The dangerous reward for ‘any means necessary’

The phrase “by any means necessary” originates in the writings of French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, who used it to explore the moral compromises of political struggle, and also by Malcolm X, when he urged African Americans to secure their rights “by any means necessary.” Today, this phrase has been hijacked—stripped of its moral and historical grounding—and rebranded as a rallying cry for terrorism, violence, and antisemitism.

This is not an abstract concern. Since October 2023, antisemitic incidents in Australia have surged to unprecedented levels. The recent “March for Humanity” on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, similar events in Melbourne, and the rallies planned for the “Nationwide March for Palestine” on August 24 show how gatherings promoted as inclusive have been—and will continue to be— hijacked by extremist rhetoric. Banners and chants glorifying violence against Jews are presented as “resistance” with slogans like “globalise the Intifada”, “from the river to the sea”, and praise for “martyrs” working to normalise the idea that Jew-hatred—anywhere—is a legitimate form of political expression.

Those who promote “resistance by any means necessary” in this context are not talking about peaceful protest or principled non-compliance. They are talking about armed attacks, hostage-taking, and mass murder. They are talking about the atrocities of October 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists massacred over 1200 people in Israel, murdered children in their beds, raped women, and dragged elderly hostages into Gaza. That is what they mean by “any means necessary”.

In this warped moral universe, antisemitism itself is reframed as activism—hatred of Jews dressed up as solidarity with Palestinians. The logic goes: If hurting Jewish people here or abroad can pressure Israel, then it is part of the struggle. We see it in antisemitic graffiti targeting Jewish spaces, in coordinated online harassment and intimidation campaigns, in public displays glorifying those who commit violence against Jews, and in social media posts and speeches that openly call for their harm.

This distortion of “resistance” now finds troubling validation in government policy. In announcing Australia’s intention to recognise a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly next month, the government has departed from decades of bipartisan consensus that envisaged recognition as part of a comprehensive peace agreement between Israel, the Palestinians, and the Arab States. While the announcement pays lip service to the release of all hostages, the disarming of Hamas, and the normalisation of relations with Israel, it relegates these to vague promises for an undefined future.