Queensland moves to ban hate slogans

Jewish leaders have welcomed Queensland’s plans to introduce new laws into Parliament this week to counter antisemitism, which include banning the slogans used at pro-Palestinian marches ‘from the river to the sea’ and ‘globalise the intifada’. The controversial slogans are viewed by many in the Jewish community as a form of incitement and antisemitism. The new laws would impose a maximum two-year prison sentence for making, distributing, publishing, displaying or reciting a prohibited phrase.

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli announced the reforms on Sunday at the Queensland Holocaust Museum. The proposed legislation would also increase penalties for assaulting or threatening a person officiating a religious ceremony from two to five years imprisonment, introduce new offences for impeding or harassing people attending religious services with a maximum three years imprisonment; and creates a new special case of wilful damage for damage to a place of worship, with a maximum penalty of seven years imprisonment.

The Bill seeks to increase penalties for displaying terrorist symbols from six months to two years imprisonment and extend the existing prohibition on the display of symbols to include terrorist organisations or state sponsors of terrorism, including: the Hamas flag and emblem, the Islamic State flag, the Hezbollah emblem and Nazi symbols.

Premier David Crisafulli commented, “This is about drawing a clear line – and stamping out the embers of hatred that were allowed to burn unchecked for too long – to ensure we protect Queenslanders.

“The Jewish community has been clear: Queensland needs stronger legislation backed by real enforcement to drive out antisemitism, and that is exactly what we are delivering.”

Attorney-General Deb Frecklington stated, “We are bolstering protections for the Jewish community, so they know that this Government is doing everything possible to stop the rise of antisemitism.”

State opposition multicultural affairs spokesperson Charis Mullen said Labor would examine the proposals.

Queensland Jewish Board of Deputies president Jason Steinberg praised the reforms as “vital”.

“For the past two and a half years, the Jewish community has endured unprecedented levels of hate, intimidation and fear and the reforms send a clear message that antisemitism and hate have no place in Queensland.

“Our community greatly appreciates the commitment by the Crisafulli Government to ensure Jewish Queenslanders can live, work and play just like any other Queenslander. This Bill moves beyond words and delivers real, practical protections for our community and for all people targeted by hate. This is not only a welcome and necessary step for Jewish people, it is vital for rebuilding the confidence we have lost as hatred has run rampant,” Steinberg said.

Zionist Federation of Australia CEO Alon Cassuto welcomed Queensland’s “decisive action”.

“We have seen that statements from government alone are not enough to confront the deeply entrenched antisemitism we are witnessing across Australia. We therefore welcome Premier Crisafulli’s decisive action, which recognises that certain slogans masquerading as political activism in fact cross a clear and dangerous line.

“The slogan ‘from the river to the sea’ is a call for the erasure of the world’s only Jewish state. ‘Globalise the intifada’ is a call to violence against Jews and is deeply hurtful to Australian Jews who have lost family members in the first and second intifadas. That is not legitimate political expression. It is antisemitism and incitement.”

Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) executive director Colin Rubenstein also welcomed the reforms, “AIJAC strongly welcomes Queensland’s moves to ban slogans which clearly call for violence and ethnic cleansing, including ‘From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free’ and ‘Globalise the Intifada’.

“The use of these violent slogans as mainstays of the anti-Israel protests have clearly contributed to the explosion of antisemitic attacks in this country, culminating in Bondi. We call on other states to follow Queensland’s sensible example in confronting the incitement represented by such slogans.”