J7 concludes with call for govt action

The J7 group of international Jewish organisations has concluded its Australian visit with a unified call for the federal government to implement its antisemitism action plan.

In a closing statement, the group, which represents Jewish communities from the United States, Canada, Argentina, Britain, France and Germany, reiterated its call “on our governments to take all necessary steps to fight antisemitism and ensure the security of the Jewish community”.

“We came from around the world to show our solidarity with the Australian Jewish community and make clear that we are one Jewish family,” they said.

The J7 joined Australian partner organisation the Executive Council of Australian Jewry in “calling on the government of Australia to accept and implement the plan to combat antisemitism formulated by its Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism, Jillian Segal, AO”.

During its visit, the delegation met with parliamentarians and government officials, Jewish community leaders and Jewish students.

It also marked the first anniversary of the firebombing of the Adass Israel synagogue in Melbourne.

During their meetings, ECAJ president Daniel Aghion criticised the government’s lack of response to the strategic plan delivered five months ago by Segal as “unacceptable”.

“The government has had it for five months now, and there has been no response – positive, negative, nothing. It has been silenced,” he said.

Aghion accused the Albanese government of failing to combat antisemitism, describing Australia as “leading an international race to the bottom”.

Speaking outside the burned-out Adass Israel synagogue last Thursday, Aghion noted that ECAJ’s latest annual report recorded 1654 incidents of antisemitism in the past year, with 738 occurring in Victoria alone.

“Melbourne is now the most unsafe place in Australia to be a Jew,” he said.

The J7 delegation, representing communities that are home to 90 per cent of the Jewish Diaspora, inspected the remains of the synagogue.

Marina Rosenberg, senior vice-president of international affairs at the US-based Anti-Defamation League, said each nation represented is experiencing a dramatic rise in antisemitism.

“Unfortunately, you are not alone in your pain, but you are not alone in your resilience,” she said.

Richard Marceau, senior vice-president at Canada’s Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, emphasised the global nature of the threat.

“This synagogue could be Canada, it could be Montreal, it could be Toronto, it could be Vancouver, it could be Washington, it could be New York, it could be London, and it could be Paris,” he said.