Ryvchin’s antisemitism warning on global stage
The Berlin summit, coinciding with the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, brought together representatives from Argentina, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, UK and US
Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) co-CEO Alex Ryvchin has painted a grim picture of Australia’s escalating antisemitism crisis at an international summit in Berlin, revealing a shocking 317 per cent surge in incidents across the nation in 2024.
Speaking at the launch of the inaugural J7 Annual Report on Antisemitism released on Wednesday, Ryvchin described how Australia’s once “healthy multicultural society” had been “captured by networks of extremists” since the October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel.
“The situation in Australia presents a particularly staggering depiction of how healthy multicultural societies can be captured by networks of extremists who succeed in fundamentally altering relations between Jews and non-Jews,” Ryvchin told the gathering of Jewish community leaders from seven nations.
The Berlin summit, coinciding with the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, brought together representatives from the world’s largest Jewish communities outside Israel — Argentina, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the UK and the US.
The comprehensive report showed Australia’s 317 per cent increase in antisemitic incidents dwarfed rises in other countries, including a five per cent increase in the United States. From 2021-2023, Australian incidents had already jumped by 11 per cent, before the dramatic spike following October 7.
Ryvchin warned that insufficient action from authorities had allowed antisemitism to “escalate into devastating violence” and attract “the most vicious elements of society ranging from religious and ideological fanatics to organised crime.”
His comments came as the report detailed how Jewish communities are increasingly hiding their identity due to safety concerns, with religious institutions like synagogues, schools and community centres regularly targeted.
“The Australian experience illustrates that when antisemitism is not met with sufficient force of policing, law and political leadership, it can escalate into devastating violence,” Ryvchin said.
He highlighted how the situation has caused “the Jewish community to question its future in a country where its roots are deep and its contributions have been profound.”
Marina Rosenberg, ADL Senior Vice President of International Affairs, opened the summit by calling for countries to adopt the Global Guidelines for Countering Antisemitism to “ensure the safety, inclusion, and dignity of Jewish communities worldwide.”
The report also revealed Germany experienced the highest rate of antisemitic incidents per capita, with more than 38 incidents per 1000 Jewish residents in 2023, followed by the UK with 13 incidents per 1000.
Other J7 representatives shared similarly troubling patterns in their countries, with Canada reporting Jewish schools being shot at and synagogues firebombed.
The newly formed J7 Task Force Against Antisemitism marks the first coordinated effort by the world’s largest Jewish diaspora communities to address rising hatred and violence.
Ryvchin praised the collaboration, noting “the importance and value of this report is a testament to the work of the ADL in convening the J7 and the outstanding cooperation between its member communities.”
As Australian authorities grapple with the findings, community leaders are calling for immediate action to address what the report describes as “unprecedented levels” of antisemitism across Western democracies.
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