A student group campaigning under the name "Globalise the Intifada" remained on the ballot for the University of Sydney’s Student Representative Council elections despite strong objections from Jewish community organizations and university leadership. Voting closed on Thursday, but controversy over the group’s use of the slogan intensified, with calls for the university to condemn the phrase and address a broader pattern of intimidation on campus.
Jewish organizations including the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, the Australian Union of Jewish Students, and the Australian Academic Alliance against Antisemitism sent a letter to University of Sydney Vice-Chancellor Mark Scott. They urged him to acknowledge the distress caused by the slogan and to issue a formal statement condemning its use. The groups argued that while the university should not restrict legitimate political expression or preempt individual disciplinary action, it must clearly draw a line against intimidation and calls to violence to maintain a respectful environment for free exchange of ideas.
Archbishops from Sydney’s Anglican and Catholic churches also expressed concern over the slogan. Anglican Archbishop Kanishka Raffel described the phrase as threatening and offensive to Jewish students, highlighting ongoing challenges they face with antisemitism on campus. The Catholic Archdiocese, responding to the Bondi Hanukkah massacre earlier this year, called on the university to enhance its commitment to Jewish student safety, criticizing the continued presence of inflammatory material.
While some of the campaign material linked to the "Globalise the Intifada" group was removed from unofficial sites around the Camperdown-Darlinghurst campus, posters displayed on official notice boards remained in place during the election period. University administration does not directly manage the Student Representative Council elections, which are overseen by an SRC electoral officer, independent of university officials. Following complaints, the university sought advice from the New South Wales Electoral Commission.
On Thursday, the university engaged crown solicitors to assess the legal status of the "Intifada" ticket and associated material, noting that, unlike Queensland, the slogan has not been criminalized under New South Wales law. Vice-Chancellor Scott met with representatives from the Jewish community on Wednesday and stated that the university remained committed to reviewing the student election process to prevent future occurrences. A university spokesperson emphasized that ongoing consultation with the community would guide any further actions.
Nonetheless, some Jewish staff members at the university expressed disappointment with the response, describing the decision to allow the ticket’s participation as a “stunning defeat” that could embolden antisemitism on campus. They criticized the university’s handling of the matter, conveying a sense that the issue had not been adequately addressed, despite previous apologies from Professor Scott over similar incidents.
The controversy underscores the tension between protecting free political expression in student elections and responding to concerns about language and symbols perceived as intimidating or offensive by minority groups within the university community.