Antisemitism in Australia

Last updated

Antisemitism in Australia is the manifestation of hostility, violence, prejudice or discrimination against the Jewish people or Judaism as a religious, ethnic or racial group. This form of racism has affected Jews since Australia's Jewish community was established in the 18th century, becoming more pronounced in the late 19th century, rising further in the 20th and early 21st centuries. There are a number of organisations that track antisemitic activities, including the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, that publish an annual list of all reported antisemitic activities. [1] [2] [3] According to the Anti-Defamation League's 2014 Global100 survey, an estimated 14% of Australians harbour antisemitic views. [4] In 2025, this percentage rose to 20%. [5] Antisemitism in Australia is perpetrated by a variety of groups, [6] and it has manifested in attacks on Australian Jews and their religious and communal institutions, in antisemitic publications, and in efforts to prevent Jewish immigration. Recent surges, particularly after the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, highlight its ongoing presence. Advocacy by Jewish organisations, legislative measures, and condemnation by political leaders illustrate efforts to combat these issues, yet antisemitism remains a persistent societal concern.

Contents

Overview

Before World War II

Beth Yisrael, the Toowoomba Synagogue, was the site of the earliest known synagogue attack in Australia Toowoomba Shul.png
Beth Yisrael, the Toowoomba Synagogue, was the site of the earliest known synagogue attack in Australia

According to Sol Encel, anti-Jewish prejudice in Australia dates back to the first arrival of British convicts, eight of whom were Jews. [8] Nonetheless, the colonial period was marked by the absence of institutionalised antisemitism found in Europe. Jews in Australia were never formally barred from entering the professions, sciences, academia, and arts. Despite being British subjects, Jews were permitted to run for political office in Australian parliaments even before it was legal for Jews to do so in the United Kingdom. [9] In the case of the Solomon family, whose members arrived in the early 19th century and helped form a mercantile network composed of Jewish and non-Jewish members, correspondences concerning their entrepreneurial efforts contain occasional complaints over antisemitism they experienced in Australia. [10]

Suzanne Rutland argues that antisemitism started to become prevalent in the country in the 1880s alongside the rise of Australian nationalism and the campaign to establish the Federation of Australia. Trade unions, politicians and the media were hostile to the small number of Russian Jewish arrivals in the country. [11] In 1915, the Labor Party politician, Frank Anstey published a pamphlet, The Kingdom of Shylock, which included antisemitic elements, some of which he removed in a later republication. Due to its antisemitic content, the circulation of the original pamphlet was suppressed. [12] [11] During the wave of Jewish immigration in 1938–39, Frank Clarke, president of the Victorian Legislative Council, offered graphic depictions of refugees as "rat-faced men". [13] Other incidents in this period include a 1920 arson attack on the synagogue in Toowoomba, Queensland (see § Attacks on synagogues). [14] [15]

World War II and postwar period

The second wave of Jewish refugees arrived between 1938 and 1939 and again endured an antisemitic Australian press and anti-Jewish statements by politicians. [11] Pressure groups such as the Australian Natives' Association and Returned and Services League of Australia spearheaded resolutions against Jewish immigration. [11] Nevertheless, the state of Australian antisemitism did not rise to the levels that were taking place in Europe at this time. [16] Nevertheless, there were reports of antisemitic attacks on Jews stemming from local Nazi sympathisers. [17] In 1941, there were reports of antisemitic propaganda being circulated across Sydney suburbs. [18] The Social Crediter, a publication run by C. H. Douglas, produced in England and circulated in Australia, was accused of promoting antisemitic propaganda. [19] [20] The New South Wales division of the social credit movement denounced the antisemitic material in The Social Crediter. [21] A related publication, New Times, published by Eric Butler, was accused of promoting antisemitism. [22] After the war, The Bulletin published antisemitic cartoons, pushing against Jewish immigration. [11] By 1950, the Jewish Council to Combat Fascism and Anti-Semitism (JCCFAS) observed that 80,000 copies of a single antisemitic pamphlet were distributed in Australia, and alleged that the Jewish community was often uninformed of these developments. [23] In response, JCCFAS published and distributed 30,000 copies of a pamphlet titled "Anti-Semitism: A Menace to Australia". [24] Also in 1950, a North Carlton Synagogue and Talmud Torah were vandalised by local youths. [25]

During this period, Arthur Calwell, the minister of immigration adopted measures to ensure that Jews would not constitute more than 0.5% of the country's population. [11] [26] Calwell also halted all immigration of Jews of Middle Eastern origin. [27] There was a 25% cap on Jewish passengers travelling on Australia-bound ships and planes. [11] [28] In the late 1940s, Australian antisemitism continued to involve a strong focus on the prevention of Jewish immigration. [29] In 1959, Sam Goldbloom, a prominent activist and a federal Labor candidate, was specifically targeted in the publication and circulation of antisemitic pamphlets. [30] [31] Also in 1959, the World Jewish Congress reported that antisemitic literature produced in Australia had turned up in Turkey. [32] In January 1960, a series of antisemitic graffiti was reported in Melbourne including at a Jewish community centre. [33] The incident was condemned by Melbourne's two archbishops. [34] Also in January 1960, antisemitic graffiti in Canberra targeted a Jewish bakery, [35] and other buildings. [36] And later, the Central Synagogue in Sydney was targeted by antisemitic graffiti. [37] And later, antisemitic graffiti appeared in Queanbeyan. [38] By the end of January, Jewish community groups reported that 20 to 30 antisemitic acts had taken place. [39] This period saw similar incidents elsewhere around the world and became known as the Swastika epidemic of 1959–1960.

From 1960, Eric Butler's far-right and antisemitic Australian League of Rights, became a national movement. [40] The organisation promoted The Protocols of the Elders of Zion and other antisemitic libels. [11] The League assisted Holocaust denier David Irving with his visits to Australia. And Veritas, the League's publishing company, published Irving's work in Australia. [41] [42] There were also strong antisemitic sentiments from some non-Jewish refugees from Eastern Europe that had settled in Australia. [11] They established Australian branches of the fascist, antisemitic movements such as the Ustaše from Croatia and the Hungarian Arrow Cross. [11]

Other incidents during the mid-1960s involved public Nazi-related displays. In 1965, Prime Minister Robert Menzies attended the inauguration of a new synagogue in City of Kew, a suburb of Melbourne where he laid the foundation stone. Notably, two months later, in October, the synagogue was targeted with antisemitic vandalism. [43] On May Day, in 1966, individuals claiming affiliation with the National Socialist Party of Australia conducted a public march wearing Nazi uniforms and carrying a Nazi flag near the Yarra River in Melbourne. The group was attacked by a large group of local residents. [44] [45] In June 1966, a Jewish centre in East St Kilda associated with the Hashomer Hatzair youth group was targeted with swastikas and Nazi slogans. [46]

Following the Six-Day War, some far-left activists pushed an anti-Israel agenda influenced by anti-Zionist propaganda from the Soviet Union, which impacted some Australian university campuses. In the 1970s, the Australian Union of Students was under Trotskyist and Maoist influences and proposed anti-Israel resolutions and Jewish students who opposed these resolutions were physically attacked. [11] Attacks on Jewish property and institutions increased with tensions in the Middle East, with corresponding increases in security precautions. In 1975, ASIO documents revealed that Palestinian terrorists planned to kill high-profile Jewish figures including the Israeli ambassador Michael Elizur  [ he ] and Jewish communal leader Isi Leibler and journalist Sam Lipski. Former prime minister Bob Hawke, who was deemed a vocal supporter of Israel, was also considered for attack. [47] 1978 saw a Melbourne synagogue defaced with swastikas. The local community reported instituted new security measures to prevent additional incidents. [48] In his 1989 review of early history of antisemitism in Australia (colonial period through the immediate postwar period), Sol Encel, observed that aside from its impact on immigration policy, antisemitism in Australia in this period can be viewed as a relatively minor social problem. [8]

A 1969 survey found that approximately 20 per cent of Jewish refugees to Australia and 30 per cent of non-refugee Australian Jews reported to have experienced antisemitism in the country. [49] [50] The most common form of antisemitism reported involved antisemitic insults or threats, and a minority of cases involved economic discrimination, social discrimination, and physical attacks. [50]

1980s–1990s

Public plaque commemorating the Hakoah Club in Bondi which was targeted in a 1982 bombing Hakoah Club Bondi.jpg
Public plaque commemorating the Hakoah Club in Bondi which was targeted in a 1982 bombing
1991 Sydney synagogue attacks 1991 Sydney synagogue attacks.png
1991 Sydney synagogue attacks

In 1982, the Sydney Israeli Consulate and Hakoah Club bombings occurred. In this event, an explosive device was detonated inside a vehicle parked outside a Jewish centre in Bondi, NSW. Initial police investigations led to the arrest of a 31-year-old man who was charged in relation to the Hakoah Club explosion. The case went before the court, however, charges were later withdrawn by the NSW Attorney General. [8] [51] [52] [53] [54] Other threats against Jewish community institutions stemming from Arab terrorist groups arose in the late 1980s. [8]

In 1988, a speech by Taj El-Din Hilaly, a prominent Muslim cleric, at the University of Sydney was treated by the Australian Jewish community as a significant attack against Jews. In a lecture to a group of Muslim students at the university, Hilaly made statements that aligned with major antisemitic tropes concerning Jews. [55] Despite the subsequent critical coverage of the incident, Hilaly refused to apologise or retract his comments. [56] [9] [57] The following year, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry began tracking antisemitic incidents across the country. [58] In November 1989, three synagogues in Melbourne were vandalised with various antisemitic slogans and slurs. [59] In 1995, over 60 graves and headstones in the Jewish section of West Terrace Cemetery in Adelaide were desecrated, leading to condemnations from Israeli Prime Minister, Yitzhak Rabin and Australian Prime Minister, Paul Keating. [60] [61] The late 1980s and 1990s saw a number of significant attacks on Australian synagogues (see § Attacks on synagogues).

2000s–2020s

After the 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, the Australian Jewish community became a prime target of Al-Qaeda terror cells. [62] Prior to this, terrorism in Australia impacted the Australian Jewish community in the form of the 1982 bombing of a Jewish centre in Sydney. In the 2000s, Islamic terrorist threats appeared to be thwarted by Australian authorities. Instances include an Al-Qaeda plot to attack the 2000 Summer Olympics, the Israeli embassy in Canberra, as well as Jewish community targets. The plot was discovered after a raid on the house of Jack Roche who would be convicted in 2004. [63] In 2003, Bilal Khazal, a Lebanese Australian, a former baggage handler for Qantas at Sydney Airport, and a prominent figure in the Islamic Youth Movement, was arrested for on terrorism charges including producing propaganda encouraging attacks on the Australian Jewish community. [64]

The sale and distribution of antisemitic literature is one area of concern for the Australian Jewish community. In 2000, the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) found that Fredrick Töben had engaged in unlawful conduct in contravention of the Racial Discrimination Act (1975) in publishing material that was racially defaming of Jewish people on the Adelaide Institute website. Töben was ordered to remove the contents of the Adelaide Institute website from the internet and not to re-publish the content of that website in public elsewhere. He was also ordered to make a statement of apology. [65] In the following years, Töben was unsuccessful in his efforts to appeal the ruling. In 2009, after Töben's website continued to house antisemitic material, Töben was sentenced to prison for three months for contempt of court. [66] [67] In 2011, during an open day event at the Lakemba Mosque, a visitor reportedly discovered that copies of the antisemitic Protocols of the Elders of Zion were available for sale at the mosque. [68] [69] [67] The same year, reports were made of extensive antisemitic literature being housed by the Australian League of Rights. [67]

Attacks on Jews also appeared linked to conflicts overseas, such as the 2014 Israel-Gaza war. Incidents included various acts of violence and harassment of Jews on the street, at universities, the use of newspaper cartoons relying on Jewish stereotypes, and the use of anti-Israel discourse to intimidate Jews. [70]

Australian antisemitism was linked to extremist ideology concerning the COVID-19 pandemic. [71]

A notable case of antisemitism directed at Jewish students involves the allegations raised by Jewish students at Brighton Secondary College. Jewish students alleged that they faced extensive antisemitic bullying and harassment and that the school administration was notified on multiple occasions but took no action. [72] [73] [74] Victorian MPs David Southwick and James Newbury advocated for an investigation into the school's response. Subsequently, former students filed a lawsuit against the school and alleged that the school principal, Richard Minack, had referred to Jews using derogatory language, [75] and had spoken positively about his father who served in the German army in World War Two. [76] other schools noted for allegations of insufficient administrative response to antisemitism includes Lindfield Learning Village in North Sydney. [77]

Politics

Antisemitism and other forms of hostility to Jewish interests found in contemporary Australian politics is determined in part by Jewish advocacy organisations. In some instances, concern over political parties being positioned as hostile to Jews and Jewish concerns is viewed as arising from different ends of the political spectrum, such as the Australian Greens, a left-wing party, and One Nation, a right-wing party. [78] The case of the Greens involves allegations that the party fostered antisemitism. [79] Some charges against the Greens appears to hinge in part upon the assessment of these events in light of competing definitions of antisemitism. [80] In July 2023, the Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, criticised the Greens party for not sufficiently condemning the rise of antisemitism in Australia following the 7 October attacks. [81] Jewish members of the Greens have alleged that party leaders ignore internal efforts to ensure a response to antisemitism is incorporated in the party's anti-racism response, and to ensure that opposition against the policies of the Israeli government does not provide cover for antisemitic sentiment. [82] Following the vandalism and attempted firebombing of the Newtown Synagogue in Sydney's Inner West in January 2025, the local mayor accused the Greens of fanning the flames of antisemitism. [83]

The aftermath of the 7 October attacks

Since the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel, antisemitic attacks and other incidents surged in Australia. [84] [85] [86] Incidents centred in Sydney and Melbourne as well as other regions such as the Sunshine Coast and Perth. Included in this round of antisemitic incidents were death threats to prominent Australian Jews, bomb threats to synagogues, and vandalism of Jewish owned shops. [84] In November 2023, hundreds of prominent Australians signed a letter condemning the rise in antisemitism. The signatories included Daniel Andrews, Gladys Berejiklian, Lindsay Fox and Anthony Pratt. [87]

In one incident, on 9 October, a pro-Palestinian rally in Sydney organised by Palestine Action Group took place in front of the Sydney Opera House with rally members chanting anti-Jewish statements. The event led to widespread criticism of the rally. [88] This rally was widely covered with special attention to the alleged use of the chant "Gas the Jews". [89] [90] Months later, a police review found no evidence that the phrase was chanted, positing the possibility that the phrase being chanted was "where's the Jews". The police said that there was evidence of other chants used at the rally that were deemed offensive and socially unacceptable. [91] [92]

On 10 October, several individuals in Melbourne made death threats against Jews, one group harassing a rabbi and his son, and another asking where to find Jews, saying they were "hunting for Jews". On 11 October, a man in Bellevue Hill, New South Wales threatened to kill four Jewish teenagers in a car with an Israeli flag draped on it. He was later arrested and charged. [89]

In another incident, a New South Wales Member of Parliament was condemned for her use of antisemitic language. At a Palestine Justice Movement forum in late 2023, Jenny Leong, Greens Member for the Electorate of Newtown in the NSW Legislative Assembly, launched the accusation that “the Jewish lobby and the Zionist lobby are infiltrating into every single aspect of what is ethnic community groups ... they rock up and they're part of the campaign and offer support for things like the campaign against the 18C racial discrimination laws, they offer solidarity, they rock up to every community event and meeting to offer that connection because their tentacles reach into the areas that try and influence power. We need to call that out and expose it." [93] After condemnation of the remarks, Leong apologised for her statements. [94] Australian Jewish press and community leaders described the incident as exposing Leong's use of a 'vile antisemitic slur' and criticised her attempt to minimise the incident. [95] [96] [97] The pejorative term is reported to be historically associated with Nazi propaganda. [98] Leong's comments were condemned by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. [95] Jewish community members subsequently protested in front of Leong's office, with some protesters dressed as inflatable squids. [99] [100]

In November 2023, a Jewish school in Sydney was denied services from a local jumping castle business. In response to an email request for a booking from Masada College in St Ives, the business owner wrote that "There is no way I am taking a Zionist booking, I don't want your blood money. Free Palestine". No official complaint was made by the school. The incident prompted Chris Minns, Premier of New South Wales, to condemn the business owner's actions. After an inquiry, NSW police took no action against the business owner. [101] [102] [103] [104]

In February 2024, more than 600 Jewish Australians working in academia and creative industries were targeted in a mass doxxing incident. A group of anti-Zionist activists shared a leaked transcript of a private WhatsApp group of over 600 people called 'J.E.W.I.S.H creatives and academics', leaking the names, images, professions and social media accounts of members. The leakers referred to it as a "leaked zionist group chat" [2] and described the leak as an act of pro-Palestinian activism, stating the information had been leaked from the WhatsApp group by pro-Palestinian anti-Zionist Jews. [105] The details leaked did not include home addresses, email addresses, or telephone numbers. The leakers referred to the list as the ‘Zio600’. David Slucki, Director of the Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation and the Loti Smorgon Associate Professor of Contemporary Jewish Life and Culture at Monash University, said that the term ‘Zio’ is "an antisemitic dog-whistle popularised by American white supremacist David Duke". [106] Some members of the group had previously discussed campaigns targeting pro-Palestinian figures, including writer Clementine Ford, [107] who was involved in the doxing; [108] [109] Leaders of Australia's Jewish community condemned the incident, including Alex Ryvchin, the co-CEO for the peak body for Australian Jews, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, [2] the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies [110] and MP Josh Burns, who stated members of the leaked group had faced death threats, including a five-year-old child [105] and one family had been forced into hiding. [3] Several Jewish Australians whose details had been included in the leak reported on the personal and professional toll the leak had taken on them, including being forced to close their businesses [111] and saw the leak as part of growing antisemitic intimidation that had previously been absent in Australia. [112] [113] The Albanese government was strongly critical of the publication of the list, and shortly thereafter announced new laws to combat doxing, the malicious release of personal information. [114] [115] In September 2024, Victorian Police arrested a woman in relation to the case. [116]

Antisemitism at Australian universities was a focal point in the aftermath of the 7 October attacks. Of primary concern were allegations against the University of Sydney. [117] In June 2024, the Australian opposition called for a Senate enquiry into campus antisemitism. [118] In August 2024, Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi was appointed to a committee to investigate antisemitism on university campuses leading to criticism that the appointment of a politician with stated anti-Israel views would undermine the inquiry. [119] In September 2024, Jillian Segal, the government's special envoy to combat antisemitism, stated that antisemitism at universities has become 'systemic'. [120] On 20 September 2024, at the senate inquiry into campus antisemitism, Mark Scott, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sydney admitted that the university had failed its Jewish students. [121] [122]

According to Yesodei HaTorah College High School in Melbourne, in September 2024, a student at the school was assaulted in an unprovoked attack, in which one alleged attacker punched the student in the face and another reportedly filmed the incident. The victim's father said the victim sought assistance from bystanders but was ignored. [123] [124] In October 2024, a popular Jewish owned bakery in Sydney was vandalised with antisemitic graffiti. [125]

Antisemitism appeared in religious settings with reports of antisemitic rhetoric had been included in sermons delivered by Islamic preachers in Sydney. [126] [127]

The post-October 7 2023 wave of antisemitic incidents continued into 2025. On 10 and 11 January, two synagogues in Sydney were targeted by vandals (see § 2000–2020s). [128] On 17 January 2025, four vehicles and the home of a former Jewish community leader were vandalized in Sydney. Two of the vehicles were set on fire, with one was marked with an antisemitic slogan. [129] On 19 January, NSW Police discovered a caravan filled with explosives with evidence suggesting that a Sydney synagogue was the intended target. The explosives were sufficient to create a blast capable of destroying up to 40 meters (130 feet). [130] Notice of the incident was leaked to the public on 29 January. [131] On 21 January 2025, a childcare center in Maroubra, Sydney, was targeted in an arson attack. The centre, located near a synagogue and Jewish school, was set ablaze, causing significant property damage and antisemitic slogans were graffitied on the wall of the centre. [132] [133] [134] The attack was condemned by the Prime Minister, the NSW Premier, and the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies. [135] [136] Calls were reissued for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to convene the National Cabinet to address the issue of antisemitism in Australia, [135] which occurred later that day. [137] Additionally, NSW Police added an additional 20 investigators to Strike Force Pearl, the state's antisemitism taskforce, doubling the size of the team. [128] [138] Albanese and the AFP Chief Commissioner stated that the AFP were investigating whether the perpetrators of some of the incidents were "criminals for hire" paid to carry out the crimes, rather than ideologically motivated individuals. [139] Following this, the federal police launched an investigation whether "overseas actors or individuals" are paying criminals to carry out antisemitic acts. [140] [141]

Attacks on synagogues

Toowoomba Synagogue arson attack (1920) Toowoomba Synagogue (1920).jpg
Toowoomba Synagogue arson attack (1920)

In Australia, attacks on synagogues have occurred from as early as 1920 (impacting the synagogue in Toowoomba, Queensland). [14] Attacks on synagogues occurred with greater frequency from the 1990s onward.

Early incidents

1990s

Synagogue attacks in this period include a 1991 arson attack on the North Shore Temple Emanuel in North Sydney. [146] [147] That same year an arson attack targeted the Bankstown Synagogue in Western Sydney which resulted in the total destruction of the synagogue building. [148] [147] The Bankstown Jewish community had been active since the first decades of the 20th century and had first established a synagogue in 1914. [149] The site was redeveloped and serves as a Uniting Church Aged Care facility. [150] Several other synagogues in Sydney were also targeted by arsonists that year. [146] Synagogues in other cities also suffered from attacks in 1991. Bricks were thrown through a window at the Newcastle synagogue, and a bloodied pig's head was placed at the Brisbane synagogue. [151] In 1993, on the anniversary of Kristallnacht, the Newtown synagogue, Sydney's second oldest synagogue, was subjected to an arson attack. [152] In 1995, an arson attack took place on the Adass Israel synagogue in Glen Eira (in South East Melbourne). [153] In 2024, the same synagogue was firebombed, sustaining significant damage. Other incidents include a 1990 attack where petrol bombs were thrown at a synagogue in Melbourne. [154] And attacks on synagogues and Jewish schools occurred through the 1990s and continued during the 2000s. [155]

1991 Sydney synagogue attacks
YearStateLocal areaSynagogueDateIncident
1991New South WalesNorth SydneyNorth Shore Temple Emanuel28 January 1991 [146] Arson
1991New South WalesEastern SydneySephardi Synagogue26 February 1991 [146] Arson
1991New South WalesWestern SydneyBankstown Memorial Synagogue5 March 1991 [146] Arson
1991New South WalesNorth Sydney North Shore Synagogue 12 March 1991 [146] Arson (averted)
1991New South WalesSouth East SydneyIllawarra Synagogue28 March 1991 [146] Arson

2000–2020s

Between 2000 and 2023 (prior to 7 October, see below), synagogues across Australia were targeted in acts of vandalism or arson. Attacks have occurred in 2000 (Sydney, Canberra), [156] [157] 2001 (Canberra), [158] 2002 (Melbourne, Sydney), [159] 2004 (Perth), [160] [161] [162] 2005 (Melbourne, Newcastle), [163] 2006 (Sydney) [163] [164] 2008 (Melbourne, Sydney), [165] [166] 2010 (Perth), [167] 2011 (Brisbane), [168] 2016 (Sydney), [169] 2018 (Canberra), [170] 2019 (Brisbane), [171] 2020 (Launceston), [172] 2022 (Melbourne, Launceston), [173] [174] and 2023 (Maitland). [175]

Other anti-Jewish incidents involving synagogues have come to public attention. In one case, in 2017, the likelihood of attacks on Australian synagogues led a NSW council to block the construction of a new synagogue over security concerns. [176] In one instance, a public menorah, a large religious display placed in public, organised by a Melbourne synagogue was vandalised in December 2022. [177] [178] [179]

Attacks on Australian synagogues 2000–2023 (pre-7 October 2023)
CityStateYears of Attack
SydneyNew South Wales2000, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2016
MaitlandNew South Wales2023
NewcastleNew South Wales2005
MelbourneVictoria2002, 2008, 2022
BrisbaneQueensland2011, 2019
CanberraAustralian Capitol Territory2000, 2001, 2018
PerthWestern Australia2004, 2010
LauncestonTasmania2020, 2022
The Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne was firebombed on 6 December 2024. Adass Israel Synagogue.png
The Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne was firebombed on 6 December 2024.

Following 7 October 2023, antisemitic actions directed at synagogues continued. In an incident occurring on 8 October 2023, in New South Wales, two individuals walked past a synagogue and shouted “Allahu Akbar”, before saying that they would “blow up the synagogue”. [180] On 11 October 2023, in Melbourne, a synagogue received a bomb threat. [181] On 23 November 2023, in Western Australia, an individual threw two glasses of red paint at a synagogue. [180] In December 2023, hoax bomb threats were made to several synagogues across Australia. [180] On 25 November 2024, pro-Palestinian protesters targeted a Melbourne synagogue where a panel discussion was organised by the Australian Israel and Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC). An altercation between protesters and counter-protesters led to the police restraining a man wearing a keffiyeh. [182] On 26 November 2024, a Chabad synagogue in St Kilda, Melbourne was vandalised with pro-Palestinian and antisemitic graffiti. [183] On 6 December 2024, an Orthodox synagogue in Melbourne was firebombed, [184] destroying holy books and injuring one witness. [185] [186] [187] Shortly after the attack, the Victorian Premier, Jacinta Allan visited the synagogue site to condemn the incident and to announce funding to help cover rebuilding costs. However, Allan abruptly left the site after she was heckled by members of the crowd. [188] Following the attack, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that the attack was an act of terrorism, [189] and later visited the site where he also faced hecklers. [190] Additionally, in the wake of the synagogue attack, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) launched a specialised operation to investigate antisemitism in Australia. [191] [192] On 10 January 2025, one month after the establishment of the taskforce, the AFP stated that 124 cases were referred to the taskforce, with 102 selected for investigation. [193] The targeting of Australian synagogues continued after the Melbourne firebombing incident with a synagogue in Southeast Sydney vandalised on 10 January 2025, [194] [195] [196] [197] and Newtown Synagogue in Sydney's Inner West was vandalised on 11 January 2025. [198] [199] [200] The Newtown incident also involved an attempt to burn down the synagogue. By 23 January 2025, NSW Police arrested two men in connection to the Newtown Synagogue case. [201]

Response

Condemnations by Australian Prime Ministers

In January 1960, Prime Minister Robert Menzies condemned recent manifestations of antisemitism in the country: "I think that I should now say that there is absolutely no room in Australia for anti-Semitism..." [202] [203] In 1995, Prime Minister Paul Keating condemned an incident where dozens of Jewish graves in Adelaide were vandalised. [204] [205] [206] In a 2013 speech delivered by Malcolm Turnbull on an attack on a Jewish family in Sydney, described the importance of condemning antisemitism in Australia. [207] In 2023, following the attacks conducted by Hamas on 7 October, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the majority of the Australian Parliament passed a motion concerning hate speech targeting Jews and others in Australia in the aftermath of the attack. [208] Shortly thereafter, six out of seven of Australia's living former prime ministers (John Howard, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Tony Abbott, Malcolm Turnbull, Scott Morrison) signed a statement against the rise of antisemitism in Australia in the wake of the attack and the threat to national cohesion, stating that "the there is no more tenaciously evil race hatred than antisemitism". [209] [210] Howard, Gillard, and Albanese later appeared on a 2024 documentary Never Again: The Fight Against Anti-Semitism. [211] In the wake of continued antisemitic incidents in Sydney in November 2024, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was criticised by the Chief Minister and President of Sydney's Great Synagogue and by former Prime Minister John Howard for perceived inefficiency in combatting antisemitism in Australia. [212] [213] In January 2025, following Anthony Albanese's claim that his government did all that it could to combat the issue of antisemitism in Australia, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, the peak Australian Jewish organisational body, criticised the Prime Minister for listing his achievements during a crisis where police action have fallen short in its enforcement of existing laws. The peak body called on the Prime Minister to convene a National Cabinet meeting to address the issue. [214]

Jewish organisational efforts

In 1942, the Jewish Council to Combat Fascism and Anti-Semitism (JCCFAS), a Melbourne-based group, was founded to combat antisemitism and fascism. The group operated until 1970. [215] Another Jewish group based in Melbourne, known as Research Services, was formed in 1960 and operated until the 1970s. The group involved itself in gathering information on antisemitic activities in Australia. The group's members included Jewish ex-servicemen and ex-servicewomen. [216] Since then, other Australian Jewish organisations have responded to antisemitism including the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) which produces annual incident reporting of antisemitism in Australia (starting from 1989), [58] the Anti-Defamation Commission (ADC), which was originally formed by B'nai B'rith, and the Community Security Group (CSG). Other organisations approach the issue through educational programming such as Courage to Care (C2C) which focuses on upstander behaviour, and Moving Forward Together (MFT) which focuses on promoting harmony through multicultural activities.

The Jewish community in South-East Queensland adopts varied responses to antisemitism, including education initiatives, interfaith dialogue, and security measures. These actions are framed as both protective and performative, aiming to assert Jewish identity within a multicultural framework. [217]

Community experiences of and attitudes toward antisemitism have been reported on in community studies produced in partnership with Monash University's Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation. Findings from a 2017 study include reporting that direct or personal experience of antisemitic insults and harassment over the last 12 months was experienced or witnessed by roughly one in ten respondents, with higher rates for Hasidic and Haredi Jews. [218] : 67–71 

In the aftermath of the sharp rise of antisemitic incidents in Australia following 7 October 2023, Jewish communal organisations campaigned for the Australian government to create a position to oversee the response to antisemitism. [219] in response, on 9 July 2024, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese appointed Jillian Segal, a former president of the ECAJ, as the special envoy on antisemitism to the Australian Government. [220] [81] A local development following 7 October 2023, involved Jewish House, a Sydney-based non-profit organisation, partnering with Lifeline, a crisis support service, to document how antisemitic incidents, including the public support for the 7 October attacks, and other anti-Jewish incidents, invalidate the experiences Jewish community members, leading to increased anxiety and require culturally-specific responses from mental health support workers. [221] Jewish House also created a dedicated resource website supporting practitioners with clients facing antisemitism. [222] [223] A response by Chabad of St Kilda to the 2024 antisemitic targeting of the home and property of the Chabad emissary family involved increased the number of public menorahs in Melbourne. [224] Legal avenues to address antisemitism include a 2024 suit in Australian Federal court against an Islamic preacher in Sydney whose sermons are alleged to have incited hatred against Jews. [126] [225]

Other efforts

In 1989, following a number of racist and antisemitic incidents, a community group was formed, known as the Community Alert Against Racism and Violence (CAARAV), led by the Rev. Dorothy McMahon of the Pitt Street Uniting Church. The group's aims were to distribute published materials to counteract racist and neo-Nazi activity. The group was endorsed by religious leaders in the Jewish community. [226] [227]

Legislative

In 2024, Australia outlawed the display of Nazi symbols. [228] Prior to this legislation, similar laws were passed in New South Wales (2022), [229] Victoria (2023), [230] ACT (2023), [231] South Australia (2023), [232] Queensland (2024). [233] Tasmania (2024). [234] and Western Australia (2024). [235] Notable cases involving the early application of these laws include the arrest of the owner of a prominent restaurant in Sydney. [236]

In January 2025, Jillian Segal, the Australian Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism, criticised lenient sentencing for antisemitic offenses as a factor undermining efforts to address hate crimes against the Australian Jewish community, and called for mandatory sentencing for individuals attacking synagogues. Following an increase in attacks on synagogues and Jewish homes in the prior months, Segal called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and state premiers to convene a national cabinet meeting. She argued that urgent action is required to implement tougher sentencing guidelines and ensure more consistent prosecution of antisemitic hate crimes. [237] [238] In response, Anthony Albanese rejected both of Segal's requests, and stated that sentencing should be left to judges and that he would not need to convene a national cabinet as he discussed the matter with the premiers of Victoria and New South Wales. [239] However, following an attack on a childcare centre in Sydney, calls for a national cabinet were renewed. The Prime Minister convened the national cabinet to discuss coordinating efforts to combat antisemitism. [135] [137] A key outcome of the meeting was the announcement of a national database to track antisemitic-related crime, incidents, and behaviours. [240]

Film

See also

References

  1. ↑ Antisemitism reports Executive of Australian Jewry. Retrieved on 20 December 2023
  2. 1 2 3 le Grand, Chip (8 February 2024). "Hundreds of Jewish creatives have names, details published online following Whatsapp leak". Sydney Morning Herald.
  3. 1 2 Taylor, Josh (9 February 2024). "Publication of Jewish creatives WhatsApp group led to death threats, MP says". The Guardian.
  4. ↑ Global100: Australia. ADL.org
  5. ↑ Rise of menacing minority: anti-Semitism scourge in Australia among worst in the West. The Australian. 15 January 2025.
  6. ↑ Vergani, M., Goodhardt, D., Link, R., Adamczyk, A., Freilich, J. D., & Chermak, S. (2022). When and how does anti-Semitism occur? The different trigger mechanisms associated with different types of criminal and non-criminal hate incidents. Deviant Behavior, 43(9), 1135-1152.
  7. ↑ Laying the foundation stone of the Beth Yisrael Synagogue. The Darling Downs Gazette and General Advertiser Wed 4 Aug 1875. Page 3. Accessed 5 February 2025.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Sol Encel (1989) Antisemitism and prejudice in Australia, Patterns of Prejudice, 23:1, 16-27, DOI: 10.1080/0031322X.1989.9969990
  9. 1 2 Jones, J. (2004). Confronting reality: anti-Semitism in Australia today. Jewish Political Studies Review, 89-103.
  10. ↑ Richards, E. (2014). Colonial misfits of the 1830s: Three stories of migration. Agora, 49(1), 30–38.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Suzanne Rutland. "The long, dark history of antisemitism in Australia." The Conversation. 23 November 2023. Accessed 18 February 2024.
  12. ↑ Turner, I. (1979). "Francis George (Frank) Anstey (1865–1940)." Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 7. Accessed 9 December 2024.
  13. ↑ "MENACE OF THE REFUGEE". The Age . No. 26, 226. Victoria, Australia. 9 May 1939. p. 11. Retrieved 8 March 2024– via National Library of Australia.
  14. 1 2 3 Jewish Synagogue Damaged. Darling Downs Gazette. Fri 22 Oct 1920. Page 2.
  15. 1 2 Damage at Toowoomba Synagogue. The Week. Fri 29 Oct 1920. Page 19. Accessed 13 January 2025.
  16. ↑ Gouttman, R. (2019). Not our problem: Australia and the genocide of European Jewry. Australian Jewish Historical Society Journal, 24.
  17. ↑ "Australian Jews". The Examiner (Launceston, Tasmania). 10 April 1939, p. 6. Accessed 23 March 2024.
  18. ↑ "Wide-Spread Anti-Jew Propaganda in Australia". Smith's Weekly. 25 October 1941. Page 1.
  19. ↑ "Douglas Crediters' Anti-Jew Propaganda". Smith's Weekly. 1 November 1941. Page 3.
  20. ↑ "Not anti-semitic: Australian social crediters". Smith's Weekly. 15 November 1941. Page 3.
  21. ↑ "Douglas Credit Attacks Major Douglas". Smith's Weekly. 8 November 1941. Page 3.
  22. ↑ "So There's No Anti-Semitism?" The Sydney Jewish News. 18 August 1950. Page 3.
  23. ↑ "In Sydney Wider Publicity Needed For Campaign Against Anti-Semitism". The Australian Jewish Herald. 11 August 1950. Page 16.
  24. ↑ "30,000 Copies Distributed by Jewish Council". The Australian Jewish Herald. 10 November 1950. Page 3.
  25. ↑ "Outrageous Desecration In North Carlton". The Australian Jewish Herald. 15 September 1950, p. 1.
  26. ↑ Rutland, S. D. "Antisemitism in Australia". In The Routledge History of Antisemitism (pp. 77–85). Routledge.
  27. ↑ Gouttman, R. (1993). A Jew, and coloured too! Immigration of ‘Jews of middle east origin’to Australia, 1949–58. Immigrants and Minorities, 12(1), 75–91.
  28. ↑ Gollan, [by] Robin (1975). Revolutionaries and reformists : Communism and the Australian Labour Movement, 1920–1955. Canberra: Australian National University Press. pp. 158–161. ISBN   0708102506.
  29. ↑ Kaiser, M. (2022). The Anti-German Migration Campaign and the Fall of the Jewish Antifascist Left. In Jewish Antifascism and the False Promise of Settler Colonialism (pp. 137-181). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
  30. ↑ "The Anti-Semitic Threat". Australian Jewish News. 13 February 1959, p. 5.
  31. ↑ "Violence Threat Against Melb. Jew". The Australian Jewish Times. 13 February 1959, p. 3.
  32. ↑ "Australia Centre for Anti-Semitic Propaganda". The Canberra Times . 5 August 1959. Page 3.
  33. ↑ "Swastika plaque spreads and now here in Melbourne". The Australian Jewish Herald. 8 January 1960, p. 1.
  34. ↑ "Archbishops Condemn Anti-Jewish Displays". The Canberra Times. 14 January 1960, p. 1.
  35. ↑ No Further Incidents in Canberra". The Canberra Times. 11 January 1960, p. 1.
  36. ↑ "Swastika Sign On Building At Yarralumla". The Canberra Times . 13 January 1960, p. 1.
  37. ↑ "Signs Spread to Sydney". The Australian Jewish Herald. 15 January 1960, p. 1.
  38. ↑ "Nazi Slogans Appear In Queanbeyan". Queanbeyan Age. 22 January 1960, p. 1.
  39. ↑ "There Were 20–30 Acts". The Australian Jewish News. 29 January 1960, p. 1.
  40. ↑ Campbell, Andrew (1978). The Australian League of Rights: a study in political extremism and subversion. Collingwood: Outback Press. p. 3. ISBN   978-0-868-88222-2.
  41. ↑ Moore, Andrew The Right Road: A history of Right-wing Politics in Australia Oxford University Press (1995) p. 69-70
  42. ↑ Atkins, Stephen E. entry on the league in Encyclopedia of Modern Worldwide Extremists and Extremist Groups Greenwood Press (2004) p. 175
  43. ↑ "Hooligans deface synagogue." The Canberra Times, Friday, 22 October 1965.
  44. ↑ "Riot at march caused by Nazi flag." The Canberra Times. Mon 2 May 1966.
  45. ↑ "Nazis on Yarra Bank 'weak exhibitionists'." The Canberra Times. Wed 11 May 1966.
  46. ↑ "Swastikas at local Jewish youth centre." The Australian Jewish Herald. Fri 3 June 1966.
  47. ↑ Nicholson, Brendan: Palestinian plot to kill Hawke The Age , 1 January 2007
  48. ↑ "Shule daubed", The Australian Jewish News (Melbourne). 13 October 1978. Page 8. Accessed 20 August 2024.
  49. ↑ Survey: Anti-Semitism in Australia. The Australian Jewish Times. Thu 11 Sept 1969. Page 35.
  50. 1 2 Taft, R., & Goldlust, J. (1970). The current status of former Jewish refugees in Melbourne. The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Sociology, 6(1), 28-48.
  51. ↑ "1982 Hakoah Club and Israeli Consulate Bombings Have Been Reopened." Archived 21 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine JewishNews.net.au. 29 August 2012.
  52. ↑ Mercer, Neil. "Police have new lead in Hakoah Club bombing." Sydney Morning Herald. 12 September 2012.
  53. ↑ "Hakoah bombing mystery re-opens." Archived 21 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine News.com.au 25 August 2012.
  54. ↑ "Police reopen 1982 Sydney bombings case." ABC News. Sunday 26 August 2012.
  55. ↑ Hilaly, T. E.D. (1988). Mufti speeches 1988 speech entitled, ‘The Disposition of Jews in the light of the Qumran’ at the Wayback Machine (archived 2008-07-20)
  56. ↑ "Immigration mistakes return to haunt us". 31 October 2006.
  57. ↑ The Religion Report: 28 September 2005 – Full Transcript Archived 28 May 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  58. 1 2 Melissa Singer. Australia: "Anti-Semitic incidents on the rise." ynet . 26 November 2006. Accessed 18 February 2024.
  59. ↑ Kleerekoper, Victor (1989). More anti-semitic daubings. The Australian Jewish News. 10 November 1989. Accessed 13 January 2025.
  60. ↑ Rabin Letter Read at Cemetery in Australia After Desecration The Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 17 July 1995
  61. ↑ Australian Prime Minister Condemns Attack on Cemetery The Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 10 July 1995
  62. ↑ Lawrence, D. (2017). A Sense of Embattlement: Australian Jewish Community Leadership's Response to 9/11. Memory and the Wars on Terror: Australian and British Perspectives, 201-217.
  63. ↑ "Al-Qaeda targeted Olympics, Jews: court." Sydney Morning Herald. 20 May 2004. Accessed 15 May 2024.
  64. ↑ Kontominas, B. (2008). Khazaal guilty over internet terrorism booklet, Sydney Morning Herald.
  65. ↑ Toben v Nationwide News Pty Ltd[2016] NSWCA 296, para.6.
  66. ↑ "Toben jailed as appeal fails". ABC News. 13 August 2009. Retrieved 13 August 2009.
  67. 1 2 3 Report on Antisemitism in Australia (2011). Executive Council of Australian Jewry. Retrieved from www.ecaj.org.au.
  68. ↑ "Protocols on Sale in Sydney". Jwire. Accessed 4 March 2024.
  69. ↑ "Protocol at Lakemba." Herald Sun. 11 April 2011. Accessed 4 March 2024.
  70. ↑ Ben Moshe, D. (2014). "Gaza war lets the anti-Semitic genie out of its Australian bottle." The Conversation. 11 August 2014. Accessed 5 April 2024.
  71. ↑ Carlin, Naama (2021). How COVID has shone a light on the ugly face of Australian antisemitism. The Conversation. 21 September 2021. Accessed 2 September 2024.
  72. ↑ Davis, Rebecca. "'Burn in an oven': Student threatened with a knife". ajn.timesofisrael.com.
  73. ↑ Davis, Rebecca. "More claims, legal action launched". ajn.timesofisrael.com.
  74. ↑ "Brothers leave school after horrific antisemitic bullying". www.heraldsun.com.au.
  75. ↑ "'A normalised culture of antisemitism': students sue Melbourne school, alleging Jews were bullied". Guardian Australia. 1 June 2022. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  76. ↑ "Expert asked to drop nazi reference from report on Victorian principal's controversial speech court hears". The Guardian . 24 November 2022. Accessed 10 March 2024.
  77. ↑ Students lift lid on alleged antisemitism at alternative learning school. The Australian. Accessed 3 September 2024.
  78. ↑ Lim, A. (2022). Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council. In: Political Marketing and Public Diplomacy by Pro-Israel and Pro-Palestinian Advocacy Groups. Palgrave Studies in Political Marketing and Management. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-15332-7_4
  79. ↑ Philip Mendes. Progressive except for Jews (PEJs): The Australian Greens and the 7 October Hamas Death Squad Massacre. Fathom Journal. Accessed 7 May 2024.
  80. ↑ A new low even for the Greens. Australian Jewish News. Accessed 7 May 2024.
  81. 1 2 Doorstop Interview. Prime Minister's Office. Accessed 10 July 2024.
  82. ↑ Demetriadi, Alexi (2024)."Jewish members abandon Greens over antisemitism. The Australian. 18 July 2024. Accessed 19 July 2024.
  83. ↑ Demetriadi, Alexi (2025). Greens fan flames of Sydney’s escalating anti-Semitism ‘tinderbox’. The Australian. 14 January 2025.
  84. 1 2 Cameron Stewart. "‘Gas you’, ‘kill you’: Surge in anti-Semitism incidents." The Australian . 15 December 2023.
  85. ↑ 'It's off the charts': How antisemitism surged after October 7 The Sydney Morning Herald . 17 November 2023
  86. ↑ "Islamophobic and antisemitic incidents record large spike in Australia, advocates say", The Guardian , 10 November 2023
  87. ↑ "Hundreds of prominent Australians sign letter condemning ‘abhorrent’ rise in antisemitism", The Guardian , 28 November 2023
  88. ↑ Australia leaders condemn anti-jewish chants. The Guardian . Accessed 4 March 2024.
  89. 1 2 Nathan, Julie. "Pogrom in Israel, antisemitism in Australia". blogs.timesofisrael.com. Archived from the original on 30 October 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  90. ↑ "Pro-Palestine protesters chant 'Gas the Jews' outside Sydney Opera House". The Telegraph. 10 October 2023. Archived from the original on 5 December 2023. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  91. ↑ "Video analysis finds no evidence 'gas the Jews' chant used at Opera House rally, police say". ABC News. 2 February 2024. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  92. ↑ McSweeney, Jessica (1 February 2024). "Israel war: NSW Police find no anti-Semitic phrase evidence at Sydney Opera House protest". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  93. ↑ Rose, Tamsin; Rose (7 February 2024). "Chris Minns warns against use of antisemitic tropes after Greens MP apologises for Jewish lobby comments". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  94. ↑ "'NSW MP apologises for 'inappropriate' words at pro-Palestine event". The Sydney Morning Herald. 6 February 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  95. 1 2 James O'Doherty and Madeleine Bower. "Jenny Leong accused of using anti-Semitic trope." The Daily Telegraph. 8 February 2024. Accessed 20 February 2024.
  96. ↑ "Leong's vile antisemitic slur exposed". The Australian Jewish News. 8 February 2024.
  97. ↑ Narunsky, G. "Greens slammed over Leong, ‘genocide’ claims". The Australian Jewish News. 15 February 2024.
  98. ↑ Brendan O’Neill. "Young, woke left hateful new face of anti-Semitism." The Australian. 10 February 2024. Accessed 20 February 2024.
  99. ↑ Tileah Dobson. "Protesters rally outside Greens MP Jenny Leong's office in response to comments about Jewish people." The Daily Telegraph. 11 February 2024. Accessed 20 February 2024.
  100. ↑ Danielle Greyman-Kennard. "Jewish squids protest 'anti-racist' Australian MP after comments of Jewish lobby's 'tentacles'." The Jerusalem Post. 12 February 2024. Accessed 20 February 2024.
  101. ↑ "NSW police renew inquiries into claims jumping castle business denied service to Jewish school", The Guardian . 15 November 2024. Accessed 3 March 2024.
  102. ↑ "Jumping castle business slammed as anti-Semitic after refusing Jewish school's request." www.news.com.au. Accessed 3 March 2024.
  103. ↑ "Police suspect no crime committed as Jewish school denied jumping castle". 17 November 2023.
  104. ↑ "Police take no action over jumping castle posts despite Minns calling for investigation." Sydney Morning Herald. Accessed 3 March 2024.
  105. 1 2 "Australian Jews alarmed after list of 'Zionists' publicized, fueling harassment". The Times of Israel . Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  106. ↑ Slucki, David (15 February 2024). "Zionism, anti-Zionism, and the doxxing of the "Zio600": Does compassion have to be a zero-sum game?". ABC Religion & Ethics.
  107. ↑ Keane, Bernard (13 February 2024). "My transparency is your doxxing: Hypocrisy and power on display from Labor and the media". Crikey.
  108. ↑ John Ferguson. "Theatre board splits over Clementine Ford booking." The Australian . 23 February 2024. Accessed 1 March 2024.
  109. ↑ Alexi Demetriadi. "Political and Jewish leaders raise Clementine Ford curatorship red flag after creatives doxxing". The Australian . 16 February 2024. Accessed 1 March 2024.
  110. ↑ Greyman-Kennard, Danielle (9 February 2024). "'Jew List' published by Australian pro-Palestinian activists forces families into hiding". The Jerusalem Post.
  111. ↑ Le Grand, Chip (10 February 2024). "'This isn't advocacy': Social posts on distant conflict tear at close community". Sydney Morning Herald.
  112. ↑ Koval, Ramona (13 February 2024). "I'm Jewish. I'm a creative. I was doxxed. How could this happen in Australia?". The Age.
  113. ↑ "Jewish Australians back anti-doxing laws". ABC RN Breakfast. 12 February 2024. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  114. ↑ Crowe, David (14 February 2024). "'Doxxing' laws to be brought forward after Jewish WhatsApp leak". Sydney Morning Herald.
  115. ↑ "Australia introduces new hate crime and anti-doxxing legislation amid rising antisemitism". Jerusalem Post. 12 September 2024. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  116. ↑ Demetriadi, Alexi (2024) Victoria Police makes first doxxing investigation arrest. The Australian. 18 November 2024.
  117. ↑ Jewish academic says Sydney Uni became toxic after October 7 attacks. Sydney Morning Herald. 8 September 2024.
  118. ↑ "Australian opposition pushes for campus antisemitism inquiry". 28 June 2024.
  119. ↑ Karacsony, Laurence (26 August 2024). "'Anti-Israel' Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi's substitution onto antisemitism committee makes 'mockery' of inquiry". Sky News. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  120. ↑ Kolieb, Sharyn (12 September 2024). "Special envoy: Antisemitism at universities 'systemic'". Australian Jewish News. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  121. ↑ Yim, N. (2024). ‘No one should feel at risk’: Sydney university Vice Chancellor sorry over anti-semitism. The Australian. 20 September 2024.
  122. ↑ Opening statement at senate inquiry. University of Sydney. 20 September 2024.
  123. ↑ "'F***ing Jews': Australian Jewish teen left 'bruised' after 'unprovoked' antisemitic attack". Jerusalem Post. 8 September 2024. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  124. ↑ "Alleged assault at train station – the Australian Jewish News".
  125. ↑ "Jewish bakery in Sydney vandalized with antisemitic graffiti amid tensions". Jerusalem Post. 14 October 2024. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  126. 1 2 Demetriadi, A. (2024). Jewish leaders take radical cleric Wissam Haddad to court amid inaction. The Australian. 28 October 2024.
  127. ↑ Campbell, James (2024). "Imam's anti-Semitic sermon at Masjid As-Sunnah mosque in Lakemba." The Sunday Telegraph. 10 March 2024. Accessed 2 January 2025.
  128. 1 2 ‘How low can you go?’: fear and disgust after antisemitic attack on Sydney childcare centre. The Guardian. 22 January 2025.
  129. ↑ Whiteman, Hilary (17 January 2025). "Authorities vow action after cars torched, home vandalized in latest antisemitic attack in Australia". CNN. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  130. ↑ McGuirk, Rod. "Australian police link stash of explosives and list of Jewish targets to an antisemitic plot". The Washington Post.
  131. ↑ ‘That is terrorism’: Caravan of explosives capable of ‘mass-casualty event’ found in Sydney. Sydney Morning Herald. 29 January 2025.
  132. ↑ 2025 Maroubra daycare arson attack. The Daily Telegraph. 21 January 2025.
  133. ↑ ‘Wake-up call’: Daycare attack prelude to further antisemitic violence, community leaders warn. Sydney Morning Herald. 21 January 2025.
  134. ↑ i24NEWS (21 January 2025). "Wave of antisemitism in Australia continues as Sydney daycare set on fire". i24NEWS. Retrieved 21 January 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  135. 1 2 3 Albanese blasts latest antisemitic attack. The Australian. 21 January 2025.
  136. ↑ Childcare centre set alight, graffitied with anti-Semitic words at Maroubra in Sydney's south-east. ABC News. 21 January 2025.
  137. 1 2 Bucci, Nino; Wind, Emily; Bucci (now), Nino; Wind (earlier), Emily (21 January 2025). "National cabinet meets over antisemitic attacks – as it happened". the Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  138. ↑ Investigation underway following suspicious fire at childcare centre in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs. NSW Police. 21 January 2025.
  139. ↑ Jervis-Bardy, Dan; Butler, Josh; Touma, Rafqa (22 January 2025). "'Paid actors' could be behind some antisemitic attacks, Albanese says". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  140. ↑ "Australian police say antisemitic crimes may be funded overseas". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  141. ↑ Son of murdered Comanchero bikie boss Mick Hawi charged in connection with anti-Semitic incident. The Daily Telegraph. 23 January 2025.
  142. ↑ New Jewish Synagogue, Toowoomba. Australian Town and Country Journal Sat 25 Sept 1875. Page 21. Accessed 4 February 2025.
  143. 1 2 Carlton Shule damaged. The Australian Jewish News. Friday 5 July 1968. Accessed 4 February 2025.
  144. 1 2 Turnbull, M. J. (1993). Australian Jewish Historical Society Journal 12(1): 115-131.
  145. ↑ Inter-faith watch?. The Australian Jewish News. Friday 5 July 1968. Accessed 4 February 2025.
  146. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Johnson, J. R. (1994) Arson Attacks on Synagogues. NSW Legislative Council. Wednesday, 30 November 1994. Accessed 10 March 2024.
  147. 1 2 Rutland, S. (2006). Negotiating Religious Dialogue: A Response to the Recent Increase in Anti-Semitism in Australia. Negotiating the Sacred: Blasphemy and Sacrilege in a Multicultural Society, 17-30.
  148. ↑ "Fire at Synagogue in Sydney is Fourth Arson in Six Weeks." Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 7 March 1991. Accessed 4 March 2024.
  149. ↑ Consecration of new synagogue at Bankstown. The Hebrew Standard. 8 April 1914. Accessed 5 March 2024.
  150. ↑ "Jewish Martyrs War Memorial Synagogue, Meredith Street Bankstown." Canterbury Bankstown Library and Knowledge Centres. Accessed 19 March 2024.
  151. ↑ "Antisemitism in 1991 The year of 150 attacks." The Australian Jewish News. Fri 10 Jan 1992. Page 3.
  152. ↑ "Extensive damage caused by arson to Sydney shul." Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 1993. Accessed 10 March 2024.
  153. ↑ "Adass Israel congregation". skhs.org.au. Accessed 10 March 2024.
  154. ↑ Steve Lipman. "A Timeline Of Attacks On Synagogues." Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 18 November 2014. Accessed 20 February 2024.
  155. ↑ Daniel Meyerowitz-Katz. "Australia's Jewish community has legitimate security concerns." Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council. 1 February 2012. Accessed 20 February 2024.
  156. ↑ Baden, Samantha. "Bondi synagogue attacked." The Australian Jewish News. 10 November 2000. Accessed 4 March 2024.
  157. ↑ "Sydney Jewry targeted." The Australian Jewish News. 20 October 2000. Accessed 4 March 2024.
  158. ↑ Freedman, Bernard. "Synagogue firebombed." The Australian Jewish News. 6 April 2001. Accessed 4 March 2024.
  159. ↑ Lee, Allon. "Antisemitic incidents rock community." The Australian Jewish News. 12 April 2003. Accessed 4 March 2024.
  160. ↑ "Latest news briefs from the Jewish Telegraphic Agency". Cleveland Jewish News. 19 July 2004. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
  161. ↑ "Synagogue attack is unacceptable." ABC News. Accessed 3 March 2024.
  162. ↑ "Police probe racist graffiti attack." ABC News. 18 July 2004. Accessed 3 March 2024.
  163. 1 2 "A spate of attacks, but no arrests." The Australian Jewish News. 12 January 2007. Accessed 4 March 2024.
  164. ↑ "Police investigate vandalism in synagogue grounds." ABC News. 31 July 2006. Accessed 3 March 2024.
  165. ↑ Jones, J. (2008). Report on Antisemitism in Australia (2008). Executive Council of Australian Jewry. Accessed 3 March 2024.
  166. ↑ "Spate of Vandalism in Jewish Melbourne.". Jewish News. (via Trove newspaper archive). Accessed 3 March 2024.
  167. ↑ "Report on Antisemitism in Australia (2010–11)", Executive Council of Australian Jewry. Accessed 4 March 2024.
  168. ↑ "Report on Antisemitism in Australia (2011-12)." Executive Council of Australian Jewry. Accessed 4 March 2024.
  169. ↑ "Police investigate swastika graffiti on Jewish synagogue." The Daily Telegraph. Accessed 3 March 2024.
  170. ↑ Clare Sibthorpe. "Canberra's Jewish community 'living in fear' due to anti-Semitic attacks." ABC News. 12 December 2018. Accessed 4 March 2024.
  171. ↑ Serious vilification and hate crime: The need for legislative reform. Cohesive Communities Coalition. Queensland. 2022.
  172. ↑ Kohn, Peter. (2020). "Vandalism at shule." Australian Jewish News. Accessed 15 July 2024.
  173. ↑ "Melbourne synagogue targeted in antisemitic graffiti attack amid Jewish new year celebrations." Herald Sun. Accessed 3 March 2024.
  174. ↑ Killick, David (2022). "Slow response to Nazi graffiti angers Jewish community." The Mercury. 8 July 2022. Accessed 15 July 2024.
  175. ↑ "Jewish leaders condemn Nazi graffiti on gravestones as police probe suspected Hunter Valley hate crime." ABC News (www.abc.net.au). Accessed 3 March 2024.
  176. ↑ "Australia Bans Sydney Synagogue Over Islamist Attack Fears, Prompting Outrage Among Jewish Community." Newsweek. 4 August 2017. Accessed 10 March 2024.
  177. ↑ Tara Cosoleto. "Nazi symbols spark anguish on eve of ban." The Leader. 22 December 2022. Accessed 12 March 2024.
  178. ↑ Julie Nathan. "Anti-Jewish incidents in Australia – 2023 ECAJ report." Executive Council of Australian Jewry. 7 March 2024. Accessed 12 March 2024.
  179. ↑ "Eight more bans for Melbourne football violence – as it happened." The Guardian. 22 December 2022. Accessed 12 March 2024.
  180. 1 2 3 A CSG ANALYSIS OF REPORTED ANTISEMITIC INCIDENTS IN AUSTRALIA IN 2023. Community Security Group.
  181. ↑ 2023 Victorian Antisemitism Report. Jewish Community Council of Victoria and the Community Security Group.
  182. ↑ Alfares, M. (2024). "Snap pro-Palestinian protest targets Melbourne synagogue." The Australian. 25 November 2024. Accessed 12 December 2024.
  183. ↑ Hill, Bruce (27 November 2024). "Rabbi's wife and children forced to leave". www.australianjewishnews.com. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  184. ↑ Sciberras, A. and R. Wood (2024). "'Act of hate': Leaders condemn 'horrendous' firebombing attack on synagogue." Nine News. 6 Dec. 2024.
  185. ↑ Butler, J. and A. Ore (2024)."Melbourne synagogue fire a 'deliberate' antisemitic attack, Anthony Albanese says." The Guardian. 6 Dec. 2024.
  186. ↑ "'An attack on Australian values': Anthony Albanese condemns Melbourne synagogue fire". ABC News. 6 December 2024.
  187. ↑ "Melbourne synagogue sustains severe damage in predawn attack by masked arsonists.". Times of Israel. 6 Dec. 2024.
  188. ↑ Douglas, C., R. Hodge, and E. Sudano (2024). "Jewish community responds to suspicious fire at the Adass Israel Synagogue on Glen Eira Rd, Ripponlea." Herald Sun. 6 Dec. 2024.
  189. ↑ Anthony Albanese says attack on Melbourne's Adass Israel synagogue 'quite clearly' terrorism. ABC News. 8 December 2024.
  190. ↑ Australian PM heckled during visit to Melbourne synagogue gutted in arson attack. Times of Israel. 10 December 2024.
  191. ↑ AFP to lead Special Operation Avalite to investigate anti-Semitism. Australian Federal Police. 9 December 2024.
  192. ↑ Evans, Jake (9 December 2024). "AFP anti-Semitism taskforce 'Avalite' established after synagogue attack". ABC News. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  193. ↑ AFP statement: Special Operation Avalite update. Australian Federal Police. 10 January 2025.
  194. ↑ Southern Sydney synagogue vandalised with swastika signs. The Australian Jewish News. 10 January 2025.
  195. ↑ ‘Bastards’: Angry premier condemns new graffiti attack on Sydney synagogue. The Australian. 10 January 2025.
  196. ↑ Vandals paint Swastika signs on Southern Sydney Synagogue at Allawah. The Daily Telegraph. 10 January 2025.
  197. ↑ ‘Monstrous act’: Sydney synagogue vandalised with swastikas. Sydney Morning Herald. 10 January 2025.
  198. ↑ Second Sydney synagogue vandalised with swastikas. aap.com.au. 11 January 2025.
  199. ↑ Second Sydney synagogue vandalised with swastikas as NSW premier condemns ‘monstrous’ acts. The Guardian. 11 January 2025.
  200. ↑ Second antisemitic attack in 24 hours: Newtown Synagogue defaced. J-wire. 11 January 2025.
  201. ↑ Second man arrested over alleged anti-Semitic attack on Newtown synagogue. The Daily Telegraph. 23 January 2025.
  202. ↑ Robert G. Menzies. "Statement by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. R.G. Menzies." Government of Australia. 26 January 1960.
  203. ↑ David Furse-Roberts. "Robert Menzies and Australia's Jewish Community." Menzies Research Centre. 2 September 2020. Accessed 18 February 2024.
  204. ↑ "World Report." The Jewish News of Northern California. 14 July 1995. Accessed 16 March 2024.
  205. ↑ "Cemetery: Keating condemns vandals." The Age. Sun, 9 July 1995. Page 2. Accessed 15 March 2024.
  206. ↑ Rutland, S. (2006). Negotiating Religious Dialogue: A Response to the Recent Increase in Anti-Semitism in Australia. Negotiating the Sacred: Blasphemy and Sacrilege in a Multicultural Society, 17-30.
  207. ↑ Malcolm Turnbull. Speech to Parliament Against Anti-Semitism." www.malcolmturnbull.com.au. 2 December 2013. Accessed 18 February 2024.
  208. ↑ "Australian parliament unites to condemn hate speech including antisemitism and Islamophobia."' The Guardian (Australia). 16 October 2023. Accessed 18 February 2024.
  209. ↑ Olivia Ireland and James Massola. "Six ex-prime ministers unite to condemn ‘hatred’ spread by Hamas", The Sydney Morning Herald . 30 October 2023. Accessed 18 February 2024.
  210. ↑ Michelle Grattan. "Six former prime ministers warn against letting the Israel-Gaza conflict divide Australians." The Conversation (Australia). 30 October 2023. Accessed 18 February 2024.
  211. 1 2 "Josh Frydenberg's tears over anti-Semitism directed at young Jewish couple." News.com.au. 28 May 2024. Accessed 18 June 2024.
  212. ↑ Rabbi sermon: ‘Step up on anti-Semitism, PM’. The Australian. 25 November 2024.
  213. ↑ Bertah A. (2024). John Howard hits out at Anthony Albanese's handling of anti-Semitism, October 7 response. The Daily Telegraph. 22 November 2024.
  214. ↑ Mohammad Alfares. Coalition figures back ECAJ in slamming PM over anti-Semitism. The Australian. 12 January 2025.
  215. ↑ Mendes, P. (2015). The Jewish Council to combat fascism and anti-Semitism and the campaign against Nazi war criminals. Australian Jewish Historical Society Journal, 22(Part 3), 534-547.
  216. ↑ Markus, Andrew (2010). "Research services 1960–1967: 'unremitting vigilance, preparedness, and understanding'." Australian Jewish Historical Society. Accessed 19 April 2024.
  217. ↑ Creese, J. (2024). "We're alone in this together: The anthropology of fear and Jewish attitudes to antisemitism." Journal of Modern Jewish Studies, 23(1), 5–25. DOI: [10.1080/14725886.2022.2142774](https://doi.org/10.1080/14725886.2022.2142774)
  218. ↑ Graham, D. and A. Markus (2018). Gen17 Australian Jewish Community Survey Preliminary Findings. Accessed 18 March 2024.
  219. ↑ Visontay, Michael (9 July 2024). "Jillian Segal appointed as first Australian antisemitism envoy". The Jewish Independent.
  220. ↑ Wind, Emily (9 July 2024). "Australia news live: Albanese announces special envoy to combat antisemitism, says Jewish students 'worried' to wear school uniform". the Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  221. ↑ Kaye, A., Phillips, E., Barber, K., Gonda, T., Kastel, M., & Millet, J. (2023). Jews and Israel, a mental health guide for supporting Jewish clients in crisis during the war in the Middle East. A collaboration with Lifeline and Jewish House. Sydney: Lifeline / Jewish House. December 2023.
  222. ↑ Navigating Antisemitism. Jewish House. Accessed 13 December 2024.
  223. ↑ Demetriadi, A. (2024). "Rabbi Mendel Kastel launches support portal amid ‘Australia's anti-Semitism crisis’". The Australian. 17 December 2024.
  224. ↑ More Chanukah menorahs for St Kilda. The Australian Jewish News. Accessed 22 December 2024.
  225. ↑ Demetriadi, A. (2024). Islamic cleric Wissam Haddad fronts court as Jewish community's milestone case begins. The Australian. 18 December 2024.
  226. ↑ Secord, Walt (1989). New group to fight racial violence. The Australian Jewish Times. 26 May 1989. Accessed 14 January 2025.
  227. ↑ Nugent S, Wilkie M & Iredale R 1989. Racist violence. Violence today no. 8. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology. Accessed 14 January 2025.
  228. ↑ Dreyfus, M. (2024). Nazi salute and hate symbols now outlawed. 8 January 2024. https://ministers.ag.gov.au/ . Accessed 25 September 2024.
  229. ↑ Crimes Amendment (Prohibition on Display of Nazi Symbols) Bill 2022. https://legislation.nsw.gov.au . Accessed 25 September 2024.
  230. ↑ Fact sheet: Ban of Nazi symbols and gestures. https://www.vic.gov.au . Accessed 25 September 2024.
  231. ↑ Nazi symbols banned in ACT. 29 August 2023. https://www.cmtedd.act.gov.au . Accessed 25 September 2024.
  232. ↑ Day, James (7 December 2023). "'No place for hate': South Australia joins ban against Nazi symbols and salute". PS News. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  233. ↑ News: Stronger hate crime laws are now in effect. Queensland Human Rights Commission. Accessed 25 September 2024.
  234. ↑ Fact sheet – Nazi symbols and gestures Tasmania Legal Aid. Accessed 25 September 2024.
  235. ↑ Public display of hate symbols to be banned in Western Australia. 19 June 2024. https://www.wa.gov.au . Accessed 25 September 2024.
  236. ↑ Murray, D. (24 October 2024). "Nomad owner pleads guilty to displaying swastika sign at pro-Palestinian march". Australian Financial Review . Retrieved 14 November 2024.
  237. ↑ ‘Democracy is at stake’: SOS from Anthony Albanese’s anti-Semitism envoy Jillian Segal. The Australian. 15 January 2025.
  238. ↑ Calls to consider jail time as anti-Semitism grows. The Canberra Times. 15 January 2025.
  239. ↑ PM rejects envoy Jillian Segal’s call on synagogues, sentencing. The Australian. 15 January 2025.
  240. ↑ Albanese, A. (2025). Meeting of National Cabinet. http://www.pm.gov.au/ . 21 January 2025. Accessed 29 January 2025.
  241. ↑ "WATCH: Former treasurer Josh Frydenberg presents the Sky News documentary 'Never Again: The Fight Against Antisemitism'". Sky News. Accessed 18 June 2024.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.