An interpreter has described how she stopped receiving work at a university after reporting antisemitic comments she was required to translate.
The woman, appearing before the Royal Commission under the pseudonym ACK, is not Jewish but has close connections to the Jewish community.
She recalled hearing a student say words to the effect of, “Hitler didn’t have anything against Jewish people. He just didn’t want them to suffer.”
“No other individual in the room other than myself found that comment inappropriate, offensive or distressing,” she told the inquiry on Tuesday.
ACK said antisemitic remarks had become increasingly normalised since October 7 and often passed without challenge.
“They hang in the air as if it’s completely acceptable,” she said.
She questioned whether her distress arose from her ties to the Jewish community or simply from recognising the comments as offensive.
“Is that because I have a relationship with the Jewish community, or is that because I’m human? I’m not sure,” she said.
ACK said she had expected the institution to introduce antisemitism training after she wrote anonymously to its chief executive but saw no evidence that this had occurred.
“I genuinely thought that in a staff memo, I would see that all staff are expected to have antisemitic training because of my letter, and I never saw anything.”
After making the complaint, she was not given any further work at the institution.
University of Melbourne interim vice-chancellor Professor Glyn Davis is expected to appear before the Royal Commission on Wednesday.