The Australian, 16 July 2026
Vice-chancellors in the dock: universities caught napping when hate came to campus
By James Dowling and Elizabeth Pike
From The Australian
University bosses have admitted they were unprepared for anti-Israel encampments and failed to recognise their impact, in shocking testimony exposing how institutions did not protect Jewish students and staff from vile antisemitic abuse on campus.
Forced to face the Antisemitism and Social Cohesion Royal Commission in a historic appearance on Wednesday, several vice-chancellors accepted blame for isolating Jewish students and negotiating concessions to activists without their input.
The evidence stood in stark contrast with Western Sydney University vice-chancellor Jennifer Westacott’s submission to the inquiry in which she accused other universities of hiding behind free speech and demanded a universal definition of antisemitism across Australian campuses.
In bruising cross-examination, University of Sydney vice-chancellor Mark Scott gave a string of apologies when faced with accusations he had failed to keep Jewish people safe, while defending the university’s approach to the suspected presence of an Islamist hate group on campus.