A government-dominated Senate committee has rejected an?opposition push for a?judicial inquiry into antisemitism on?Australian campuses, even though it?found that universities¡¯ responses to?the problem had been ¡°woefully inadequate¡± and the proposal had been backed by?the government¡¯s special envoy into antisemitism.

The Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee concluded that the proposed inquiry would be ¡°too slow¡±, requiring at least eight months.

The committee¡¯s says the ¡°deeply¡± troubling accounts of antisemitism warrant a quicker and ¡°more agile¡± reaction ¡°to the situation on the ground¡±.

¡°It is entirely within the power of Australian universities to take action to address antisemitism now,¡± the report says.

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It recommends that universities work with the higher education regulator, Teqsa, and the special envoy, Jillian Skinner, to ensure that their complaints processes are ¡°understood by students and staff and deliver real and meaningful outcomes¡±.

Antisemitism on campuses should also be investigated by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights and the national student ombudsman, which is due to be established in?February.

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The committee found that universities¡¯ handling of antisemitism had been ¡°remarkably similar to their historically poor responses to sexual assault and harassment¡±.

¡°It is a sad indictment on Australian universities that it is only¡­in crisis that they feel compelled to address serious safety issues on campus, and even then, reluctantly.¡±

In a dissenting report, the committee¡¯s Liberal Party members said the inquiry should be established ¡°as soon as practicable¡±. They offered additional recommendations including antisemitism training for university leaders and legislation requiring universities to disclose ¡°a?breakdown of all revenues and all agreements¡­with foreign persons or entities¡±.

The dissenting report says ¡°the sense of fear in the Jewish community is palpable¡± and an inquiry was supported by ¡°hundreds of Jewish students and academics who¡­bravely shared their stories¡±.

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Only a commission of inquiry can offer such people the ¡°confidence to [testify] without fear of reprisals, retaliation, vilification, bullying or even threats to physical safety¡±, Liberal senators said.

In a statement, shadow education minister Sarah Henderson said the anniversary of the 7?October massacre was days away and Australia¡¯s Jewish community was ¡°grappling with the ugly spread of antisemitism¡±. She demanded ¡°urgent action¡±, including financial penalties for universities that failed to comply with student safety policies.

¡°After the distress and harm suffered by Jewish students and staff for almost a year, any suggestion universities should be responsible for reviewing their own policies is untenable,¡± Ms Henderson said.

john.ross@timeshighereducation.com