Australia鈥檚 national university has been harangued in parliament for turning a blind eye to antisemitism while contributing to Israel鈥檚 鈥済enocide鈥� against Palestinians, in a two-hour inquisition by members of a Senate estimates committee.

In an echo of a聽fiery hearing聽in US Congress last December, when three university presidents were berated over perceived Palestinian sympathies, Australian National University (ANU) leaders were summoned to estimates for just the second time in the institution鈥檚 78-year history.

Obliged to accept because ANU is governed under federal legislation, university executives were grilled by shadow education minister Sarah Henderson over their handling of 鈥渉ate speech鈥� against Jewish students.

Her interrogation was interspersed with questioning by Greens education spokeswoman Mehreen Faruqi and independent senator Lidia Thorpe over ANU鈥檚 鈥渟urveillance鈥� of pro-Palestinian protesters and its 鈥渃omplicity in genocide due to its weapons holdings鈥�.

糖心Vlog

Dr Faruqi said the university had increased its shareholding in British multinational BAE Systems by A$28,000 (拢15,000) during the first month of Israel鈥檚 military action in Gaza. 鈥淏AE systems is involved with supplying fighter jets to Israel. How does the ANU justify investing more in BAE systems since the beginning of this genocide?鈥�

ANU had also announced it was 鈥渃utting all ties with Russia鈥� within 10 days of the invasion of Ukraine, Dr Faruqi noted. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been eight months of genocide in Gaza. Why haven鈥檛 any similar steps been taken to cut ties with Israel?鈥� she asked.

糖心Vlog

Ms Thorpe asked whether the university had attempted to obtain legal advice as to whether its staff could be 鈥渃omplicit鈥� in the case being considered by the International Criminal Court. The ICC has filed warrants for the arrest of leaders of both Israel and Gaza for crimes against humanity.

鈥淐an you tell me how you can justify to your Palestinian students, who have had family murdered in the genocide in Gaza, that you are using their fees to fund the manufacture of the very same weapons that are being used to kill their loved ones?鈥� Ms Thorpe asked.

Ms Henderson asked about ANU vice-chancellor Genevieve Bell鈥檚 views on the protest encampment causing 鈥渁 great deal of fear and grief and distress鈥� to the university鈥檚 Jewish students. She also asked Professor Bell鈥檚 opinion of slogans on stickers around the campus.

鈥溾€業f you鈥檙e not with Palestine, you are a psychopath,鈥欌€� Ms Henderson quoted. 鈥淚s that antisemitic in your view? What about 鈥榋ionism is terrorism鈥�? I think self-evidently that鈥檚 pretty hateful. Would you agree?鈥�

鈥淵es, I would, which is why we work on removing [those stickers] when we find them,鈥� Professor Bell said. 鈥淎lmost every day [we are] taking multiple things down from around our campus.鈥�

糖心Vlog

She said ANU had instituted 10 鈥渄isciplinary proceedings鈥� over the protests and expelled two students. Four 鈥渋ncidents鈥� on campus had been referred to the police.

Professor Bell questioned whether the wars in Gaza and Ukraine were 鈥渋dentical circumstances鈥�, but said the ANU council would review the university鈥檚 鈥渟ocially responsible investment鈥� policy at its 14 June meeting.

鈥淲e have a lot of policies that need to be reviewed,鈥� said Professor Bell, who became vice-chancellor in January. 鈥淧art of the job for my team is to go through the entire suite of鈥early 400 policies and determine whether they鈥檙e all still appropriate for the 21st century.鈥�

糖心Vlog

ANU鈥檚 deputy vice-chancellor for research and innovation, Lachlan Blackhall, said the university had research relationships with 鈥渁 small number of defence companies for a small number of projects鈥�. The work was 鈥渇ocused on fundamental research at very low technology readiness level鈥� and was not funded by government grants or student fees.

ANU investments were selected by an external manager who was required to meet conditions of the socially responsible investment policy, Professor Blackhall said. 鈥淚 completely reject the assertion that we鈥檙e complicit in genocide,鈥� he said.

The Palestine protests consumed a significant proportion of the 12-hour estimates hearing on 6 June. Federal Department of Education secretary Tony Cook said they had also consumed a significant proportion of his time.

Mr Cook said he had discussed the issue with Universities Australia, the Group of Eight, the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, the Australasian Union of Jewish Students and education minister Jason Clare, and held 21 separate conversations with the vice-chancellors of the universities of Adelaide, Deakin, Melbourne, Monash, Queensland and Sydney, as well as ANU.

糖心Vlog

john.ross@timeshighereducation.com