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A peak Australian Jewish student body says Jewish students are copping demands to declare their political stances at university.
Australasian Union of Jewish Students president Noah Loven said Jews were being vilified.
“It’s simply not safe for many Jewish students on campus at the moment, and it’s unacceptable that many feel they cannot attend their lectures and classes in person without fear of intimidation, harassment and violence,” he said.
Jewish students had been targeted at university events and demanded to declare their political stances during classes publicly, Mr Loven said.
The union is calling for meetings with the federal and state education ministers and university vice-chancellors, and better supports and tougher hate speech policies from universities.
Mr Loven says the union is concerned with university encampments at universities in the US, Australia and New Zealand that are in the mould of a tense New York protest.
The New York camp at Columbia University was dramatically raided by police on Wednesday afternoon Australian time.
More than 100 people were arrested as police rounded up protesters following weeks of media coverage on the university president’s opposition to the protest.
A pro-Palestinian camp set up at the University of Melbourne on April 25. The Jewish union is planning a rally at the university on Thursday. The university says the pro-Palestine group has been peaceful.
Zionist Federation of Australia chief executive Alon Cassuto said generally anti-Semitism had been getting worse in recent months.
“Students are singled out in classes. Jewish students are scared to complain for fear their marks will be affected,” he said.
“Anti-Semitism under the guise of political discourse is still anti-Semitism. We must be vigilant and clear in our opposition to any form of hate on our campuses.”
The Zionist group supported the student union’s call “to preserve the safety and dignity of all students”.
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