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Government cabinet minister Tony Burke has backed the right of pro-Palestinian protesters to occupy universities around the country, while declaring there is no room for violence or bigotry. Liberal MP Paul Fletcher told Q+A on Monday the occupation of universities was part of a rise of "extremely troubling" anti-Semitism in Australia. "We need campuses to be a place of safe and respectful conduct and we are not seeing that at the moment," he said. "I'm aware of concerns about safety. Jewish students are feeling very unsafe. "I represent the electorate in NSW with the second-biggest Jewish community and my constituents are concerned for their safety." Pro-Palestinian protesters have set up around-the-clock encampments at campuses in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Canberra, mirroring a US movement that has included violent clashes with police. Local protesters want universities to disclose and cut relationships with Israeli institutions and weapons manufacturers supplying arms. Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke told Q+A that peaceful protesters should be allowed to remain. "Just marching in and breaking [it] up, if a protest is peaceful, the reality is it just escalates the situation and makes everything worse," he said. "We should be able to have peaceful protest and we should be able to accept there will be strong, passionate views that will be different. "On a university campus, above all places, that should be OK." Employment Minister Tony Burke says universities should be a place where peaceful protests are welcomed. The use by some protesters of the slogan "from the river to sea" — suggesting the elimination of an Israeli state — has been criticised by both sides of politics. Mr Burke told Q+A that he doesn't support the use of the phrase. "Historically it's been used since the 1970s, sometimes by the Likud Party … in slightly different words but effectively the same slogan to say it should all be Israel," he said. "If it's used to say the whole area should be one state that's not our position, we believe in two states." Earlier, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters: "The slogan … dismisses that which is not in the interests of Israelis, but is also not in the interests of Palestinians." Mr Burke said that when it comes to protests on university campuses, there's no space for hate speech or bigotry. "A whole lot of people are experiencing anti-Semitism at levels they have never experienced before in their lives in Australia and it's real and its wrong," he said. "Islamophobia is also at a huge peak at the moment. And it's real and it's wrong." The senior cabinet minister said it must be called out. "I have heard the examples of people being bullied in lecture theatres, being photographed if they won't stand up and declare support and things like that," he said. "None of it should happen." The conversation comes as Israel signals an imminent ground assault on the Gazan city of Rafah, where more than a million displaced Palestinians are sheltering. Mr Burke said the government was "gravely concerned and gravely worried" about a ground invasion. "There are 1.3 million people in a very small area who went there because they were told it was safe," Mr Burke said. "There are now serious hunger issues. "The concept of telling 100,000 people, 'now up and move' … There are huge risks with this." Mr Burke urged Hamas to release captured Israeli hostages, "but it has to be possible for us to say, 'the toll on civilians needs to stop'". Foreign Minister Penny Wong had earlier issued a statement urging the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to "change course" and "not go down this path". Watch the full episode of Q+A on ABC iview. Posted 6 May 20246 May 2024Mon 6 May 2024 at 7:05pm, updated 7 May 20247 May 2024Tue 7 May 2024 at 12:51amAnti-Semitic language on campus
'Gravely concerned' about Rafah invasion