July 20, 2026 — 6:45pmAcademic and author Randa Abdel-Fattah has launched legal action against La Trobe University and the City of Greater Bendigo almost a year after she withdrew from the Bendigo Writers Festival, saying she aims to set a new standard for the sector around anti-Palestinian racism and discrimination.In a social media post on Monday, Abdel-Fattah said she was filing the claim “on the grounds of political belief or activity” under Victoria’s Equal Opportunity Act (2010) “because universities and cultural institutions must be held accountable for their discrimination and anti-Palestinian racism”.Randa Abdel-Fattah withdrew from the Bendigo Writers Festival. AAPAbdel-Fattah had been scheduled to appear as part of a panel discussion at the Bendigo Writers Festival in August last year, of which La Trobe University was a major partner.Days before the festival, however, panellists received a code of conduct asking that participants observe the Universities Australia definition of antisemitism and to “avoid language or topics that could be considered inflammatory, divisive, or disrespectful”.The request triggered Abdel-Fattah and dozens of other Australian writers to withdraw from the event, and threw the event into chaos.As previously reported by this masthead, the Australian Academic Alliance Against Antisemitism – a lobby group also known as 5A – had raised concerns about Abdel-Fattah’s appearance with event organisers ahead of the festival, saying her participation in the panel discussion would “pose a direct threat to the Jewish community in Australia”.The letter alleged Abdel-Fattah was “widely known for her antisemitism and anti-Israeli rhetoric … [and] perpetually dehumanises people who hold Zionist views and condemns them as not worthy of human dignity”.It also pointed to a series of social media posts from Abdel-Fattah, including ones it asserted had said Zionists had “no claim to cultural safety” and that institutions that considered “fragile feelings of Zionists” were “abhorrent”.Abdel-Fattah was also cancelled from participating in the Adelaide Writers Week earlier this year.The event was ultimately cancelled after 180 writers boycotted the festival amid public backlash to the board’s decision, and triggered the resignation of director Louise Adler.On Monday, Abdel-Fattah called Israel “an apartheid state and a genocidal settler colony”, and said: “This is not the time for normalising the racism and repression demanded by the antisemitism definitions that are being used to silence those who speak out against Israel.”Donors have contributed more than $125,000 to a fund set up for the author’s upcoming legal action.The City of Greater Bendigo declined to comment. La Trobe University and Abdel-Fattah have been contacted for comment.More to comeFrom our partners