Liberal MP Julian Leeser has identified a significant issue within Australian higher education concerning antisemitism on university campuses, but his attempt to directly link these protests to the Bondi massacre has been labeled as "destructive overreach" by commentator Peter van Onselen.
Leeser contended that certain university campuses fostered an environment where antisemitic language was disguised as political activism, a failure he believes warrants scrutiny by the Royal Commission into Antisemitism. However, van Onselen argues that describing the Bondi massacre as the "inevitable endpoint" of campus politics asserts a causal connection that cannot be established, transforming institutional criticism into an accusation of complicity in mass murder.
Van Onselen also critiqued Leeser's proposed threshold for identifying antisemitism, suggesting that deeming criticism of Israel as antisemitic if it applies a standard not applied to the U.S. or Britain is "impossibly loose." While acknowledging that Israel often faces double standards motivated by anti-Jewish hostility, van Onselen stated that selectivity alone does not equate to antisemitism, as it can also stem from ignorance or hypocrisy.
Universities, according to van Onselen, should focus on policing conduct such as threats, harassment, and support for violence, rather than acting as arbiters of whether foreign policy critiques are geopolitically consistent.
Leeser's assertion that vice-chancellors have been "weak and spineless" and that campuses are the "epicenter" of antisemitism has been described as hyperbole, despite a valid grievance about some administrators' delayed or insufficient responses to concerns raised by Jewish students after October 7.
Van Onselen highlighted that a parliamentary inquiry into antisemitism in Australian universities, chaired by Labor MP Josh Burns, revealed differing realities across institutions. Some universities experienced significant disruptions, while others managed incidents swiftly. He cited UWA, where he is a professor, as an example where heated arguments did not escalate into prolonged encampments or intimidation.
He further noted that generalizing the situation and treating all institutions as identical is "polemic and callow." Van Onselen pointed out that several universities, including Melbourne, Monash, and Wollongong, have adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism, a solution Leeser advocates for.
Van Onselen also directed criticism towards Leeser's own political positioning, questioning the courage behind his resignation from Peter Dutton's frontbench to campaign for the Indigenous Voice, suggesting it was a calculated move based on favorable polling at the time.
Ultimately, van Onselen concluded that the issue of antisemitism on campus is too serious to be addressed with exaggeration and collective blame, asserting that Leeser's overreach risks weakening his own valid points.