Betrayal
The mainstream Jewish community's relationship with federal Labor has reached a breaking point.
We now have confirmation from Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs that the denial of a visa to former Israeli cabinet minister Ayelet Shaked has in fact damaged our bilateral relationship with Israel.
At the same time, Foreign Minister Penny Wong has strongly implied that following the International Criminal Court’s (ICC’s) farcical issuing of arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minster Yoav Gallant, the pair would likely be arrested for so-called war crimes should they try to enter Australia.
With the Shaked fiasco and the government’s tepid response to the ICC outrage, Labor has confirmed what many in our community have long suspected – they have abandoned any pretence of supporting Israel or being serious about the safety of Australian Jews.
Last week’s horrific antisemitic attack in Woollahra – where buildings and cars were vandalised and a vehicle set ablaze – isn’t just another incident. It’s the predictable result of Labor’s unconscionable failure to take a stand against rising antisemitism in Australia.
This government’s approach has created an environment where antisemitism isn’t just tolerated – it’s normalised. From university campuses to our suburban streets, Jewish Australians are increasingly under siege while Labor ministers offer nothing but empty platitudes.
It appointed a special envoy to combat antisemitism and then ignored her advice.
And its mixed and often negative messaging on Israel has added to an environment of anti-Israel hostility that all too often blurs lines and feeds into outright antisemitism.
The mainstream Jewish community’s relationship with federal Labor has reached a breaking point.
Let us be clear: this is a crisis demanding immediate action. We must unite in the face of a government that has repeatedly demonstrated its indifference to our safety and concerns. We must leverage our resources – political, economic and social – to hold Labor accountable.
The message must be unequivocal to the government: Your trashing of an important bilateral relationship with a once stanch ally, and your failure to make Jewish Australians feel safe, will have consequences.
The time for polite disagreement is over. We must act now to ensure our community’s security and dignity are restored.
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