Be dignified and respectful to candidates and volunteers
'It is the nature of our democracy that we will agree with some parties and candidates on these issues, and disagree with others, sometimes profoundly'
With pre-polling centres opening around the country today, I want to acknowledge that emotions are high in our community. It has been a turbulent and often distressing eighteen-month period, marked by our grief at the October 7 atrocities and the ongoing nightmare for hostages and their families, as well as the surge in antisemitism at home.
We are all aware that there has been intense scrutiny and robust public debate on how to confront antisemitism and how our federal government should respond to the Israel-Hamas war. It is the nature of our democracy that we will agree with some parties and candidates on these issues, and disagree with others, sometimes profoundly.
The ECAJ has sought to inform our community and the wider public on policy differences between parties and candidates on key issues for us, by distributing questionnaires to the major parties and independent candidates in seats with large Jewish communities, as well as hosting candidate forums.
A further part of our democratic process is being free to ask questions of candidates and their supporters at polling centres to ascertain their positions on issues of importance to you.
When doing so, it is essential that each of us acts in a dignified and respectful manner to all volunteers and candidates involved in this federal election, regardless of their policies or viewpoints. Rudeness or abusive behaviour is never acceptable. It is not the Jewish way.
I urge members of the community to review the responses to our election questionnaires before voting and to cherish our democracy by always acting in a manner that befits our wonderful community and our great nation.
Daniel Aghion is the president of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ).
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