American rabbis express solidarity with Australian Jewish community

The largest orthodox rabbinic organisation in North America has written to Australian religious Jewish leaders expressing “profound solidarity” amid what it describes as a wave of antisemitic sentiment fuelled by government rhetoric and actions.

In a letter to Rabbinical Association of Australasia president Rabbi Nochum Schapiro, Rabbinical Council of America president Rabbi Etan Tokayer condemned recent government decisions as creating “an unacceptable climate of insecurity and pain for the community”.

The letter specifically criticised the Australian government’s decision to ban Israeli lawmaker Simcha Rothman from entering Australia, describing it as “deeply offensive to many in the Jewish community” and reinforcing “the antisemitic climate brewing in your country”.

Tokayer also condemned the government’s intention to recognise Palestinian statehood, arguing it rewards Hamas for its “barbaric behaviour” and emboldens the group’s “commitment to the death of Israel”.

“As Ghazi Hamad, a senior Hamas leader, stated, ‘the initiative by several countries to recognise a Palestinian state is one of the fruits of October 7’,” the letter stated. “This has also left many Australian Jews feeling abandoned and exposed.”

The American rabbi referenced recent ASIO findings that Iran directed at least two antisemitic arson and firebomb attacks in Sydney and Melbourne, including targeting a kosher cafe and synagogue, noting that the expulsion of Iran’s ambassador “only highlights the severity of the threat facing your community”.

Tokayer also condemned comments by two NSW nurses who suggested harming Israeli patients was acceptable, describing their public statements as indicative of Australia’s deteriorating climate.

The letter criticised prominent Labor figures including former NSW premier Bob Carr, MP Ed Husic, and Senator Tony Sheldon for attending pro-Palestinian protests, particularly referencing their appearance at a demonstration featuring a poster of Iran’s Supreme Leader.

“Their picture, as they stood leading that demonstration, in front of a poster of the Iranian Ayatollah holding a rifle, speaks volumes,” Tokayer wrote.

The RCA president described current attacks on Israel as reminiscent of medieval blood libels, arguing that “antisemitic campaign that inverts and hurls terms like genocide against the Jewish State” defied logic for a “fellow liberal democracy defending itself from calls for, and attempts at, its destruction”.

Tokayer acknowledged the burden facing Australian Jewish leaders in providing “comfort, safety, and spiritual guidance” during these challenging times.

“We want you to know that you are not alone,” he wrote. “May you continue to find the strength to lead, and may your dedication to your communities serve as a powerful light in these dark times.”

The Rabbinical Council of America represents over 1000 Orthodox rabbis across North America and is considered one of the most influential Jewish religious organisations globally.