ZFA Plenary conference held in Sydney

Jewish leaders from around Australia gathered at Central Synagogue in Sydney on Sunday where Zionist Federation of Australia (ZFA) president Jeremy Leibler implored those in attendance to “hold the centre”.

The ZFA Plenary conference brought together representatives of both ZFA constituents and other communal groups to discuss the issues facing the Jewish community and Israel, define what Zionism means in 2025 and inspire action for the year ahead.

“We’re always going to argue about politics, about policy, religion and identity. But what matters is whether we can face outwardly together, but still debate internally,” Leibler said.

“If leaning into Zionism means anything, it means doing two difficult things at the same time; we defend our people without apology, and we maintain the capacity for self reflection that makes us who we are.”

He added that “we cannot organise Jewish life around antisemitism”.

“If we let hatred set the agenda, we shrink our imaginations to the size of our enemies’,” he said.

“Our conference today is not just about refusing grievance and choosing a Zionist purpose. It is about turning that purpose into practice, interrogating and renewing Zionism together, drafting a shared mission and leaving here with commitments that strengthen ZFA’s three pillars of representation, advocacy and connection.”

Opposing politicians

In his address, Health Minister Mark Butler acknowledged the “tough and challenging time” in relations between the Albanese government and the Australian Jewish community over the government’s stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict.

Butler said the government made decisions it regarded as “the right ones in the national interests, but with which many in this room and across Australia sincerely and substantially disagree”.

He reaffirmed Israel’s right to defend itself, recognising its “unique security situation”. However, he said how Israel responds to attacks was “the subject of legitimate debate” and “quite significant disagreement across the global community”.

He confirmed the government’s intention to recognise Palestine at the UN General Assembly this month, based on commitments made by the Palestinian Authority and Arab League.

“The differences between our two governments, the Australian and the Israeli government right now are deep, probably deeper than at any time that I remember during my adulthood,” Butler added.

Despite these tensions, he stressed the government’s position on Israel’s right to “exist in peace and security, alongside the Palestinian people”.

Following Butler, Shadow Attorney-General Julian Leeser accused the government of “being slow to act on every issue affecting the Jewish community” and “being Australia’s most hostile government towards our friend, ally and security partner, the State of Israel”.

“It is the people in this room who continue to do the heavy lifting that should be the responsibility of government: correcting the misinformation about Zionism, protecting our synagogues, our schools and our community places, calling out universities and other institutions for failing to stamp out the antisemitism in their ranks,” he said.

But while critical of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Leeser praised NSW Premier Chris Minns.

“He’s never missing in action and has put the safety and security of all his citizens first, even when that has come at a political cost,” he said.

Leeser concluded, “I’m proud to be Jewish. I’m proud to be a Zionist. I’m proud to be an Australian, and I’m honoured to stand with you.”

International guests

Keynote speaker Yoaz Hendel spoke about Israel as a “miracle of the Jewish people”. The former Israeli communications minister, who is planning a political comeback, recounted his journey from politics back to civilian life and returning to military service after October 7.

“You’re too old. No one wants you. You need to stay at home,” he recalled his wife telling him. “Half an hour after that, I’m with my uniform. I’m telling my wife, look, they called me. Of course, no one called me.”

Hendel described how he travelled south independently, signed for a weapon and registered as a reservist. On his first day, he encountered two teams from his former unit who had also felt compelled to serve. What began as a small group quickly grew into a 200-strong force of former special forces soldiers.

He now leads a battalion of volunteers over 40 from special units, serving rotations in Gaza, Lebanon and the West Bank.

Passionate about the need to help defend his homeland, Hendel was scathing of ultra-Orthodox Israelis who refuse to join the army. “If you don’t serve, you shouldn’t vote,” he said.

Historian and Zionist thinker Gil Troy hosted an interactive session in which participants explored what Zionism means to them and ways to express it.

He called for restoring joy to the Zionist movement while outlining a three-pillar framework – social justice, responsibility and identity – for defining contemporary Zionism.

“We’ve got to bring back the fun. We’ve got to bring back the joy. We’ve got to bring back the light,” he said.

Troy noted that Israel ranked eighth in this year’s happiness index despite the ongoing conflict.

“So many have discovered who they are. So many have discovered the community. So many discovered that sense of purpose,” he said.

Diverse voices

Project A’s Lillian Kline moderated a panel on “Zionism in action” featuring Hendel, New York-based Iranian-Jewish activist Natalie Sanandaji, Zionism Victoria president Elyse Schachna and AUJS co-president Danielle Tischman.

Sanandaji spoke of how she was rescued from the Nova festival by a man and his son who drove back and forth all day saving revellers from the Hamas onslaught. She contrasted that with the shocking murder of a young Ukrainian woman on a train in the United States last month.

“A lot of Israelis were commenting … why is nobody doing anything? Why is nobody helping her? And I saw someone respond to those questions saying, because that’s not Israel,” she said.

“And I realised today that that’s what Zionism means to me. It’s that togetherness … it’s always feeling protected by people who don’t even know me, but consider me one of them.”

Schachna spoke of securing Zionism’s future. “It’s not just framing Zionism through a political lens. It’s looking at the ways in which the next generation wants to be engaged,” she said. “We need to couch Zionism in the terms the next generation understand and relate to, and let the next generation also take the lead.”

Addressing advocacy on campus, Tischman said what works “isn’t always the loudest kind of stuff”.

“It’s really what we’ve seen as relationship building, particularly when we’re mobilising allies on campus,” she said.

“When it comes to mobilising Jewish students, what we’ve found really important is a sense of ownership and autonomy, and it kind of comes down to giving them that trust to take the action they need to advocate, and encourage that strength.”

The plenary concluded with a frank and open conversation with Israeli ambassador Amir Maimon, facilitated by Zionist Council of NSW president Orli Zahava.