Unis oppose anti-Semitism inquiry despite safety fears

Liberal senator Sarah Henderson pushed the bill in July, suggesting university authorities had "consistently failed" to deal with the issue both before and after Hamas' October 7 attacks on Israel.

Envoy to combat anti-Semitism Jillian Segal will front the inquiry on Tuesday, before universities front up on Friday.

Jillian Segal has questioned the ability of the commission to approach evidence with impartiality. (Dean Lewins/AAP PHOTOS)

The Group of Eight, which represents the largest universities in Australia, said the proposed inquiry was too narrow.

"As this is a whole of society issue, it will take a whole of society effort to address … the narrow scope of the bill misses the opportunity to take a genuine look at the causes and drivers endangering our social cohesion," Go8 CEO Vicki Thomson wrote in her submission.

"(Any inquiry should) be broadened in scope to incorporate all forms of racial or religious intolerance and include universities, the media, schools and other key components of broader society."

The Australian Human Rights Commission is studying the impact of racism at universities, with a number of institutions suggesting it was a more appropriate avenue for action.

But Ms Segal said Jewish students she had spoken to said they did not have confidence in the commission to approach their evidence with impartiality and respect and needed to give testimony in private.

"Universities are in denial about the seriousness of the situation and have failed to recognise the embedded culture of anti-Semitism causing Jewish students to be traumatised, feel unsafe, stay away from campus and not partake equally in educational opportunities and failed to act appropriately," she wrote in her submission.

"Anti-Semitic behaviour is not only present on many campuses but is an embedded part of the culture … Jewish students are traumatised and feel isolated and unsafe."

The proposed commission of inquiry would have identical powers to a royal commission.

The Australian Centre of Jewish Civilisation at Monash University's director said the proposed commission might just replicate existing work and could do more harm than good.

"A commission of inquiry may be seen to run the risk of politicising anti-Semitism with a focus on recrimination rather than on solutions … I therefore recommend that the government focuses on supporting existing mechanisms," David Slucki wrote in his submission.

Ms Segal was appointed special envoy to combat anti-Semitism on July 9, where Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promised he would also select someone to target Islamophobia.

That role is yet to be filled.