Contributed from Victoria
There is no doubt that there has been a spate of organised attacks on Jewish synagogues, cars, and homes across Australia. The last is the attack on a Sydney Child Care Centre. A special task force set up to investigate antisemitism claims 166 reports. Attacks committed against the Jewish community must be condemned and the perpetrators held to account. There can b no doubt about this.

Photo from Jewish Voice for Peace: Free Palestine rally in Melbourne
Nor should this spate of attacks be used as a vehicle to launch attacks on critics of Israel’s actions. This is not antisemitism. Unfortunately, the Zionist lobby won’t recognise this distinction. Wrongful attacks on the Jewish community in Australia are being used to pressure the government and authorities to come down heavily on any criticism of Israel, or even mentioning the slaughter it has inflicted on Gaza.
Both the Dutton led opposition and Albanese government have been too happy to oblige. The danger is that the attacks that should revolt us all will be used as a vehicle for repression of others.
If the suggestion from the Australian Federal Police that the attacks against Jewish targets are being commissioned by overseas actors engaging local criminal elements to deliver the deeds, Australia should be seriously concerned.
Anthony Albanese has called together the State and Territory Premiers and Chief Ministers in the form of a national parliament, reminiscent of the one called by his predecessor during the Covid era. This is overreach and politicisation of the matter. It should remain a criminal investigation.
One is compelled to ask, who will benefit from this. The Zionist lobby will. It will be used to justify, and preferably to hide, Israel’s crimes against humanity. These have been recognised by the world, including the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
The attacks are already being used to justify the silencing of the huge pro-Palestinian movement existing across Australia. It is being blamed for inciting racial hatred. Police efforts have focussed on what people say rather than actual wrongful attacks, under the heading of “antisemitic related offenses.” Antisemitism has become an extremely lose term.
Antisemitism is about attacks, verbal or physical, intending to hurt people because they are Jewish. It has nothing to do with expressing a view contrary to the Zionist ideology and opposing the actions of the Israeli state. A Zionist and a Jee are not the same thing.
In fact, most of those who stand opposed to Zionism and what the Israeli state is doing condemn attacks on Jews. This movement includes a considerable proportion of Jews.
The way forward must be to counter all forms of racial prejudice, and work to bring the broad Australian community together. Attacks like those targeting synagogues, cars, and homes, serve to divide us. It runs counter to our shared rights and interests and must be put a stop to.
It’s areal pith that the ALP did not call a summit to protect Palestinians?? While this an important point it can also be distracting from the main issue – genocide