To download this statement release in PDF format, click here.

Where do the can­did­ates stand on matters affecting the Jewish community?

As has been our practice for a number of years, the Executive Council of Aus­trali­an Jewry wrote to the leaders of the Coalition, the Aus­trali­an Labor Party and the Aus­trali­an Greens ahead of the upcoming federal election seeking their positions on policies and issues of par­tic­u­lar interest to the Aus­trali­an Jewish community.

In addition to this, given that the seat of Wentworth has a sizeable Jewish community and a sitting member who does not belong to one of the parties surveyed, we also afforded the Member for Wentworth the oppor­tun­ity to respond to our ques­tion­naire.

Dr Kerryn Phelps (Inde­pend­ent)

The responses given by the Member for Wentworth, Dr Kerryn Phelps MP can be accessed here.

Dave Sharma (Liberal)

The Liberal Party responses can be accessed here.

Addi­tion­ally, Mr Sharma provided this message to the Jewish community of Wentworth:

“I am proud of my track record from my time as Aus­trali­a’s Ambas­sad­or to Israel from 2013 to 2017 and since in strength­en­ing the rela­tion­ship between Australia and Israel.

I can always be counted to stand up force­fully and pas­sion­ately for Israel and Israel’s right to defend itself.

I will always call out anti-Semitism in all its mani­fest­a­tions firmly and promptly, and show zero tolerance towards it.

And I shall remain a steadfast support of the Jewish community and Jewish life in Australia, including pro­tect­ing the community from threats and sup­port­ing insti­tu­tions which foster Jewish communal life.”

Tim Murray (Labor)

The Labor Party responses can be accessed here.

Mr Murray also provided a message to the Jewish community of Wentworth:

“I am extremely proud of the role the Aus­trali­an Labor Party has played for 70 years in the bipar­tis­an recog­ni­tion and support of the State of Israel, and in the right of Israelis and Jewish com­munit­ies around the world to live in peace and security.

In my time as a candidate, I have learned first-hand from many in the community of the aspir­a­tion for Jerusalem to be recog­nised as the capital of Israel. While there are well known dif­fer­ences amongst the parties and can­did­ates in the election as to how best this can be achieved, I believe that the majority of Aus­trali­ans, including myself, support this, and a peaceful path towards a two-state solution.

The over­whelm­ing majority of Aus­trali­ans condemn the rising number of anti-Semitic attacks, including against Jewish schools, busi­nesses and places of worship. As I have expressed pre­vi­ously, there must be a new urgency in how we address the tide of hate that is being directed at Jews around the world – hate and vili­fic­a­tion which which is magnified, per­petu­ated and funded with the aid of social media and online platforms.

Since I was first nominated early last year as Labor’s candidate for Wentworth, I have appre­ci­ated very much our dis­cus­sions on the domestic and inter­na­tion­al policy issues that are important to the ECAJ, the NSW JBD and those within the Jewish community more broadly.

I am grateful that these links have continued through the by-election, the NSW State election and now the Federal election, and trust we will continue to stay in touch regard­less of the result on May 18.”

Dominic Wy Kanak (Greens)

The Aus­trali­an Greens responses can be accessed here.

Contact
Alex Ryvchin | Co-CEO
ph: 02 8353 8505 | m: 0478 297 245
e: [email protected] | www.ecaj.org.au