Education minister accused of ‘political interference’ over review of funding for prominent pro-Palestinian academic

Jason Clare says grant recipients are ‘required to follow the rules’ set out in their agreements and ‘has asked the ARC board to ensure that this is the case’. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

Academics have accused the education minister of “arbitrary political interference” in the Australian Research Council after requesting the body’s board investigate the fellowship of a prominent academic and Palestinian advocate.

Randa Abdel-Fattah, the recipient of an ARC Future Fellowship and an academic at Macquarie University, has faced sustained criticism from the Coalition, some Jewish bodies and media outlets for a series of controversial comments, including alleging Zionists had “no claim or right to cultural safety”, and posting “May 2025 be the end of Israel” in the new year and changing her profile picture to a picture of a Palestinian paratrooper after the 7 October attacks.