Statement at J7 Task Force Against Antisemitism media conference in Buenos Aires. The J7 Task Force is a grouping of the largest Jewish communities in the diaspora: United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Argentina and Australia. The ECAJ represents the Australian Jewish community on the J7 Task Force.
Australia has seen unprecedented levels of antisemitism take hold in our beautiful country. In the 2 months following the October 7 massacre in Israel, we saw a 738% rise in antisemitic incidents compared to the same period the previous year.
Some events we have seen have been horrific including a violent pro-Palestinian march where Jihadi flags were waved and chants of F the Jews were shouted on the steps of the Opera House.
A Jewish Member of Parliament’s office in Melbourne was vandalised so badly that it almost ignited into flames.
Several Islamic clerics in Sydney spewed disgusting sermons calling for jihad and the death of Jews. Over 700 Jewish creatives on a private whats app group had their full names and contact details leaked on social media, including the full transcript of the chat.
Jewish school children have received instructions from their headmasters not to wear their school uniform or Jewish jewellery outside of school.
And like elsewhere in the world, we have had months of illegal encampments on universities with one of our oldest institutions, Sydney university caving into an Islamist extremist group Hizbut Tahrir who will now review the universities investment and research arrangements.
These incidents are unprecedented in our lifetime, and in Australia.
Support from our government is absolutely crucial to help us stamp out antisemitism and we welcome the recent appointment of Australia’s first antisemitism envoy, former President of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, Jillian Segal, who has called for a national strategy to combat antisemitism and will report directly to the Prime Minister.
Collaboration between the J7 countries has never been more important. We need to stand strong together. We need to share and generate new ideas that combat antisemitism around the world.
