Australia is a country that prides itself as a beacon of diversity and multiculturalism. After World War II, it welcomed many Holocaust survivors. It was seen as a haven, the country furthest away from bloodied Europe. The Jews who went there rebuilt their lives after the horrors they had experienced and became major contributors to all facets of life in Australia.
On Oct. 9, two days after Hamas terrorists slaughtered 1,200 people in Israel and before Israel had begun any real response, a large crowd congregated outside the Sydney Opera House to celebrate the massacre, chanting, “F--- the Jews,” “Where are the Jews,” and “Gas the Jews,” according to eyewitnesses.
Since then, there has been an outpouring of antisemitism the likes of which Jews in Australia have never before experienced. This is not limited to anti-Israel protests. Jews are under attack across all facets of society, from academic, business, cultural, and social circles.
How to explain this phenomenon?
Two primary sources of antisemitism
There are two primary sources of the current wave of antisemitism. First, there are the Islamists who comprise a significant minority of the Muslim, largely Arab communities that have migrated to Australia over the last two to three decades. Not surprisingly, many have brought their baggage of prejudice with them.
Second, there is the radical left. There are also extreme right-wing neo-Nazis, but their number and influence pale into insignificance compared to the hard left.
The Islamists first came into prominence in the 1980s and 1990s through the most influential Muslim cleric and one-time mufti, Sheikh Taj El-Din Hilaly. He was infamous for his vile attacks on Israel and Jews.
In the 1980s, there were around 75,000 Muslims in Australia. Today there are over 800,000. There have been numerous instances in the last decade, and particularly in the last few months, in which imams at mosques have been recorded delivering sermons containing the vilest attacks against Jews.
There has always been a radical left in Australia that was obsessed with Jews and Israel. In the 1970s and 1980s, radical leftists turned university campuses into battlegrounds with their support for the PLO and campaigns to delegitimize Israel. From the universities, many went on to join unions and the left wing of the Australian Labor Party (ALP). Others went into academia.
Their efforts to get the left-leaning ALP to endorse their views were largely unsuccessful and the party maintained a warm relationship with Israel when in government. However, there has been a steady increase in grassroots ALP support for pro-Palestine positions, and many ALP seats now contain large Muslim constituencies.
In 1992, the Australian Greens party was set up to promote environmental and climate issues. Their radical environmental policies attracted many from the Marxist hard left, who brought with them their visceral hatred of Israel.
Over the past decade, the Greens have adopted extremely hostile positions against Israel. Following Oct. 7, the lid was lifted on naked antisemitism. Not only did they call for a cease-fire, but they also refused to condemn Hamas and accused Israel of genocide. They were at the vanguard of leading mass protests across the country including encouraging school students to attend. The most egregious display of antisemitism was when one of its senators, Jenny Leong, publicly stated that “the Jewish and Zionist lobby are infiltrating into every aspect of what is ethnic community groups” and that “their tentacles reach into the areas that try and influence power.”
The Greens’ climate agenda has been extremely successful in attracting support from the woke, progressive, LGBTQ, and inner urban elites. They have formed an unholy alliance with the Islamists and adopted the Hamas narrative as their cause célèbre.
In step with their anti-colonial message, they have intersected with the radical elements of the Aboriginal community to compare the crimes of the colonial settlers against the indigenous Aborigines with Israel’s crimes against the “indigenous Palestinians.”
Many local city councils have passed or are proposing to pass resolutions ranging from cease-fire calls to accusing Israel of genocide and war crimes.
This year, the board of the Sydney Mardi Gras Parade, which is celebrated annually by the LGBTQ community, issued an open letter in support of a cease-fire and to reject any funds from backers of the Israeli occupation. There was no mention of Hamas or the hostages. Not a single demonstration against Israel has lacked the presence of “Queers for Palestine” despite the obvious absurdity of their support for Hamas.
The final element that facilitated the eruption of antisemitism was the use of social media which has no censure mechanism. This has enabled an outpouring of hate messaging, abuse, and harassment of the vilest nature targeting Jewish doctors, lawyers, and artists. Jewish business owners have been threatened that unless they renounce Zionism and condemn Israel for genocide, they will be subject to a mass boycott campaign.
The most recent outrage occurred when 600 members of a Jewish WhatsApp support group were doxxed; meaning their personal details—social media profiles, addresses, pictures, and employment details—were disseminated. This led to many being harassed and threatened and some even lost their jobs.
What is happening in Australia is occurring across all major Diaspora communities throughout the world. Perhaps it is time for world Jewry to launch a global campaign where a week is devoted to activities under the banner of “Never Again: Stop Antisemitism.”
Such a campaign should include press and advertising across all media formats. Coalitions with other communal groups should be established. Government participation and endorsement should be sought where possible.
It will require serious funding and planning and each country needs to cater its messaging to local conditions. In Australia, several parties and players have exhibited gross antisemitism and need to be exposed.
Such a campaign launched globally can potentially do wonders to expose the scourge of antisemitism and motivate countries to adopt serious measures to counter it.
It is time that Jews get on the front foot and take a stand in expressing pride in their identity and their association with the people and the State of Israel.
Romy Leibler is a former prominent business and communal leader in Australia, now residing in Jerusalem, Israel.