More than 450 University of Sydney (USyd) alumni and current staff have signed a letter calling for a mass meeting to discuss the university’s ties to Israel amid concerns of a crackdown on free speech.
The letter, submitted to Chancellor David Thodey on Tuesday, accused the university of “failing to respond meaningfully to the ongoing genocide in Gaza” which it said “represents a profound moral failure”.
The signatories – among them recipients of Australian AM and OAM honours, a former deputy vice-chancellor and two politicians – are calling for a meeting of Convocation, a body comprising alumni, staff and members of the university’s governing Senate.
As well as the university’s institutional ties to Israel, the letter noted “an accelerating erosion of freedom of expression” as a crisis warranting a Convocation meeting.
“We want to give voice to the disquiet among staff and alumni and force the university to take this issue seriously. They can’t keep sweeping an ongoing genocide under the rug,” Dr David Brophy, senior lecturer in history, told Deepcut.
Two weeks to reply
Convocation meetings are common in universities as a means for alumni and staff to provide input into the institution’s governance. The University of Western Australia and University of New England are among those that hold regular Convocation meetings.
The University of Sydney (Amendment Act) Rule 1999 requires Convocation to “hold at least 1 meeting in each year”. The last meeting it held, however, was over three decades ago.
“Convocation is not a relic of a bygone age: meetings were held as recently as the 1990s,” the letter read.
According to the university’s governing document, the Chancellor has 14 days from the request to give notice of a meeting – or until September 8. If granted, the meeting is to be held within 28 days of the request – or by September 22.
“Our Chancellor is considering the request to summon a meeting of Convocation sent on Tuesday as required under relevant university rules,” a USyd spokesperson told Deepcut.
‘Suppression of dissent’
Campus atmosphere has remained tense since an anti-genocide student encampment was removed in 2024.
That same year, USyd management upgraded its CCTV system, installed additional cameras and introduced restrictions on students setting up stalls.
University staff also report being “unfairly accused of antisemitism for protesting Israel’s actions in Palestine”, according to a statement from the letter’s organisers.
The statement claims there has been a “suppression of dissent in the wake of the 2024 pro-Palestine encampment”.
When asked about the allegations, the USyd spokesperson said, “We remain strongly committed to academic freedom and freedom of speech balanced alongside our obligations to ensure the safety and well-being of our whole community.”
Many seem unconvinced. Jenny Leong, the state Greens MP for Newtown and a signatory to the letter as a former USyd Senate Fellow, warned the university’s reputation was at risk.
“The student experience, beyond the classroom, was something that used to be valued by the university, so now to see policies and practices that crack down on the rights of freedom of speech, association and assembly, as well as attempting to silence pro-Palestinian and anti-genocide actions, is cause for serious concern,” she told Deepcut.
Refusal to cut Israeli ties
A key demand of the student encampment was for USyd to cut institutional ties to Israel, in line with several European universities that have taken such a step.
In February 2025, USyd ended an exchange program with the Bezalel Academy of Arts in Israel but insisted that “recent advocacy against this student exchange had nothing to do with the University’s decision”.
“Our ties with Israeli and other institutions remain in place because we are committed to academic freedom, freedom of speech, and human rights as the University’s central pillars,” a USyd statement read at the time.
USyd’s approach to Israel contrasts with its decision in June this year to boycott “any research collaboration” with Russia in response to its war in Ukraine.
“The fact that the University recently decided to impose a ban on collaboration with Russia shows that the University is capable of firm measures in response to war crimes,” Brophy said.
Antisemitism definition condemned
The letter’s organisers drew attention to a significant NSW Supreme Court ruling this month that found criticism of Israel or Zionism did not constitute antisemitism.
Justice Desmond Fagan was particularly scathing of the IHRA definition of antisemitism, which includes criticism of Israel and Zionism and is favoured by the pro-Israel lobby.
Universities Australia’s 39 members, including USyd, adopted a definition of antisemitism that drew on IHRA but was more explicit.
“… criticism of Israel can be antisemitic when it is grounded in harmful tropes, stereotypes or assumptions and when it calls for the elimination of the State of Israel … Substituting the word ‘Zionist’ for ‘Jew’ does not eliminate the possibility of speech being antisemitic,” it reads.
The definition was roundly condemned for its implications for free speech, with the Jewish Council of Australia calling it “a dangerous and politicised definition of antisemitism which threatens academic freedom”.
USyd, however, told a NSW parliamentary committee in July 2025 that it had included the controversial definition “as part of the Supplementary Resources to its Anti-Racism Statement” and “does not currently propose to amend the definition”.
That decision, however, is feeding the current backlash.
“There is no place for the IHRA definition of antisemitism on campuses or in any of our public institutions,” Leong said.
“Criticism of the criminal actions of the Israeli government and the IDF, amounting to apartheid and genocide against the Palestinian people, should never be conflated with antisemitism,” she added.
“This conflation is wrong not only because it protects Israel from legitimate criticism, but also because it falsely identifies Jewish identity with the state of Israel – which is in itself an antisemitic trope.”
This is exactly what we need pushback. Finally !!!
Must keep the momentum going because the Zios are relentless but we are too .. silence not an option
Thanks you deepcuts