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Top university rejects antisemitism definition over academic freedom
By Angus Thompson
The Australian National University has refused to adopt a contentious definition of antisemitism used by other tertiary institutions after receiving internal advice that it risked reducing academic freedom.
The deliberations contributing to the university’s stance, taken months before the outbreak of the Gaza conflict, were revealed in confidential documents as the government this week announced a special envoy on antisemitism amid continuing domestic tensions over the violence in the Middle East.
Protesters at the pro-Palestinian encampment at the Australian National University in May.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer
A discussion paper by the university’s academic freedom reference group was prepared for then-vice chancellor Brian Schmidt after lobbying from parliamentarians and Jewish students for universities to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism.
“It is our advice that adopting any definition of antisemitism which implicates academic criticism of the State of Israel poses a real risk of reducing the scope of academic freedom as currently maintained at the ANU,” said the resulting advice early last year.
The advice, revealed in a freedom of information request, provides insight into the antisemitism debate at universities, which have been criticised by the Coalition about their handling of student protests over the deaths in Gaza since October 7.
An ANU spokesperson said the paper was only one factor in the university’s decision.
Australia’s new special envoy on antisemitism, Jillian Segal, on Tuesday.Credit: Kate Geraghty
The alliance defines antisemitism as “a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews”. The definition lists several examples of antisemitism, including “drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis”.
While the alliance does go on to say that “criticism of Israel similar to that levelled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic”, the definition has been contested in several countries by those who argue it enables institutions to shut down criticism of the Israeli government.
The ANU discussion paper pondered whether the university should maintain its existing anti-discrimination policies, or adopt an explicit definition of antisemitism, with the institution ultimately deciding its own measures were enough.
“The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance Working Definition may be considered potentially more limiting of criticism of the State of Israel than either our current policies and procedures or the inclusion of a non-defined reference about antisemitism would be,” the paper said.
The Greens and the National Tertiary Education Union are among the groups to warn that the alliance’s definition could limit academic freedom.
“Many Jewish voices have raised very real concerns that turning this into an enforceable code could restrict academic and student criticism of Israeli government policies,” a Greens spokesperson has said.
Australia Palestine Advocacy Network president Nasser Mashni said the university’s decision “aligns with well-established concerns, and a great deal of evidence, that has a chilling effect on academic freedom and freedom of speech”.
The University of Melbourne, University of Sydney, Monash University and University of NSW have adopted or referenced the definition, but most other universities have not.
Liberal backbencher Julian Leeser has criticised the ANU’s decision.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
Liberal backbencher Julian Leeser, who is Jewish, said academic freedom was not affected on the campuses of institutions which had adopted the definition. “So why won’t the ANU follow suit?” he asked.
Labor backbencher Josh Burns, another Jewish MP who joined Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in announcing businesswoman Jillian Segal as the special envoy to combat antisemitism, said ANU’s position was outrageous, “given the fact there have [since] been a number of incidents at ANU”.
In May, the pro-Palestinian encampment at the university was forced to shift to another site, while ANU suspended one student for expressing support for Hamas, the listed terror group targeted by Israeli forces.
Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, who is also Jewish, said in an appearance at the National Press Club on Tuesday that statements become antisemitic “when people criticise Israel in a way that they would not dream of applying to another country, then you are at the point of antisemitism”.
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