Wong labels some university protests antisemitic
Foreign Penny Wong has labelled some of the protests about the war in Gaza on university campuses as antisemitic.
And Wong has refused to say how Australia will vote in the United Nations’ General Assembly on full recognition of a Palestinian state scheduled to take place overnight on Friday (AEST).
Foreign Minister Penny Wong.Credit: Getty
Universities have been roiled in recent weeks by pro-Israel and pro-Palestine protests and encampments have been set up on some campuses.
Sydney and Monash universities have urged students protesting against the war in Gaza to stop using phrases such as “intifada” and “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”.
“Intifada” is an Arabic word for popular uprising, but the Anti-Defamation League, founded a century ago to counter the vilification of Jews, argues it is a slogan that calls for indiscriminate violence against Israel.
Israel’s invasion of Gaza started after Hamas’s October 7 attacks, which killed 1200 people. More than 34,500 people have been killed in Gaza since the start of the invasion.
Monash ordered the removal of “Zionist not welcome” slogans earlier this week after receiving legal advice it was vilification and Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus told Australia’s Group of Eight universities that people had legal recourse to make a complaint under section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act over the use of the slogans.
Wong told Radio National breakfast on Friday that, like Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, she had a problem with the chant “from the river to the sea”.
“I’ve always believed that what that says is contrary to a two-state solution,” she said. “I’ve been clear about that, in whatever context in which it’s been used and it has been used by both sides of the argument, what it expresses is a view that is not consistent with a two-state solution.”
Asked if some of the language used on campuses was antisemitic, Wong said “yes I do”.
“Universities have to ensure that they are safe spaces for all students regardless of who they are. Secondly, we do have a right to peaceful protest in this country. And people are entitled to protest in support of their views in a democracy,” she said.
A pro-Palestinian protest at the Monash University encampment.Credit: Justin McManus
“We must defend people’s right to disagree respectfully, we must ensure that we don’t diminish each other in how we disagree and there is too much of that.”
Last month, the United States vetoed full recognition of Palestine in a Security Council vote but Australia is expected to abstain, rather than vote Yes or No, in the General Assembly vote.
Last December, Australia broke with the United States and voted in favour of an immediate ceasefire in Gaza at a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly.
Before Friday’s vote, Wong would not say how Australia would vote but would consider the final resolution that came before the General Assembly.
“We will look at what the text [of the resolution] says, we will look at what the actual meaning of the resolution is, we will look and we are focused on the situation on the ground, we want a humanitarian ceasefire, we want the release of hostages, we want increased humanitarian aid and obviously we will be speaking to our friends and partners internationally,” she said.
“Australia does support a two-state solution, it is not a question of if we will recognise a Palestinian state, it is a question of when.”
She dismissed suggestions that voting yes or abstaining would reward Hamas.
“Let’s remember the two-state solution, that is a Palestinian state alongside the state of Israel, is actually the opposite of what Hamas want. Hamas wants conflict, this is about long-term peace.”
Asked when Australia could recognise a Palestinian state, the foreign minister said that historically Australia had taken the view that recognition of Palestine would come at the end of a negotiated peace process. Now, however, there was a developing view that recognition could contribute to securing a peace deal.
Wong cautioned, however, that if Australia recognised Palestine at the United Nations it would not automatically followed by bilateral recognition.
“One does not necessarily lead to the other at the same time.”
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