‘Striking parallel': Rise of antisemitic behaviours in Australian universities
Content Creator Tessa Veksler says there is a 'striking parallel' between antisemitic behaviours in Australian and US universities.
'So many of my peers … who really knew my character, knew the various accomplishments that I had already had with different student groups, they were some of the people that turned against me,' Ms Veksler told Sky News host Chris Kenny.
'So, I think that was a really painful thing, that people who you thought were your allies were so quick to change their minds.
'It's kind of a striking parallel that we're seeing … there are these, you know, striking similarities between what we went through on our campuses and what's happening here in Australia.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News AU
40 minutes ago
- Sky News AU
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to receive $15,000 pay rise as tribunal grants 2.4 per cent salary increase
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will receive a pay rise of nearly $15,000 from July 1, bringing his annual salary to $622,050—up from $607,471. The 2.4 per cent pay bump follows the 2025 Review of Remuneration for Holders of Public Office by the Australian government's remuneration tribunal. The decision, released on Wednesday, comes amid ongoing cost-of-living pressures and was in line with inflation for the March quarter. All public offices within the tribunal's jurisdiction will receive the 2.4 per cent pay rise, including federal politicians, senior public servants and departmental secretaries. 'The remuneration increases the tribunal has awarded to offices in its jurisdiction over the past decade have been relatively modest,' the tribunal said in a statement. The cumulative total of remuneration increases awarded by the tribunal since 2016 amounts to 18.65 per cent. Federal MPs will receive $249,258 following the ruling, with cabinet ministers receiving varying amounts depending on seniority. The Prime Minister earns a bonus 160 per cent on top of the standard federal politician salary while the Opposition Leader gets an additional 85 per cent. 'In the current economic context, the tribunal considers an increase of 2.4 per cent appropriate,' the tribunal said. 'This adjustment reflects a measured approach, balancing the need for restraint given economic conditions with the recognition of the upward pressure on household costs.' Under the new determination, Opposition Leader Sussan Ley will receive an additional $10,374 per year, bringing her total salary to $442,643. The decision is the first adjustment since the tribunal granted a 3.5 per cent increase in July 2024.
Herald Sun
an hour ago
- Herald Sun
Andrew Forrest calls for end to Russian fuel imports
Don't miss out on the headlines from Victoria. Followed categories will be added to My News. 'Australian mums and dads should not be funding Putin's war machine,' Dr Forrest told the Herald Sun after it was revealed the Kremlin had received $1.85bn in taxes from crude oil exports that have, via Indian refineries, ended up in Australian fuel tanks since 2023. Calls have grown for Australia and other Western nations to close a loophole that allows third-party nations such as India, Turkey and China to refine Russian crude feedstock into petroleum and legally export it as a 'substantially transformed' product. Dr Forrest, recently named one of Time Magazine's 100 most influential people, said 'we need comprehensive reform of sanctions law to effectively police Russian fossil fuel imports.' 'The fossil fuel economy will always create dependencies on tyrants. The geostrategic need for green fuel independence is now.' Through his Minderoo Foundation, Dr Forrest has provided $20m in emergency aid to Ukraine for those impacted by the war and committed another $765m to post-conflict rebuilding, focusing on green energy and digital infrastructure. The Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations, a peak body for the diaspora, is also calling on major fuel retailers, including BP and Ampol, to prohibit imports from foreign refineries that use Russian crude, in particular the Jamnagar Refinery in India which has exported much of the estimated $3.7bn in fuel to Australia that contains Russian feedstock which generates taxes for autocrat Vladimir Putin. AFUO wants the Albanese government to close the sanctions loophole, mandate transparency on the crude origin of fuel and pursue international co-operation on the issue. The group's chair, Kateryna Argyrou, has also called for consumer labelling to certify 'clean fuel' standards for motorists and other users to provide confidence their purchases are not helping fund Putin's invasion. An Essential Research survey commissioned by AFUO found 60 per cent of Australians back comprehensive import bans on products made from Russian oil and 60 per cent also want petrol retailers to voluntarily commit to only using refineries that refuse Russian crude.
West Australian
an hour ago
- West Australian
EU ambassador warns of ‘worrying signs' from China
China is showing 'worrying signs' of deeper alignment with Russia's anti-West agenda, the EU's top diplomat in Australia has warned. The caution has come as Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin continue to step up co-operation against a backdrop of the raging war in Ukraine and simmering tensions in the Indo-Pacific. Ambassador Gabriele Visentin said on Wednesday what happens in Australia's neck of the woods is 'completely intertwined' with what happens in Europe. 'I cannot possibly comment on the choice that the Australian government has on its defence policies,' the EU's envoy told the National Press Club. 'What I can say is that there is … a clear link between the Chinese and the Russian visions of what the new international rules-based order should be. 'We have seen maybe some worrying signs of military scaling up of China.' Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said last week said China's rapidly growing nuclear arsenal is driving 'security anxiety' in Australia. As of mid-2024, China's operational nuclear warheads exceeded 600, according to the US Department of Defence. That was nearly triple what the country was estimated to have in 2020. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth also earlier this month warned of an 'imminent' threat from China, saying Beijing could invade the democratically self-governing island of Taiwan as early as 2027. Such a move would deal a major blow to global supply of semiconductors – crucial components in modern tech – and massively disrupt vital trade routes. 'Let me be clear, any attempt by Communist China to conquer Taiwan by force would result in devastating consequences for the Indo-Pacific and the world,' Mr Hegseth told the Shangri La Dialogue. 'There's no reason to sugar-coat it. The threat China poses is real and it could be imminent. 'We hope not but certainly could be.' Mr Hegseth also called on Australia to boost defence spending in a meeting with Mr Marles, who holds the defence portfolio, on the sidelines of the conference. Asked how the EU might intervene in the event of a significant escalation in the Indo-Pacific, Mr Visentin was hesitant to outline any measures but said Europe had a 'vital interest' in keeping the region 'free'. 'I definitely think that the two theatres are completely intertwined,' he said. 'Forty per cent of the global trade towards the EU comes from the Indo-Pacific. 'Therefore, we do have a vital interest that the Indo-Pacific remains free and open. 'It's a matter of our wealth and our prosperity. 'So, of course we have to be aware of what a disruption of the status quo would mean for us as well.' The bloc deployed warships to the Red Sea in early 2024 to protect cargo ships from attacks by Islamist militants in Yemen emboldened by the conflict in Gaza. Mr Visentin also expanded on EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's comments last month saying she wanted a deeper 'strategic partnership' with Australia. 'It's not a military alliance,' he said. 'It's a partnership for co-operation on defence issues, including industrial things.' He added 'there is no scope for an understanding in terms of transfer of troops or mutual help and mutual assistance', unlike NATO, which guarantees blanket mutual defence if a member state is attacked.
