The University of Sydney has terminated the employment of a staff member following a formal investigation into a disturbing incident of antisemitic abuse directed at Jewish students on campus.
Confrontation Captured on Camera
The university announced the dismissal of Rose Nakad, described as a cultural activist and media academic, on Monday. This decision followed an immediate suspension in October after footage emerged showing Nakad confronting students celebrating the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.
In video obtained by Sky News, Nakad approached the group, asking if they were 'Zionists'. Despite repeated requests from the students to be left alone, stating they were not making a political protest, she continued her tirade. Nakad leaned in close to one woman, declaring, 'A Zionist is the lowest form of rubbish' and yelling that Zionists were 'the most disgusting thing that has ever walked this earth'.
She described herself as an 'Indigenous Palestinian' before calling the students 'baby killers' and labelling one a 'f***ing filthy Zionist'.
University's Response and Broader Campus Climate
A university spokesperson stated Nakad's conduct was 'deeply distressing and utterly unacceptable', confirming that antisemitism has no place at Australia's oldest university. 'We immediately suspended the staff member pending a formal process, and have now terminated their employment on the grounds of serious misconduct,' they said.
The spokesperson added that the decision ensured campuses remained 'safe and welcoming for all' and pointed to reforms since the disbandment of a protest encampment last year, which they claimed had led to a substantial decline in antisemitism complaints.
Vice-Chancellor Mark Scott apologised to the Jewish community for the incident. Notably, the termination was announced just a day after the Bondi Beach mass shooting during a Hanukkah celebration, though the university stated the dismissal was the result of its independent disciplinary process.
Academic Leaders Condemn Institutional Failure
The case has intensified criticism of how Australian universities handle antisemitism. Emeritus Professor Greg Craven, former vice-chancellor of the Australian Catholic University, labelled the spread of such hatred on campuses as 'one of the greatest failures of Australian universities in their history'.
'The universities, in failing to take a stance, have been morally complicit,' Professor Craven argued. 'Every time you see a chanting, vicious protest on a university campus, it's telling you that antisemitism's all right. Every time nothing is done about that, it's telling you it's not wrong.'
His comments were echoed by Associate Professor Yoni Nazarathy, a Jewish academic at the University of Queensland, who stated that antisemitism 'was not handled properly by our education system and university leaders'.
The dismissal of Rose Nakad marks a decisive action by the University of Sydney, but it underscores ongoing concerns about the prevalence of antisemitic rhetoric and the responsibility of academic institutions to confront it decisively.
