The head of the University of Sydney, Professor Mark Scott, has expressed regret and admitted fault in his management of a pro-Palestinian encampment on campus that led to Jewish students feeling unsafe and marginalized. This acknowledgment of failure was made in front of a Senate inquiry into anti-Semitism, which was initiated following the establishment of protester tent cities on several university campuses, including Sydney, earlier in the year.
During the inquiry, it was revealed that Jewish students at the University of Sydney had submitted accounts of feeling unwelcome and unsafe during the Students for Palestine protest, prompting Mr. Scott to issue a formal apology. Despite defending his initial decision not to forcibly remove the encampment earlier, he recognized the impact on students and stated that the university had made significant policy changes in response to the situation. The tent cities, which were part of a broader movement calling for universities to sever ties with weapons manufacturers allegedly supplying arms to Israel, were eventually dismantled in June at the direction of university management.