Penny Wong at Auschwitz: A Betrayal of Memory and Morality
I am relieved they are not here to witness the resurgence of the same hatred they fought to survive.
I can hardly believe what I’m seeing. Penny Wong has been chosen to lead the Australian government delegation to the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz with Mark Dreyfus—the very people, along with their Labor government, who have appeased, enabled, and emboldened pro-Palestinian antisemitic elements in Australia through inaction and a lack of consequences. This is the same government that voted against Israel at the UN and reinstated funding to UNRWA. At first, Sue Lines had been chosen to lead the delegation which is insulting enough. Sue is as hard left as the Greens in calling Israel an ‘apartheid’ state.
Wong’s visit to Israel, where she failed to visit the sites of the October 7 massacre but instead pressured Israel while pledging more financial support to the Palestinians—funds that risk ending up in the hands of terrorist organizations—was already deeply concerning. She has also allowed figures like Nasser Mashni to spread lies and propaganda across television, radio, and other media without challenge. Let us be reminded that their government allowed the pro-Palestinians to chant “Gas the Jews” on the steps of the Sydney Opera House on October 9, 2023 and now, they are representing Australia at Auschwitz? Standing on the very ground where over a million people, mostly Jews, were murdered within hours of their arrival—all while having contributed to the worst antisemitism crisis Australia has ever seen. It’s beyond comprehension.
This decision is an insult to the ashes and memories of Auschwitz’s victims, to the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust, and to the survivors who endured unimaginable suffering.
My late grandfather, Abraham Shepes, gave a detailed testimony to the Shoah Foundation—an initiative established by Steven Spielberg after Schindler’s List to preserve the stories of survivors. In his testimony, my grandfather said: “You are lucky to grow up in a country like Australia, a country free of the antisemitism we grew up with in Poland. Don’t let anyone make you feel second class. Always be kind to all mankind, but importantly, always be a proud Jew”.
I am relieved they are not here to witness the resurgence of the same hatred they fought to survive. I am glad they are not here to see Penny Wong walk through the death camp they miraculously escaped. What an insult.
Shame on you, Penny Wong. Shame on you Mark Dreyfus and certainly Shame on you, Anthony Albanese.
Shane Shmuel is a Jewish resident of Melbourne.
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