Jewish physicist Professor Steven Prawer has told the royal commission into antisemitism and social cohesion that he feared a “terrorist attack” when pro-Palestine protesters occupied his office at the University of Melbourne. Prawer, the academic lead for the university’s joint PhD program with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, described the 9 October 2024 incident as a “highly personal attack.”
Occupation and aftermath
On that day, 20 students covered in keffiyehs, hoods, and masks entered Prawer’s office for about 90 minutes, protesting the university’s partnerships with Israel. Prawer, a self-described Zionist who wears a kippah, said he did not know whether it was a protest or a terrorist attack. “This was only one year after the atrocities in Israel and so I was very perturbed,” he told the commission in Melbourne on Tuesday.
Two protesters were recommended for expulsion and two for suspension. However, after an appeal, the academic board overturned the expulsion decisions. Prawer expressed concern about the lack of deterrence: “The community needs to hear loudly and clearly that the university tolerates dissent but it doesn’t tolerate misbehaviour … Where’s the deterrence?” He also revealed he hired a private investigator to identify the protesters, fearing “Hamas connections.”
University response and broader context
Following the incident, indoor protests at the University of Melbourne have been banned. A university spokesperson described Prawer’s testimony as “powerful” and acknowledged the “significant impact” on him and his family, adding that the university is providing ongoing support. Interim vice-chancellor Professor Glyn Davis is scheduled to appear before the commission on Wednesday.
The royal commission’s fourth block of hearings, held this week in Melbourne, focuses on the lived experiences of Jewish students and academics, including university responses to hate. Other witnesses highlighted ongoing fears among Jewish students. Former Monash University student Paris Enten said her mental health “deteriorated rapidly” and she became “clinically traumatised” after a Holocaust study tour where classmates claimed Jews were not the “main victims” and filmed “TikTok dances in the carparks of Auschwitz.”
Calls for meaningful action
Jeremy Suss, president of the Australasian Union of Jewish Students (AUJS), told the commission he often consoles undergraduates who arrive on campus with “a strong sense of apprehension” due to reported antisemitic incidents. He described a Sukkot holiday event on the anniversary of 7 October where four individuals aggressively interrogated him, including talking about “killing or exiling all of Israel’s population.” Suss criticised universities for not dealing with incidents “in a productive or meaningful way,” with students waiting months for responses or being dismissed outright.
Professor Dennis Altman, an author and activist, urged universities to encourage “respectful debate” rather than shutting down discussion on Israel-Palestine. He said the best path forward was building bridges between Jewish and Palestinian communities, adding: “What we most need in this country at the moment on this issue is a mutual recognition that people are hurting. Social cohesion demands that all groups come out of their narrow focus and reach across.”
