OP article: 17 May 2025
Alternate article- Student general meeting demands USyd drop specious definition of antisemitism, cut ties with Israel - 18 May 2025
USyd response statement - University of Sydney does not condone student resolution: statement: 21 May 2025
Selected paragraphs:
Over 200 students packed a Student General Meeting at the University of Sydney this week, overwhelmingly rejecting the university’s new definition of antisemitism, designed to smear supporters of Palestine, and standing up to a crackdown on the right to protest.
The new Universities Australia definition of antisemitism, adopted by nearly all Australian universities, states that criticism of Israel can be antisemitic “when it calls for the elimination of the State of Israel”. It draws heavily on the widely-condemned International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition which has been opposed by organisations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.
In the end, only two students voted against any of the motions. It was an incredibly important moment for the movement on campus in a context where the right to support Palestine is under serious attack.
When two Zionist students spoke against the motions, calling pro-Palestine protesters antisemitic and condemning Hamas, the entire auditorium turned their backs on them. In response to their claims, an anti-Zionist student from a Jewish family spoke in support of the motion to support the one-state solution, telling the crowd: “I’m tired of being represented by Jewish people that think defending the state of Israel is valid, so I decided to come and speak for myself.”
In the lead-up to the meeting, the University had also threatened to cancel the room booking for the SGM unless the meeting was recorded and every student who wanted to attend presented their identification to security. These demands were dropped after opposition from the SRC.
They ought to join their union, though I wonder if NTEU will backup their words with strikes in solidarity if these changes aren’t reversed:
https://www.nteu.au/News_Articles/National/NTEU_Statement_on_Israel_and_Palestine.aspx
There are many good rank and file members but often their work is undermined not just by management but by Labor.
Case in point Sydney Uni NTEU branch was lead by a militant independent faction that had management on the back foot during the last EBA negotiations until the cliquey Labor run state division and the national office stepped in to fuck them over. This same independent group is also largely responsible for the campaign that saw the NTEU national council adopt the BDS positions last year.
Unfortunately that grouping lost a couple of key branch positions to Labor Zionists who are doing their utmost to prove to everyone how great they are being nice to management while being absolutely fucking useless when it comes to defending or fighting for any of the gains made in the last EBA.