Australia news live: royal commission witnesses endure ‘ugly antisemitic attacks’ after appearing, Virginia Bell says

The brief

Royal commission to hear from Jewish staff and students ‘verbally abused’ and ‘physically assaulted’ on university campuses Counsel assisting at the royal commission, Zelie Heger SC, says there have been “significant concerns” raised in submissions to the commission about antisemitism at universities, which also have to balance “different rights and freedoms”. She says this block of hearings will hear evidence of Jewish staff and students being “verbally abused, intimidated and even physically assaulted on campus”, including a Nazi salute being given to a Jewish teacher in the classroom and Jews being called “baby killers or genocide supporters”. A recurring theme is Jewish staff and students being assumed to take a…