Australian Human Rights Commission Respect at Uni Interim Report December 2024 This touted reduction in incidents is just as much a product of the reduction in Jewish students who feel comfortable and safe attending their campuses as it is a diminishment in the sentiment that we're seeing. 55 The degree to which antisemitism is distinct from other forms of racism has been raised with the Commission, with views expressed that a tailored approach is required to address antisemitism. Some Jewish groups have suggested to the Commission that antisemitism can be effectively addressed through comprehensive efforts to address all forms of racism more broadly. The next phase of the Study will consider this through fieldwork and consultation with stakeholders. (c) Muslim, Arab and Palestinian staff and students Muslim, Arab and Palestinian communities are not homogenous and are frequently conflated. Meeting with Muslim and Arab student groups has been challenging in the Commission’s initial consultation phase because there are no central organisations that represent these students or academics. The Study team plans to connect with Muslim and Arab student associations at universities in early 2025 to begin consultations. However, initial consultations highlighted that political and media rhetoric often ‘others’ Muslims, Arabs and Palestinians and links them with terrorism, leading to feelings of exclusion, dehumanisation and isolation. The Commission has heard from Palestinian representatives that Palestinian students are scared to speak up about racist experiences, with concern about academic and other ramifications, such as doxxing. Some of these organisations have received student reports that prayer rooms had been closed on campus. Students had also reported being required by staff to leave lectures and tutorials because their computers or notebooks had stickers of the Palestinian flag. Another student was told they could not wear their keffiyeh at a graduation ceremony. The Commission heard that Palestinian and Arab academic staff had received hate mail, death threats and experienced abuse on campus. Consultations also revealed perceptions of differential treatment of Islamophobia, anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian incidents, compared to antisemitism. Some felt that while antisemitism resulted in harsh consequences, Islamophobia, Anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian incidents were treated less seriously. These experiences are similar to previous consultations conducted by the Commission. The Sharing the Stories of Australian Muslims 56 report found that 39