OPINION – Australian Jews Weigh Leaving After Violence, Surge in Antisemitism
Decisions on policing, prosecutions, and hate-speech enforcement are increasingly seen as a test of whether Australia can keep Jewish communities safe
When a rally was held in Israel in support of the victims of the Bondi massacre, I could not escape the irony.
My earliest personal recollection of Australian Jews being victims of terror was in 2002, when Malki Roth, daughter of a former member of my synagogue in Melbourne, Arnold Roth, who immigrated to Israel, was killed in the Sbarro suicide bombing. From the safety and comfort of our homes in Caulfield, Melbourne, and Bondi, Sydney, we commiserated with Arnold and his family.
I have just returned from a visit to Melbourne, my fourth since October 7. As I was boarding the last leg of my journey, news exploded of the Hanukkah massacre in Sydney. For decades, Melbourne and Sydney have organized celebrations designed for the community and, in particular, young families to celebrate a festival that recalls how the Jews overthrew their oppressors, who sought to negate their freedom to practice their religion.
By the time this article appears, newspapers and social media will be replete with accounts of what occurred, coupled with social and political commentary.
During my visit to Australia, I met with numerous family members, friends, and acquaintances to take the temperature of the place I called home for most of my life, except for the last decade.
From the impression I got, it would be fair to say that the Bondi massacre did not come as a shock to the community. On the contrary, it will be seen as the inevitable consequence of pathetic, appeasing, and appalling handling by the government, the judiciary, and the police of the antisemitism that has been allowed to fester and metastasize since October 7.
Judging by what many have observed, the incessant calls for global intifada have been tolerated throughout the world, emboldening those whose agenda is to demonize Israel and, by association, Jews under the guise of anti-Zionism, which has morphed into antisemitism. Australia is now home to between 800,000 and 900,000 Muslims, and if we generously assume that only 10% subscribe to radical Islam, you have a pool of 80,000-plus extremists who can be motivated to pull the trigger.
Appeasement—kowtowing, turning a blind eye, issuing platitudes—is the easy route when society is being divided and large sectarian minorities, in association with radical leftists, fill the streets with protests. But when innocent civilians are slaughtered while celebrating a religious event, the calculus is dramatically altered.
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Investigators allegedly identified the perpetrators of the attack as adherents of the Islamic State group (ISIS), as well as being associated with a notorious mosque in Sydney.
Separately, extremist imams have been recorded supporting the likes of Hamas and Hezbollah, depicting Jews as the sons of apes, and endorsing Quranic sources that call for the slaughter of Jews with no recourse.
Many protesters who attended the infamous Opera House protest—which celebrated Hamas’ massacre on October 7, coupled with calls to “f*** the Jews” and “gas the Jews”—were radical Islamists. Similarly, the ongoing marches calling for the eradication of the State of Israel, global intifada, and resistance by any means would have had total support and participation from these quarters.
Canberra now has a challenge. Can it continue to allow radical Islamist preachers to purvey their hatred? Can police continue to ignore blatant calls for incitement to racism? The existing legal framework is insufficient, and law enforcement agencies have been too timid and frightened to confront mobs that have been allowed to roam the streets and project their hatred without challenge.
So far, the government has effectively shelved proposals to tackle antisemitism that were drafted six months ago by Jillian Segal, whom it appointed as its envoy for antisemitism. It has also consistently conflated the dangers of antisemitism with Islamophobia.
If the government is serious about eradicating antisemitism and restoring social harmony, it is going to have to tackle radical Islam head-on. It will need to ban organizations such as Hizb ut-Tahrir, and it will need to prosecute the influencers of terror.
It also needs to outlaw all organizations that are in any way associated with, or supportive of, the Muslim Brotherhood, which has provided the ideological backbone for the likes of Hamas, ISIS, and al-Qaida.
Beyond that, it needs to investigate the primary backers of Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood—Qatar and Turkey—with the former investing billions worldwide to acquire influence and destabilize the West.
The ideology of these groups is subversive, and they are determined to undermine Western civilization. Their ultimate aim is to overthrow democracy and implement a medieval version of Islam in the form of a global caliphate. Their exploitation of the West’s tolerant approach to immigration has led to decay across Europe, and they seek to do the same in the US and Australia.
Australia’s government must be prepared to withdraw citizenship and deport those who incite. It needs to demand that mainstream Muslim organizations explicitly distance themselves from, and condemn, radical Islamists. The worry, of course, is that support for many of the anti-Australian hate policies is far more prevalent within Muslim communities than authorities would care to admit.
Tragically, there is no confidence in the Australian government’s willingness to undertake the necessary actions to combat the Islamist threat. After all, its abandonment of Israel and recognition of Palestinian statehood during the conflict only served to encourage them and their supporters.
At the same time, the government’s immediate reaction was to tackle gun licensing laws, which in no way addresses the core issue: the ideological threat that underpins the dangers posed.
Expect it to be buttressed by those in the Muslim community who will cry that any crackdown is Islamophobic. This tactic has worked to their advantage throughout the West as they increase their numbers and influence. Liberal elites and the radical left have aided and abetted this process through their adoption of radical Marxist ideology that also seeks to undermine Western civilization. Israel, Zionism, and by extension, the Jews are their primary target.
A clash of civilizations is occurring, and if Judeo-Christian values are to prevail, society needs to awaken and acknowledge this. Unfortunately, the ranks of the Australian Labor Party have been thoroughly infiltrated by the radical left.
Adding oil to the flames, a retired politician told me that no matter how appalling the actions of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong have been over the last two years, the next generation of Labor Party leaders will be infinitely worse.
Expect to hear more Australian accents in Ra’anana and Netanya. I am acquainted with many from my former community who have recently purchased apartments and houses there. The Bondi massacre will only serve to encourage this trend, as Australian Jews no longer feel safe in what was once regarded as the most idyllic place in the world for Jews to live outside of Israel.
