An open letter to the Vice Chancellors of Australian Universities

6th May 2024 Holocaust Remembrance day …an actual genocide

We are the founders and volunteers of, ‘Never Again Is Now’ (NAIN), a grassroots Christian community that takes action against antisemitism. We currently have ~450 volunteers Australia-wide who are dedicated to organising events and to educating people on the current issues concerning antisemitism.

As Christians, we are called to stand with (Isaiah 49:22) and comfort God’s Jewish people (Isaiah 40:1) in a way that reflects His unfailing love (Isaiah 54:10) towards His treasured possession, Israel (Deut 7:6) who are the apple of His eye (Zech 2:8).  

On February 18th 2024, NAIN hosted a rally headlined by our former PM Scott Morrison. In Adelaide, the Honourable Simon Birmingham stood firmly against hate speech that faced us at our peace rally. More events are in the pipeline to make a stand against hate speech. 

We are strong advocates for robust debate and free speech. However, this right must never veer into hate speech targeting religious or ethnic minorities.

There has been an unprecedented rise in antisemitism on our campuses. We are deeply concerned that the university leadership are not addressing this adequately.

History has very clearly shown us that in every generation, physical violence and persecution against Jews begins with negative words and symbols. The level of antisemitism in Australia is developing concerning parallels with Germany in the 1930s. 

German Pastor, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, wrote that, “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless.”

There are currently 6 very disturbing activities on our university campuses which, if left unchecked, can escalate to physical violence and terrorism.

These are listed below and include:

1) Death chants/posters - catch-cries such as, “From the (Jordan) River to the (Mediterranean) Sea”is not only highly offensive, but is also dangerous. Originally, the Australian Government certified that the Hamas organization was linked to terrorism.  One of its members, in Sydney NSW, incites its supporters with this chant and others of similar in nature.

1. In Arabic, “from the river to the sea” Arabic phrase is: “min al-mayyeh li-mayyeh, Filastin ‘arabiyyeh” (from the [river] water to the [sea] water, Palestine is Arab) which doesn’t mean “free”, but only Arab; hence no Jews.

2. Current Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has said that, “in a final resolution, we would not see the presence of a single Israeli – civilian or soldier – on our lands.” 

3. Article seven of the Hamas Charter reads, “the Prophet, Allah’s prayer and peace be upon him, says: “The hour of judgment shall not come until the Muslims fight the Jews and kill them, so that the Jews hide behind trees and stones, and each tree and stone will say: ‘Oh Muslim, oh servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him,’ except for the Gharqad tree, for it is the tree of the Jews.”

4. On June 1, 1967, Ahmed Shukairy, then-Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization, said, “this is a fight for the homeland – it is either us or the Israelis. There is no middle road. The Jews of Palestine will have to leave. We will facilitate their departure to their former homes. Any of the old Palestine Jewish population who survive may stay, but it is my impression that none of them will survive.”

5. In 1966, Syrian leader Hafez Al-Assad, insisted in no uncertain terms that, “We shall only accept war and the restoration of the usurped land … to oust you, aggressors, and throw you into the sea for good.”

6. In 1948, Sheikh Hassan el-Bana, head of the Moslem Brotherhood, stated that “If the Jewish state becomes a fact, and this is realized by the Arab peoples, they will drive the Jews who live in their midst into the sea.”

2) “Globalise Intifada” chants - precious and impressionable children, as young as 6 years old, are taught hate-filled chants to globalize a “violent uprising” against Jews (and all other apostate non-muslims).  They want to globalise random knife attacks, suicide bombings, car-ramming and shooting of civilians.

3) Multiple flags associated with extremist islamic ideology - representatives of ISIS and Al Qaeda are currently encouraging and demanding the implementation of Sharia law and Jihad. During rallies, people fly flags which represent these ideologies and agendas. Pictured is the very flag that a decade ago sparked global media attention as it was hung on the window of Sydney’s Lindt Cafe during a terrorist siege.

• Sydney Uni encampment is now renamed the “Muslim Encampment”    

• Also "Popular Front for Liberation of Palestine" flags are displayed at encampments even though this has been designated a terror organisation by numerous of our allies.

4) These protests and encampments are not grassroots events, they are funded and organised by external groups with terror links - Australian and U.S. police reports reveal that such projects are being funded and pre-organised by terrorist organisations.

5) There is a documented agenda of hatred towards western culture and countries, including Australia - Documents found in a globally shared cross-university Google Drive, and made public 4th May 2024, reveal the campus’ detailed action plan to destroy the West including phrases such as, “No More Australia”

6) “Columbia First, USYD next” chants heard at a recent protest, held on Friday 3rd May 2024 at 10am, were calling for the level of damage and confrontation which occurred at Columbia and UCLA, Portland (see post by NYPD Deputy Commissioner)

We are concerned that many of the chants and slogans and rhetoric of the student activists breech Hate Speech laws and incite violence against Jewish students. 

We believe it is critical that our universities gain control of these student groups and all incitements to violence and all hate speech and all antisemitic targeting of Jewish students is ended immediately.

As Australian Educational Institutions, and as apart the broader global community, we need you, our educational leaders, to stand up and be leaders at the forefront against antisemitism and terrorism at all Australian Universities. 

We plead with you to stop hate which is spreading rapidly and hidden in plain sight amongst the chants/signs/flags that promote terrorist ideologies. 

We urge you to heed the advice of the UAE Foreign Minister in 2017 who warned that if strong leadership decisions are not made now, our institutions will become a propaganda machine that promotes violent extremism.

We encourage you to follow the example of the University of Florida: "At the University of Florida, we have repeatedly, patiently explained two things to protesters: We will always defend your rights to free speech and free assembly—but if you cross the line on clearly prohibited activities, you will be thrown off campus and suspended. In Gainesville, that means a three-year prohibition from campus. That’s serious. We said it. We meant it. We enforced it. We wish we didn’t have to, but the students weighed the costs, made their decisions, and will own the consequences as adults. We’re a university, not a daycare. We don’t coddle emotions, we wrestle with ideas."

As a Vice Chancellor, you are tasked with a number of responsibilities, a key issue being to provide a safe space on campus for all students, staff and visitors.  This is not happening at present. 

Respectfully we ask that you now take more proactive measures to remove the encampments and put a stop to antisemitism and hate that is currently on your campuses.

Regards,

The NAIN team