StandWithUs Australia slams university letters as ‘defamatory and intimidating’

StandWithUs Australia has issued a strongly worded condemnation of open letters circulating at three of the country’s leading universities, accusing staff and activists of engaging in a “coordinated smear campaign” against its educational programs and warning university leaders that yielding to such pressure would damage the integrity of academic freedom.

The open letters, which target upcoming StandWithUs events at the University of Sydney (USYD), University of Technology Sydney (UTS), and Monash University, call for the cancellation of two programs:

• “Survived to Tell”, a virtual reality (VR) installation showcasing the personal testimonies of Israeli survivors of the October 7 Hamas attacks and the northern Israel war front.
• “Shared Stories – Interfaith Voices for a Cohesive Future”, a panel featuring Israeli Druze, Christian, Muslim, and Jewish speakers promoting coexistence and dialogue.

“These programs aren’t propaganda or politics — they’re grounded in real human experience, and they’re about truth,” states Michael Gencher, Executive Director of StandWithUs Australia. “Yet, we’re seeing a coordinated attempt to intimidate universities into silencing Israeli voices simply because they don’t conform to a radical political narrative.”

“Smear Campaign,” “Lies,” and “Hypocrisy”

StandWithUs characterizes the letters as “ideologically driven,” accusing them of containing “provable lies, dangerous rhetoric, and blatant hypocrisy.” Gencher specifically pushed back against claims that the programs traumatize students or amount to “Israeli propaganda.”

“To say that these programs ‘traumatise’ students is insulting — especially when Jewish students have faced relentless harassment and antisemitism on these very same campuses with no institutional response,” he said.

He added that StandWithUs is an Australian organisation working with Israeli civil society, not a “foreign propaganda arm,” and that its speakers include civilians, educators, and interfaith leaders , not “genocide apologists,” as some claims in the letters allege.

Gencher noted the “Survived to Tell” VR experience has already toured more than 60 campuses worldwide and was developed “with the utmost sensitivity and respect for human dignity.” He added, “It shares personal, verified testimonies of survivors; it’s truth, not spin.”

The letter further criticized language used by university staff in the open letters, which it claims equates IDF veterans, some of whom lost family in the October 7 attacks, with war criminals. “It slanders Israeli civilians. It equates them with oppressors. It does all of this while demanding censorship in the name of ‘safety,’” Gencher said.

Rising Antisemitism and University Inaction

The controversy comes following a time of growing concern over campus antisemitism across Australia. According to data from the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), antisemitic incidents surged since late 2023, particularly at universities. Jewish students at universities including USYD, UTS, and Monash have reported experiencing harassment, being excluded from events, having posters vandalized, and being targeted online for expressing Jewish or pro-Israel views.

“Universities are quick to silence Jewish voices under the guise of sensitivity,” Gencher said. “But where is that same sensitivity when Jewish students are being harassed and threatened? The double standard is stunning.”

StandWithUs to University Leaders: “Stand Up or Expect More Division”

The statement ended with a clear call to action. “We urge the Vice-Chancellors of Monash, USYD, and UTS, and all university leadership, to stand up to intimidation, defend truth and facts over ideology, and reaffirm the core mission of higher education: to educate, not indoctrinate.”

Gencher warned that caving to demands for ideological censorship will only embolden further silencing and deepen campus divisions. “If university leaders continue to yield to these campaigns, they should expect more of the same — more silencing, more division, more threats to open discourse and academic freedom.”

As of now, none of the universities involved have issued a public response to either the open letters or the StandWithUs statement. The events remain scheduled, and tensions continue to rise as the broader debate over free speech, academic responsibility, and political activism intensifies across Australia’s higher education system.