A focused response to antisemitism

It is hard to find a single good news story on antisemitism, but this article will try.

One truly good news story is that Victoria, for the first time, has an antisemitism report. The recently published report is a joint initiative of the Jewish Community Council of Victoria (JCCV) and Community Security Group Victoria (CSG).

This compilation of antisemitic incidents in Victoria is based on data collated from community reports to CSG, and media articles. It complements the national report, produced annually by the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ).

Why is this good news? A state-based report will help track and respond to state-based trends. Better understanding these trends allows advocacy organisations, like the JCCV, to respond to antisemitism in an evidence-based way.

This first report – which looks at data from 2019-2022 – identifies a spike in reports of some types of antisemitism during 2020 and 2021. During this time, two international events were likely the catalyst for vilification of Jewish people.

The first was the COVID-19 pandemic. Victorians had a unique experience in 2020-21, with longer lockdowns and different public health measures to other states. During this time, there was heightened media attention on people who breached public health guidelines. Among the many breaches highlighted by media were two gatherings of Jewish Victorians. Despite the overwhelming majority of Jewish Victorians following public health guidelines and despite condemnation by Jewish leaders of these isolated breaches, there was a significant rise in aggressive antisemitic activity following these incidents. This rise is documented in the report, including social media comments that Jewish Victorians should be sent to the gas chambers. Also during the pandemic, neo-Nazis and conspiracy theorists were found to have manipulated the “Freedom Movement” protests to recruit new followers and spread antisemitic messages.

The second event was the May 2021 escalation between Israel and Hamas. Analysis of the incidents in the Victorian Antisemitism Report shows that in the weeks following this flare-up in the Middle East, a man yelled at Jewish people in Caulfield: “I’m going to put a bomb and blow you all up”; “Israel is evil” was graffitied opposite a Jewish school; and “Free Palestine” was etched into the pavement in Caulfield. Research by the US-based ADL found that Jewish communities around the world reported a similar spike in reports of antisemitism during this period.

Thanks to the Victorian report, we have a clear idea of what took place during those years. Now, it is up to local Jewish leaders to work with government, law enforcement, and human rights experts to prevent further antisemitism. The JCCV and CSG are taking the lead, working closely with government and law enforcement to combat the rise of far-right antisemitism, including through targeted education and the strengthening of anti-vilification laws.

The second good news story is that the Victorian Antisemitism Report shows that, in some categories, the number of incidents of antisemitism reported to CSG appears to have fallen from their pandemic peak.

While we find good news in fewer incidents, it is important to remember that the antisemitic incidents collated in this report are likely to be only a fraction of actual incidents. According to Julie Nathan, author of the ECAJ national antisemitism report, the likely number of antisemitic incidents could be up to 17 times the number reported. For this reason, we continue to encourage community members to report every incident they witness to CSG.

We cannot be certain what has led to the reduction in reports across some categories in 2022. Is it a reporting anomaly or a real reflection that community initiatives are working? The delivery of high-quality Holocaust education by the Melbourne Holocaust Museum, the exceptional work done by the Australasian Union of Jewish Students to encourage universities to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism, the ramped-up delivery of upstander training by Courage to Care to schools in metro and regional areas, and the ongoing outreach by Jewish schools and shules? Or could it be due to the remarkable ongoing efforts of CSG and its volunteers to keep our community safe from harm?

If it is attributable to the significant work already being done, can we expect numbers to decline even further once the 2023 data comes in? Especially with the introduction of laws to ban the Nazi swastika, the anticipated introduction of laws to ban the Nazi salute, the roll-out across all Victorian government schools of teacher antisemitism training, and the continued delivery of antisemitism, anti-racism and upstander programs.

While the subject matter is difficult, the new Victorian Antisemitism Report is a good news story. It will give our community an opportunity to continue to monitor, learn and respond to antisemitism in a focused way.

Naomi Levin is chief operating officer of the JCCV.
All incidents of antisemitism in Victoria should be reported to CSG on 1300 000 274.
The report can be downloaded from http://tiny.cc/asreport