Multiculturalism needs urgent CPR

The post-WWII changes in Australia’s “White Australia” immigration laws and later policy shift from cultural pluralism to multiculturalism was of great benefit to Australia’s Jewish community.

Research of Australia’s government archives reveals extensive policy discussions and decisions through the 1950s about how to deal with migrant applications from Jews of non-European descent, particularly Sephardi Jews. Australian government policy through most of this period was governed by the following rules:

They must satisfy the (immigration) department that they are 75 per cent of European origin; they must be predominately European in appearance; they must be European by education or upbringing.

Through this period there were low numbers of non-European migrants, and this did not start to continuously increase until 1996 when 3484 were admitted, compared to 705 in 1965.

Both the White Australia Policy with restricted immigration created upon Australia’s federation in 1901 and the post-WWII immigration expansion were driven by industrial relations issues; the former to stem the flow of cheap foreign labour and the latter to resource the need for Australia to shift from mainly an agricultural economy to include significant industrialisation. The lesson from WWII was Australia could no longer rely on Britain for industrial products.

The label “multiculturalism” first appeared in 1973 and the policy shift was driven by the perceived need to populate or perish. Over the next three decades Australia’s policy of multiculturalism and immigration ebbed and flowed depending on domestic politics, the economy and international geopolitical conditions.

The emergence of Pauline Hanson and her divisive statement about immigration and race acted as a catalyst for the eight to 10 per cent of racist Australians. John Howard inadvertently gave Hanson a free kick when he supported historian Geoffrey Blainey’s criticism of the rate of Asian immigration. When Howard became prime minister in 1996 he was firm in his view that he was not in favour of multiculturalism, despite the strong support from ethnic and faith communities.

The Hanson-driven “race hate” issue peaked in the late 1990s. In 1997 SBS Radio broadcast a program on antisemitism in Australia which included Pauline Hanson and many then Jewish communal leaders including Diane Shteinman and Jeremy Jones z”l (ECAJ), Rabbi John Levi, Sam Lipski (AJN), Vic Alhadeff (NSW JBD) and myself (ADC). This recording of more than 25 years ago demonstrates that core antisemitism is always present and all that changes is the justification used in its promotion. The changes since 1997 which have influenced today’s climate are:

• Israel becoming an economic powerhouse;

• China emerging as an assertive world’s second largest economy;

• The disruption flowing from the GFC and COVID pandemic;

• The digital revolution and subsequent reach of social media (often anonymous).

The progressive world has veered left, with woke victimisation, colonisation and apartheid becoming its catchcries.

The left’s wilful ignorance of the realities of the Middle East has resulted in Israel being promoted as a serial oppressor. Partly because of support for multiculturalism, despite the ongoing high level of migration, new and old Australians have demonstrated a remarkable level of tolerance for all faiths and ethnicities. This contrasts with the problems experienced in the UK and Europe, and in the USA today there are disturbing divisions.

Research shows that 70 per cent or more of Australians support Israel’s need to confront Hamas while having concerns at the horrific cost to both Israel and the Palestinians, while recognising these costs are all the responsibility of Hamas. However, it is the noisy vocal minority who are monopolising much of the social and mainstream media. The risk is irreparable harm to the social cohesion developed by our multiculturalism.

While much is being done to remedy the misinformation promoted by the media, far more is urgently needed to minimise this risk. Sufficient grassroots pressure must be felt by Australia’s political leaders to compel them to publicly proclaim that Hamas is the guilty perpetrator in the current conflict, and responsible for the distressing casualties suffered by both the Israelis and civilian Palestinians.

All available tools of democracy must be used to create this pressure. These include appropriate legislation and its enforcement, advocacy and education. Otherwise Australia’s hard-earned, world-renowned reputation for successful social cohesion will be irreversibly damaged.

Grahame Leonard is a former president of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry.