You did it: More than 20,000 voices heard
In just four months, more than 20,000 submissions ensured Jewish voices could not be ignored.
Congratulations.
The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion has proportionally received the highest number of public submissions of any Royal Commission.
The Disability Royal Commission received just shy of 8000 submissions in three and a half years. The Aged Care probe garnered 10,000 in 18 months. Banking, just over 10,000 in 10 months.
This Royal Commission, in just four months, received 20,000 submissions.
The importance of each and every submission cannot be overstated. It is true that the contributions produced by our communal roof bodies, packed with analysis and recommendations, are a key part of the picture. ECAJ president Daniel Aghion’s personal submission, covered in this week’s edition, raises important questions in particular about the federal government’s response to rising antisemitism. The submission by a member of that government, Mark Dreyfus, details the abuse he faced for being a visibly Jewish, high-profile Labor MP.
But the personal experiences of Jewish Australians are the essential colouring-in. They are what really tells the commission what it means to live as a Jew in the Australia of today. They are what tells it how government decisions, media portrayals, cultural boycotts and social media commentary affect our experiences every single day.
Without that, our story simply couldn’t be properly told.
Our pages this week contain some other positive developments.
AHPRA adopting the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism is an important first step in combating hatred against Jews in the medical space. A Victorian tribunal ordering damages to be paid for chanting the clearly offensive phrase “All Zionists are terrorists” is another outcome that gives us hope.
Of concern is news that some teachers are reticent to teach the Holocaust for fear of offending certain students. Frankly, instances like this are exactly why the Royal Commission was needed, but they are also why we cannot expect it to work a miracle.
To eliminate antisemitism, Australia needs cultural change. That is achieved through education. When the educator will not fulfil their role in that process, then, Canberra, we have a problem.