A controversial academic at Sydney’s most prestigious university is under official investigation for defending a “death to Israel” badge worn by a Stalinist former colleague with whom he recently visited North Korea.
University of Sydney senior lecturer Tim Anderson – who has raised eyebrows with his support for Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad and North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un – came to the defence of ex-Sydney University staffer and current PhD candidate Jay Tharappel, who tutored human rights in the same department.
Mr Tharappel was photographed in a jacket bearing what Dr Anderson described as a “Yemeni (Ansarallah) badge” that said “Death to Israel”.
In a tweet and Facebook post, Dr Anderson defended Mr Tharappel as a “great friend of Syria” and a “Syrian solidarity activist” who was “under attack from zionists” and “friends of Israel”.
A University of Sydney spokeswoman confirmed Dr Anderson’s conduct was under investigation.