Tel Aviv University report highlights Australia’s alarming rise in antisemitism
The TAU report is widely considered the most authoritative global assessment of antisemitism trends
Australia’s unprecedented surge in antisemitic incidents has caught the attention of the chief editor of the Tel Aviv University Annual Antisemitism Report, who has specifically singled out our statistics as “particularly alarming”.
Taking its data from the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), the report lists Australia’s record 1713 antisemitic incidents from 2024, which was up from 1200 in 2023 – itself nearly three times higher than 2022 levels.
“The Report presents particularly alarming findings regarding Australia, a country previously known for its spirit of tolerance and respect for minorities,” Professor Uriya Shavit said in the comprehensive document, which was released on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day.
The 160-page report, prepared by 11 researchers and published by Tel Aviv University’s Centre for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry and the Irwin Cotler Institute for Democracy, Human Rights and Justice, also documented increases in antisemitic incidents in the United States, Italy, Spain, Canada, Argentina, and Brazil.
“Around the world, levels of antisemitism remain significantly higher compared to the period before October 7,” Professor Shavit noted in the document, which is widely considered the most authoritative global assessment of antisemitism trends.
The report said that despite the continuing war in Gaza, the peak of antisemitic incidents in Australia – mirroring global patterns – occurred in the immediate aftermath of the October 7 Hamas attack rather than increasing as the conflict progressed.
Between October and December 2023, Australia recorded 827 incidents, dropping to 478 during the same period in 2024.
This pattern reflects what Professor Shavit described as a sad truth. “Antisemitism reared its head at the moment when the Jewish state appeared weaker than ever and under existential threat,” he said.
Dr Carl Yonker, Senior Researcher at the Centre for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry, highlighted inadequate law enforcement responses globally, noting that a study included in the report found that across several international jurisdictions, including New York, Chicago, Toronto and London, only a negligible percentage of complaints about antisemitic hate crimes – sometimes less than 10 percent – resulted in arrests.
“Education and legislation without enforcement are meaningless,” Dr Yonker said. “The fight against antisemitism requires dedicated efforts from police forces and prosecutors, not pompous statements and grotesque award ceremonies with Hollywood stars.”
Some countries with large Jewish populations, including France, the United Kingdom and Germany, recorded slight decreases in total incidents for 2024 compared to 2023, though numbers remain substantially higher than pre-October 2022 levels.
The report also contains an interview between Professor Shavit and Jewish Liberal MP Julian Leeser, who expressed concern about inadequate government responses, delayed police action, and problematic framing of incidents as “hoaxes” rather than criminal acts.
He identified how academic “woke philosophy” contributes to antisemitism, alongside a failure to recognise historical patterns. He said the level of antisemitism has led to some community members now considering aliyah.
“People are seriously discussing it. It’s not a mass exodus, but no one wants to be the last one left,” he said when asked whether Australian Jews were actually making aliyah or just considering it.
“I love Israel … I love going, and I support it very strongly, but I want to live here in Australia, and I want my kids to have that choice, too.”
comments