A Jewish academic who attended an “anti-racism” conference at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) was left in tears after enduring “a co-ordinated humiliation”, allegedly at the hands of other delegates.
The university this week hosted the National Symposium on Unifying Anti-Racist Research and Action, an event that has outraged Australia’s Jewish community after attendees were shown an image titled “Dutton’s Jew” at a “comedy debate” hosted by executive officer of the pro-Palestinian Jewish Council of Australia, Sarah Schwartz, on Wednesday.
During the presentation, Ms Schwartz accused the Opposition Leader of hiding behind the Jewish community to promote a right-wing agenda. After footage of her talk was shared on social media, Ms Schwartz said in a statement the clip had been taken out of context, and that was pillorying “Peter Dutton’s racist, ignorant and monolithic conception of Jewish people”.
“Only opportunists could wilfully misrepresent my point, which is that Peter Dutton is exploiting the rise in anti-Semitism for political gain,” she said.
QUT vice-chancellor Margaret Sheil has apologised for the “significant offence” caused.
On Friday, however, University of Queensland Associate Professor Yoni Nazarathy, said his fellow attendees stood and yelled “‘shame’ in unison” in his direction during the symposium, which he alleged was motivated by the leaking of the Dutton cartoon.
The presentation was hosted executive officer of the pro-Palestinian Jewish Council of Australia, Sarah Schwartz. Picture: Supplied
The ‘Dutton’s Jew’ cartoon was shown during a ‘comedy debate’ at the symposium on Wednesday. Picture: Supplied
“It was a co-ordinated humiliation. All I could do is sit there and try to exit respectfully,” Professor Nazarathy, a lecturer in artificial intelligence, said.
He became emotional when speaking to The Australian about his “public humiliation”.
“Maybe it was a lesson in racism,” he said, fighting back tears. “So maybe I got my money’s worth.
“I felt like this was a racist attack on me and an unfortunate one because this is not what Australia needs right now.
“As a person that identifies as Zionist and is Jewish in Australia, I don’t feel too safe these days, I look over my shoulder.”
