Pro-Palestine students in Australia call for repeal of IHRA definition of antisemitism
Muslim student groups and Palestine solidarity organisations in Australia are calling for the withdrawal of a new, university-specific definition of antisemitism over concerns that it will conflate criticism of Israel with hatred of Jewish people.
The coalition of 26 Muslim Students Associations (MSAs) and 35 pro-Palestinian groups said the new definition of antisemitism “systematically criminalises Palestinian, Muslim and Arab students".
On 27 February, Universities Australia (UA), a body representing 39 of Australia’s 43 universities, released a “Statement on Racism”, putting forth a “uniform definition of antisemitism” to be adopted unanimously by the affiliated institutions.
According to UA’s statement, the new definition draws on the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, as well as recommendations from Antisemitism Taskforces at Columbia University, Stanford University, Harvard University, and New York University.
In a joint letter, they called for Australian universities to “rescind their adoption” of the definition.
Read more: Pro-Palestine students in Australia call for repeal of IHRA definition of antisemitism
