Forum hosted by Minister of Diaspora Affairs
ZFA president Jeremy Leibler was invited to participate in a global forum on antisemitism.
Zionist Federation of Australia president Jeremy Leibler was invited to participate in a global forum on antisemitism on Monday, convened by the Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli at the Knesset.
“It was an important opportunity to share the impact of antisemitism on the Australian Jewish community and to discuss ways in which the Israeli government can support us in the Diaspora in the fight against antisemitism,” Leibler said.
Also speaking at the forum were former Canadian attorney-general Irwin Cotler and NGO Monitor president Gerald Steinberg, the presidents and directors of other Diaspora organisations including the American Jewish Committee, European Jewish Association, and South African Zionist Federation, plus the heads of a number of NGOs.
Leibler spoke of the richness of Jewish life in Australia, the high levels of commitment to Israel found within the Jewish community, and the broad political support the community enjoys in the fight against antisemitism.
However, he also noted the dramatic increase in antisemitism over the past few years as documented in the report just issued by the Executive Council of Australian Jewry.
He described the patterns that have emerged; that far-right antisemitism is easier to identify, more likely to include violence, and widely condemned by mainstream media and polite society, whereas far-left antisemitism often masquerading as anti-Zionism, is harder to identify and call out, but is equally as dangerous in the impact it has on the wellbeing of Jewish Australians, particularly university students.
On university campuses, he said, extreme faculty members single out Jewish students because of their support for Israel and student unions pass antisemitic motions supporting BDS, describing Israel as an apartheid state and denying only Jews the right to self-determination.
Leibler told the forum that the Australian Jewish community views Israel as a partner in the fight against antisemitism. He also encouraged the Israeli government to send to Australia advocates and thought leaders to meet Australian decision makers.
He also informed the meeting of the ZFA’s upcoming national survey, which will provide the Jewish community and Australian universities with never-before collected data that will paint an accurate picture of the type and level of antisemitism on Australian campuses.
Finally, he expressed that the most powerful tool in the fight against antisemitism is strengthening Jewish identity in the Diaspora and called on the Israeli government to ensure that it continues to fund programs like Masa and Taglit-Birthright that have a long-lasting impact on Jewish identity and connectedness.
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