Correction: an earlier version of this article stated that the ANU had officially adopted this definition. Whilst ANU is a member of Universities Australia, who has supported the definition, the ANU are still discussing the official adoption of the definition. We apologise for the oversight.

On the 26th of February, all 39 Australian universities unanimously agreed to adopt a unilateral definition of antisemitism. The decision follows a report made by a Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights, which strongly recommended the adoption of a definition similar to that of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). The ANU is yet to make an official comment or decision on the definition.

In early 2023, the ANU had previously confirmed it would not adopt the IHRA definition. At the time, the decision was supported by ANUSA and the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU), due to concerns over the potential for the definition to be “misused to suppress research and teaching activities critical of the actions of the state of Israel.” 

According to reporting by the ABC, the definition was formally adopted on Monday, and was drafted by the Group of Eight (GO8) – Leaders from Australia’s largest universities, of which ANU is one.

The definition includes:

“Antisemitism is discrimination, prejudice, harassment, exclusion, vilification, intimidation or violence that impedes Jews’ ability to participate as equals in educational, political, religious, cultural, economic or social life.

“Criticism of Israel can be antisemitic when it is grounded in harmful tropes, stereotypes or assumptions and when it calls for the elimination of the State of Israel or all Jews or when it holds Jewish individuals or communities responsible for Israel’s actions.

“For most, but not all Jewish Australians, Zionism is a core part of their Jewish identity. Substituting the word ‘Zionist’ for ‘Jew’ does not eliminate the possibility of speech being antisemitic.”

The adoption of a common definition of antisemitism comes after months of parliamentary and public scrutiny directed towards university administrations and their handling of antisemitism allegations on campus, particularly following the encampment protests of 2024.

ANU has been particularly impacted by this scrutiny, being called before the Senate three times in the last year, including to discuss the impact of the ANU Gaza Solidarity encampment and antisemitism on campus. Vice-Chancellor Genevive Bell has been repeatedly pressed by the Senate to provide greater information regarding the disciplinary action ANU has taken in handling allegations of antisemitism on campus. This included the University’s investigation of a now refuted allegation that Nazi gestures had been used by students in an ANUSA online meeting last year. 

Earlier this year, the ANU released a statement on antisemitism. This statement made reference to disciplinary actions taken last year, and reaffirmed “ANU would never tolerate substantiated incidents of racism, discrimination or vilification. Where we have reports, we take them seriously and investigate.”

The definition is similar but distinguished from the IHRA definition, which has been adopted by many organisations internationally including the Australian Government. The IHRA lists specific examples of antisemitism, which include:

• Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor.
• Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.

There remains some uncertainty as to how the new definition will be practically enforced on campuses across Australia, and to what degree it will escape the concerns raised by some about the IHRA definition. Such as was expressed by UN Special Rapporteur, Irene Khan, on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression. Criticism has been levelled at “a tendency to confuse and conflate criticism of the policies of Israel, which is a legitimate exercise of freedom of expression, with antisemitism, which is racial and religious hatred against Jews that must be condemned.”

In December, some education bodies such as the new National Student Ombudsman (NSO) submitted to the Parliamentary Inquiry on Antisemitism that they would be handling complaints of antisemitism on campuses adopting the IHRA’s working definition of antisemitism. This is in line with the position of the Australian Government. Others, however, have remained critical.

In their submissions, the NTEU remained firmly “opposed to anti-semitism”, but noted that “it is important when dealing with an issue such as antisemitism that there is a common understanding of the term. Unfortunately, that is not the case in the current debates around alleged antisemitism on campus.” The Union maintained that it “is strongly of the view that criticism of the state of Israel and its leaders is not in and itself antisemitic.” As such, they “do not support the IHRA definition.”

The Australian Union of Jewish Students (AUJS) submitted late last year that the Union “recommends the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism as it is the most commonly used.” However, AUJS insists that “the priority must be to adopt any definition of antisemitism rather than none at all. Any definition of antisemitism must be clear and consistent and be developed with input from the Jewish Community.”

Woroni reached out to the ANU AUJS contingent for a comment on the definition’s adoption, but are yet to receive a response. The body had in January released a statement labelling the ANU’s approach to handling complaints of antisemitism as “unacceptable”.

In its statement, ANU confirmed it “will continue acting to ensure our campus is a safe place for our community, while also maintaining academic freedoms.”

The definition will be reviewed again by the GO8 in 12 months. Additionally, the parliamentary committee has suggested the need for a judicial inquiry if universities are unable to demonstrate greater action in preventing antisemitism on campus.