The University of Sydney has dismissed a lecturer, months after she was filmed calling Jewish students “parasites” and “dirty Zionists.” The university announced Monday, just one day after the Bondi Beach massacre during a Hanukkah event, that it had fired “culture and media activist” Rose Nakad, who was recorded confronting students celebrating the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.
In footage aired by Sky News Australia in October, Nakad is seen approaching several students, asking whether they were “Zionists,” and continuing to harass them even as they repeatedly asked her to leave them alone.
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Rose Nakad harrasses Jewish students at the University of Sydney
(Photo: From social media)
The students, who were celebrating Sukkot, said they were not discussing politics or holding a protest and simply wanted to be left in peace. Nakad nevertheless continued verbally attacking them, telling one woman: “A Zionist is the lowest form of rubbish. Zionists are the most disgusting thing that has ever walked this earth.”
She described herself as an “indigenous Palestinian.”
A university spokesperson said Nakad’s conduct was “deeply distressing and utterly unacceptable,” adding that there is no place for antisemitism 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,” the spokesperson said.
“We’ve introduced significant reforms since the disbandment of the protest encampment on campus last year and have seen the number of complaints related to antisemitism decline substantially," the university said in a statement.
“We quickly apologized to our students and staff who were affected by this incident, with ongoing free and confidential wellbeing support available to anyone in our community who may need it. Hate speech, antisemitism and harassment have no place at our University and when our codes of conduct are breached we do not hesitate to take disciplinary action.”