Antisemitism high before Oct 7
The report stated that between October 7 and December 31, 252 antisemitic incidents were reported, accounting for 69 per cent of all 2023 incidents.
Antisemitsm in Victoria skyrocketed after the Hamas attacks last year, but a Jewish Community Council of Victoria (JCCV) report has found the explosion in Jew hatred significantly preceded the October 7 milestone.
Before the attacks, more antisemitic incidents were reported between January 1 and October 6, 2023, than in all of 2022. A majority of these were expressly linked to neo-Nazi or far-right ideology.
But the report stated that between October 7 and December 31, 252 antisemitic incidents were reported, accounting for 69 per cent of all 2023 incidents. Less than 24 hours after the Hamas attacks, two vehicles drove past synagogues in Caulfield North with shouts of “We killed your whole country in one day” and “You Jews should die”.
JCCV president Philip Zajac said, “When you look at the long list of incidents at the end of the report, you need to remember that there is at least one Jewish person behind each encounter. These racist and bigoted incidents cause pain and distress to victims and their families. They make Jewish people feel unsafe and unwelcome in Victoria.”
He said the release of the report is a timely reminder to notify the Community Security Group (CSG) and Victoria Police of any incidents of antisemitism.
CSG Victoria CEO Justin Kagan added, “We know that not every antisemitic incident is being reported to CSG. But the more reports we receive, the clearer the picture is of what is happening, and the better we can allocate resources to protect the Jewish community.”
Noting the report was produced with support from the Victorian government, Kagan said, “This report continues the JCCV’s call to action to leaders across Victoria.
“The JCCV is asking our leaders to respond to this data with action not words. We need stronger and better laws, support for security, ongoing investment in antisemitism training, and consequences for public figures who create division.”
Launching JCCV’s #ActionNotWords campaign in June, Zajac used his address at the Yom Ha’atzmaut parliamentary reception to call on Premier Jacinta Allan to strengthen measures to combat anti-Jewish conduct in Victoria.
In June, The AJN reported that almost half of Victoria’s Jewish healthcare workers and students have indicated hiding their Jewish identity in the workplace to avoid discrimination.
The AJN coverage prompted the Alliance Against Antisemitism in Healthcare to set up an incident reporting app.
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