‘Absurd’, ‘shameful’: Leeser, Kelly slam AEU claim

The Australian Education Union (AEU) has called for clearer national guidance on teaching the Holocaust, claiming discussions have become more challenging since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war.

AEU president Correna Haythorpe told The Australian this week that teachers needed “more guidance” from education ministers due to the “diverse lived experience” of students.

But speaking to The AJN, federal opposition education spokesman Julian Leeser called the AEU claim “absurd”, arguing that it is precisely when there is war in the Middle East that we need Holocaust education the most.

“Antisemitism is not like other forms of racism. It is uniquely conspiratorial, because it is built on lies about Jewish coercion, hidden power, control and oppression, all of which allow antisemitic conduct to be dressed up as justice,” he said.

“It is not enough to teach only about the ways Jews have been murdered … The best way to fight this is through education about who the Jewish people are, what they believe and what they contribute. Ideas like human dignity, equality and the rule of law are fundamental to Jewish thinking and have shaped Western culture for millennia.”