Education Minister Jason Clare has stressed Jewish students should not feel “afraid” to attend university amid warnings over pro-Palestine protests and encampments.

Pro-Palestine camps have popped up at a number of Australian universities, following the example of tent cities at US universities.

Mr Clare communicated to university vice-chancellors that there is nothing more important than the safety of students.

“I have told university vice-chancellors that sure there is a right to protest, this is Australia, this is a democracy we are not Russia, but there is no place for hate and no place for anti-Semitism or for that matter Islamophobia,” he told Sky News Australia.

He added that universities are starting to enforce their codes of conduct and discipline students.