Labor claim historic victory
The relationship between the Jewish community and the Albanese Government "has been under strain", but renewing the trust "is in the national interest".
The Zionist Federation of Australia has congratulated Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on his re-election after Labor claimed an historic win.
Albanese became the first Prime Minister to win re-election since 2004, with Labor quickly securing an unexpected majority.
Labor has so far claimed 84 of the 150 seats in the House of Representatives, including Peter Dutton’s seat of Dickson.
“This election took place against the backdrop of a deeply painful period for Jewish Australians,” said ZFA president Jeremy Leibler.
“The months since October 7 have shaken our community’s sense of security and belonging. For the first time in history, many Jews in this country felt they had to justify their place in Australian society.”
Leibler said the relationship between the Jewish community and the Albanese Government “has been under strain”, but renewing the trust “is in the national interest, and we believe it is both necessary and possible”.
“We welcome the pre-election commitments made by the government to increase security funding for the Jewish community, to combat antisemitism, and to support social cohesion. These commitments matter, and we look forward to working together to ensure they are implemented fully and faithfully,” he said.
“We also acknowledge and thank Peter Dutton and the Liberal Party for their unequivocal support for the Jewish community and for the Australia-Israel relationship.
“Labor has a proud legacy of supporting Israel and the Jewish community, and bipartisan support has long been a hallmark of Australia’s foreign policy. We hope this new term provides an opportunity to return to that spirit of principled consensus and bi-partisan support.”
“The Jewish community will continue to advocate for itself with strength and purpose; defending our values, deepening our partnerships, and contributing to the democratic fabric of this country.”
Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Peter Wertheim has also congratulated the Prime Minister on leading the government to an “historic victory at the polls”.
“We look forward to continuing the good, mutually respectful relationship that the ECAJ has maintained with the government, and we see this to be in everyone’s interests,” he said.
“We will continue to urge the government to stand strong against antisemitism in both word and deed.”
“Where we have different views on the best way towards a sustainable two-State outcome to the Israel-Palestinian conflict we will continue to put our case to the government in a constructive and reasoned manner,” he said.
“The election results have made it abundantly clear that the Australian people are looking for pragmatism, and have less and less time for ideologues of any kind. The electoral punishment meted out by the voters to the Greens and other ideologically-driven special interest groups is particularly noteworthy.”
“It is gratifying that each of the sitting Jewish MPs Josh Burns, Julian Leeser, Mike Freelander and Mark Dreyfus will be returned, and we congratulate them. ”
“We also send our thanks to Peter Dutton for his consistent support for our community, and we wish him and his family all the very best for the future.”
Burns reclaimed his seat of Macnamara, as did Leeser in Berowra, Dreyfus as the Member for Isaacs and Freelander as the Member for Macarthur.
AIJAC executive director Dr. Colin Rubenstein said: “We congratulate Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his team on retaining government, and look forward to once again working with them constructively in the interests of Australia, including our Australian Jewish community.”
“However we regret the loss to the Parliament of staunch friends of the Jewish community including Peter Dutton and several of his colleagues, and thank them for their principled support and for their service to the nation, and wish them well for the future.”
Independents Allegra Spender and Zali Steggall successfully retained their seats of Wentworth and Warringah respectively, while Labor’s Matt Thistlethwaite retained his Kingsford Smith seat.
Bradfied, Goldstein and Kooyong are too close to call, as is Greens party leader Adam Bandt’s seat of Melbourne.
The Greens have recorded significant losses, with Max Chandler-Mather ousted in Griffith and Stephen Bates losing in Brisbane.
“The dismal results for the Greens show that Australia has rejected its hatred and divisive rhetoric,” said Rubenstein.
“This election victory represents an opportunity for the Labor Government to push back more strongly against the unprecedented levels of antisemitism, hate speech and incitement to violence we have experienced over the last 19 months. This should include better explaining to the public Australia’s unique model of multiculturalism, emphasising not only the rights it affords but also the overriding responsibilities it requires and which need to be enforced, in particular regarding complying with the rule of law, mutual respect and gender equality.”
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