Motion condemning antisemitism in Parliament
The motion stated that the house "deplores the appalling and unacceptable rise in antisemitism across Australia.
On the first sitting day of Parliament on Tuesday, Wentworth MP Allegra Spender and Senator Jaqui Lambie delivered powerful speeches putting forth identical motions condemning antisemitism.
The motion stated that the house “deplores the appalling and unacceptable rise in antisemitism across Australia – including violent attacks on synagogues, schools, homes and childcare centres; unequivocally condemns antisemitism in all its forms; and resolves that all parliamentarians will work constructively together to combat the scourge of antisemitism in Australia”.
Introducing the motion, Lambie gave a heartfelt speech, “The antisemitism going on in this country has got to stop. It is not just hateful and hurtful, it’s unAustralian … The people who are doing this, this spray-painting hateful things … you people are at the bottom of the barrel. You seriously … are Australia’s scum.”
In the lower house, Spender said, “The Jewish community is living in fear. Australia has for many years offered a safe haven. Now, parents and grandparents are genuinely wondering if they can continue to build their lives here.” She added, “The message from this Parliament today must be unambiguous: we will not stand for hate, we will not stand for abuse, we will not abide intimidation and we will not tolerate a terrorising of any part of our community.”
Spender is also seeking to strengthen hate crimes legislation, with amendments before the Parliament to include a “serious vilification” criminal offence modelled on Western Australia’s racial vilification laws, an amendment supported by the Executive Council of Australian Jewry. The government’s hate speech bill would create new criminal offences for directly threatening the use of force or violence against a group or a member of a group.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton called the rise in antisemitism in Australia “a national crisis”, saying it had reached a “level of hatred and racism” not seen before. “There are people … talking about leaving our country, going to Israel because they feel safer there … It has been building since the horrible, dreadful circumstances of October 7, 2023, two days later, before any response from Israel, people were out chanting on the steps of the Sydney Opera House. The time was then for our country to take a very different and strong stance against those actions.”
As Dutton began speaking, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese appeared to walk out, followed by Deputy PM Richard Marles, Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke.
Albanese in his speech defended the government’s actions, pointing to security funding, banning the Nazi salute and hate symbols, doxxing legislation, funding for education on the Holocaust, establishing Special Operation Avalite and appointing a special envoy to combat antisemitism. He said, “I say to Jewish Australians, live proudly, stand tall, you belong here and Australia stands with you.”
Senator James Paterson sought to amend Lambie’s motion, calling for mandatory minimum sentencing for antisemitic and terrorist attacks, which is not supported by Labor and the Greens. While Senator Lidia Thorpe moved a second amendment, calling to add the word “racism” to the motion. The motion passed in both houses without amendments.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday morning, Zionist Federation of Australia president Jeremy Leibler called on government to take immediate action to confront the incitement and rhetoric behind the wave of antisemitic incidents over the last 16 months.
“The failure in leadership – from government to institutions – has created an environment where antisemitism is flourishing unchecked,” he said.
“If the government can sacrifice decades of bipartisan support for a fellow liberal democracy to satisfy certain electorates, why should Jewish Australians trust that their safety won’t be deprioritised for political gain?
“That is the trust that has been lost. And it is the trust the government must fight to win back.”
It came after former Coalition minster Greg Hunt called on Monday for the government to make a national apology to Australia’s Jews for the rise in hatred.
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