Universities Have Become Incubators for Antisemitism – An Interview with Professor dr Salvatore Babones

Photo Credits: Oslokirken

– Universities Have become incubators for antisemitism, says Professor dr Salvatore Babones in an Op-Ed today in the Australian newspaper Financial Review.

Dr Babones is a Professor at the University of Sydney and the author of «Australia’s Universities: Can They Reform?» He has recently been a guest on Pastor Jan-Aage Torp´s Insight talkshows, and tomorrow he will discuss with him on TV antisemitism on campuses.

But now we have interviewed Babones specifically about his Op-Ed today in the Australian newspaper Financial Review.

– Professor Babones, you recently wrote in the Australian Financial Review that universities have tolerated antisemitism on campus since the October 7 attacks. Why do you believe the situation has become so serious?

– After October 7, some of Australia’s most prestigious universities hosted rallies that glorified Hamas terrorism. Campuses were covered in posters calling for the destruction of Israel, while some academics displayed Hamas imagery on social media and equated Zionism with Nazism.

– You argue that universities need to crack down on this behavior. What specifically should they be doing?

– The upcoming university report cards are a good start. They’ll assess whether universities adopt a proper definition of antisemitism, train their staff, create clear complaints processes, and review how they handle encampments and protests that incite discrimination. Universities should secure their campuses, regulate disruptive protests, and prevent the display of incendiary material.

– Greg Barns has warned against such measures, arguing they threaten free speech. How do you respond?

– There’s a big difference between passionate students and the professional activists who exploit them. Students are impressionable — that’s why activists target universities, not office buildings full of middle-aged professionals. Universities have a duty to stop protests that glorify terrorism or incite hatred, just as they would with any other group.

– You suggest that some academics are actively involved in this. Is that a fair claim?

– Unfortunately yes. Many activists have found comfortable positions inside universities. Since professional activism doesn’t pay well, a university post offers the perfect platform to indoctrinate students directly from the lecture podium. The synergy between scholar-activists and impressionable students has created a serious problem.

– Australia has strong legal protections for academic freedom. Does that make reform difficult?

– Academic freedom is important and well protected — Australia was the first country to legislate robust protections. But academic freedom doesn’t include the right to spread hate or disrupt education. Universities can and should maintain order on their own grounds.