albanese government and some vice chancellors,” she said

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