By Tess Ikonomou and Zac de Silva in Canberra

The federal opposition has taken “spineless” university bosses to task over their refusal to adopt a widely used but controversial definition of anti-Semitism as new rules designed to fight on-campus racism take effect.

Governance standards came into force on Monday, requiring tertiary institutions to adopt definitions of racism, including anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and prejudice against Indigenous people.

But opposition education spokesman Julian Leeser said the government should go further and force universities to use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism.

“The idea that you can walk around your university campus and use Nazi iconography to describe Israel and to describe Jews is just wrong” he told ABC Radio.

“The fact that our vice-chancellors are so weak and spineless that they haven’t been able to crack down on this shows how much we need this definition adopted.”

The alliance definition is used by the federal government, but critics argue its wording risks painting genuine criticism of Israel as anti-Semitic.

Mr Leeser said that was not the case, adding universities had more than a year to adopt their own definition but failed to do so.

“We will have to drag the government kicking and screaming, because the universities have to be dragged kicking and screaming again to do the right thing,” he said.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke defended the government’s actions, saying they were already a big step forward.

Pressed on why Labor hadn’t mandated a specific definition of anti-Semitism, Mr Burke said the principles of wanting students to feel safe were “very clear”.

The peak body for universities declined to comment on Mr Leeser’s remarks, but it welcomed the regulatory changes.

“Our sector has made significant progress, but we know the job isn’t finished,” Universities Australia chief executive Luke Sheehy said.

“We will continue working with government and our partners to build university communities where racism has no place and everyone feels safe, respected and able to participate fully.”

In 2025, Australian universities adopted a working definition of anti-Semitism as “discrimination, prejudice, harassment, exclusion, vilification, intimidation or violence that impedes Jews’ ability to participate as equals in educational, political, religious, cultural, economic or social life.”

The definition clarifies criticism of the Israeli government is not necessarily anti-Semitic but may be if grounded in harmful tropes.

The government’s changes gave effect to that approach, Mr Sheehy said.

Some institutions, including the University of Melbourne and LaTrobe University, independently adopted the IHRA definition.

The standards overhaul was recommended by the Respect at Uni report – undertaken by the Australian Human Rights Commission – which found more than 90 per cent of Jewish and Palestinian students and staff had experienced discrimination because of their religion or ethnicity.

Labor’s changes also include a requirement for complaints processes to be more transparent, and new rules for staff and students to improve online and on-campus safety.

Public universities will also need to publish the outcomes of governing body meetings and decisions, among other measures.

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