Antisemitism has affected Jews sinceAustralia's Jewish community was established in the 18th century, becoming more pronounced in the late 19th century, rising further in the 20th and early 21st centuries. There are a number of organisations that track antisemitic activities, including theExecutive Council of Australian Jewry, that publish an annual list of all reported antisemitic activities.[1][2][3] According to theAnti-Defamation League's 2014 Global100 survey, an estimated 14% of Australians harbour antisemitic views.[4] In 2025, this percentage rose to 20%.[5] Antisemitism in Australia is perpetrated by a variety of groups,[6] and it has manifested in attacks on Australian Jews and their religious and communal institutions, in antisemitic publications, and in efforts to prevent Jewish immigration.
Recent surges, particularly since the outbreak of theGaza war, highlight its ongoing presence. Advocacy by Jewish organisations, legislative measures, and condemnation by political leaders illustrate efforts to combat these issues, yet antisemitism remains a persistent societal concern.Shortly before the Gaza war there was a rise infar-right antisemitism in Australia, In June 2023 there were reports of glorification of groups such as theUstaše (who participated in the Holocaust and have previously been deemed responsible for terrorist attacks in Australia).[7][8]
There had been no fatal attacks targetingJews in Australia until the2025 Bondi Beach shooting, which resulted in 16 deaths (including one of the attackers) at aHanukkah celebration atBondi Beach.[9][10]
According toSol Encel, anti-Jewish prejudice in Australia dates back to the first arrival of British convicts, eight of whom were Jews.[12] Nonetheless, the colonial period was marked by the absence of institutionalised antisemitism found in Europe. Jews in Australia were never formally barred from entering the professions, sciences, academia, and arts. Despite being British subjects, Jews were permitted to run for political office in Australian parliaments even before it was legal for Jews to do so in the United Kingdom.[13] In the case of theEmanuel Solomon andVaiben Solomon andtheir descendants, who arrived in the early 19th century and helped form a mercantile network composed of Jewish and non-Jewish members, correspondences concerning their entrepreneurial efforts contain occasional complaints over antisemitism they experienced in Australia.[14]
Suzanne Rutland argues that antisemitism started to become prevalent in the country in the 1880s alongside the rise ofAustralian nationalism and the campaign to establish theFederation of Australia. Trade unions, politicians and the media were hostile to the small number ofRussian Jewish arrivals in the country.[15] In 1915, theLabor Party politician,Frank Anstey published a pamphlet,The Kingdom of Shylock, which included antisemitic elements, some of which he removed in a later republication. Due to its antisemitic content, the circulation of the original pamphlet was suppressed.[16][15] During the wave of Jewish immigration in 1938–39,Frank Clarke, president of the Victorian Legislative Council, offered graphic depictions of refugees as "rat-faced men".[17] Other incidents in this period include a 1920 arson attack on the synagogue inToowoomba, Queensland (see§ Attacks on synagogues).[18][19]
The second wave of Jewish refugees arrived between 1938 and 1939 and it was also denounced by an antisemitic Australian press and anti-Jewish statements were made by politicians.[15] Pressure groups such as theAustralian Natives' Association andReturned and Services League of Australia spearheaded resolutions against Jewish immigration.[15] Nevertheless, the state of Australian antisemitism did not culminate in acts of violence like the acts of violence that were being perpetrated in Europe at that time.[20] Nevertheless, there were reports of antisemitic attacks which were perpetrated against Jews by local Nazi sympathizers.[21] In 1941, there were reports of antisemitic propaganda being circulated across Sydney suburbs.[22]The Social Crediter, a publication run byC. H. Douglas, produced in England and circulated in Australia, was accused of promoting antisemitic propaganda.[23][24] The New South Wales division of the social credit movement denounced the antisemitic material inThe Social Crediter.[25] A related publication,New Times, published byEric Butler, was accused of promoting antisemitism.[26] After the war,The Bulletin published antisemitic cartoons, pushing against Jewish immigration.[15] By 1950, the Jewish Council to Combat Fascism and Anti-Semitism (JCCFAS) observed that 80,000 copies of a single antisemitic pamphlet were distributed in Australia, and alleged that the Jewish community was often uninformed of these developments.[27] In response, JCCFAS published and distributed 30,000 copies of a pamphlet titled "Anti-Semitism: A Menace to Australia".[28] In 1949, the Jewish cemetery in Sydney was vandalised.[29] In 1950, aNorth Carlton Synagogue and Talmud Torah were vandalised by local youths.[30]
During this period,Arthur Calwell, the minister of immigration adopted measures to ensure that Jews would not constitute more than 0.5% of the country's population.[15][31] Calwell also halted all immigration ofJews of Middle Eastern origin.[32] There was a 25% cap on Jewish passengers travelling on Australia-bound ships and planes.[15][33] In the late 1940s, Australian antisemitism continued to involve a strong focus on the prevention of Jewish immigration.[34] In 1959,Sam Goldbloom, a prominent activist and a federal Labor candidate, was specifically targeted in the publication and circulation of antisemitic pamphlets.[35][36] Also in 1959, theWorld Jewish Congress reported that antisemitic literature produced in Australia had turned up in Turkey.[37] In January 1960, a series of antisemitic graffiti was reportedly drawn in Melbourne, including graffiti which was drawn at a Jewish community center.[38] The incident was condemned by Melbourne's two archbishops.[39] Also in January 1960, antisemitic graffiti in Canberra targeted a Jewish bakery,[40] and other buildings.[41] And later, theCentral Synagogue in Sydney was targeted by antisemitic graffiti.[42] And later, antisemitic graffiti appeared inQueanbeyan.[43] By the end of January, Jewish community groups reported that 20 to 30 antisemitic acts had taken place.[44] This period saw similar incidents elsewhere around the world and became known as theSwastika epidemic of 1959–1960.
From 1960,Eric Butler's far-right and antisemiticAustralian League of Rights, became a national movement.[45] The organisation promotedThe Protocols of the Elders of Zion and other antisemitic libels.[15] The League assistedHolocaust denierDavid Irving with his visits to Australia. And Veritas, the League's publishing company, published Irving's work in Australia.[46][47] There were also strong antisemitic sentiments from some non-Jewish refugees from Eastern Europe that had settled in Australia.[15] They established Australian branches of the fascist, antisemitic movements such as theUstaše fromCroatia and theHungarian Arrow Cross.[15]
Other incidents during the mid-1960s involved public Nazi-related displays. In 1965, Prime MinisterRobert Menzies attended the inauguration of a new synagogue inCity of Kew, a suburb of Melbourne where he laid the foundation stone. Notably, two months later, in October, the synagogue was targeted with antisemitic vandalism.[48] OnMay Day in 1966, individuals claiming affiliation with the National Socialist Party of Australia conducted a public march wearing Nazi uniforms and carrying a Nazi flag near the Yarra River in Melbourne. The group was attacked by a large group of local residents.[49][50] In June 1966, a Jewish center inEast St Kilda associated with theHashomer Hatzair youth group was targeted with swastikas and Nazi slogans.[51]
Following theSix-Day War, somefar-left activists pushed an anti-Israel agenda which was influenced byanti-Zionist propaganda which was produced in theSoviet Union, the circulation of this propaganda impacted some Australian university campuses. In the 1970s, theAustralian Union of Students was underTrotskyist andMaoist influences and it proposed anti-Israel resolutions and Jewish students who opposed these resolutions were physically attacked.[15] Attacks on Jewish property and institutions increased in response to the increase in tensions in theMiddle East, leading to corresponding increases in the number and intensity of security measures. In 1975,ASIO documents revealed that Palestinian terrorists planned to kill high-profile Jewish figures, including the Israeli ambassadorMichael Elizur [he] and Jewish communal leaderIsi Leibler and journalistSam Lipski. Formerprime ministerBob Hawke, who was deemed a vocal supporter of Israel, was also considered for attack.[52] 1978 saw a Melbourne synagogue defaced with swastikas. The local community reported instituted new security measures to prevent additional incidents.[53] In his 1989 review of early history of antisemitism in Australia (colonial period through the immediate postwar period),Sol Encel, observed that aside from its impact on immigration policy, antisemitism in Australia in this period can be viewed as a relatively minor social problem.[12]
The results of a 1969 survey revealed that approximately 20 per cent of Jewish refugees who were living in Australia and 30 per cent of non-refugee Australian Jews reported that they had experienced antisemitism in the country.[54][55] The most common form of antisemitism reportedly consisted of antisemitic insults or threats, and a small number of antisemitic acts consisted of economic discrimination, social discrimination, and physical attacks.[55]
Terrorism in Australia impacted the Australian Jewish community in the form of the1982 bombing of a Jewish centre in Sydney.[56][verification needed]In 1982, theSydney Israeli Consulate and Hakoah Club bombings occurred. In this event, an explosive device was detonated inside a vehicle parked outside a Jewish centre in Bondi, NSW. Initial police investigations led to the arrest of a 31-year-old man who was charged in relation to the Hakoah Club explosion. The case went before the court, however, charges were later withdrawn by the NSW Attorney General.[12][57][58][59][60] According to the New South WalesJewish Board of Deputies, the Jewish community in Australia had been sheltered from past terror threats and warned that terrorist incidents could reoccur in the future. Following the bombing, security at the Hakoah club was tightened.[61] Other threats against Jewish community institutions stemming from Arab terrorist groups arose in the late 1980s.[12]
In 1988, a speech byTaj El-Din Hilaly, a prominent Muslim cleric, at theUniversity of Sydney was treated by the Australian Jewish community as a significant attack against Jews. In a lecture to a group of Muslim students at the university, Hilaly made statements that aligned with major antisemitic tropes concerning Jews.[62] Despite the subsequent critical coverage of the incident, Hilaly refused to apologise or retract his comments.[63][13][64] The following year, theExecutive Council of Australian Jewry began tracking antisemitic incidents across the country.[65] In November 1989, three synagogues in Melbourne were vandalised with various antisemitic slogans and slurs.[66] In 1995, over 60 graves and headstones in the Jewish section ofWest Terrace Cemetery inAdelaide were desecrated, leading to condemnations from Israeli Prime Minister,Yitzhak Rabin and Australian Prime Minister,Paul Keating.[67][68] The late 1980s and 1990s saw a number of significant attacks on Australian synagogues (see§ Attacks on synagogues).
After the2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, the Australian Jewish community became a prime target ofAl-Qaeda terror cells.[69]
The11 September 2001 attacks on The Pentagon and New York also triggered an era of hyper-vigilance, which Australian war historians credit with being partly responsible for the lack of previous mass-casualty terrorism in Australia.[70]However, this had the unfortunate side effect of exacerbatingracism and increasingIslamophobia, including violence, and a race riot inSydney in 2005.[70][71]
In the 2000s,Islamicterrorist threats appeared to be thwarted by Australian authorities. Instances include anAl-Qaeda plot to attack the2000 Summer Olympics, the Israeli embassy in Canberra, as well as Jewish community targets. The plot was discovered after a raid on the house ofJack Roche who would be convicted in 2004.[56] In 2003,Bilal Khazal, aLebanese Australian, a formerbaggage handler forQantas atSydney Airport, and a prominent figure in the Islamic Youth Movement, an offshoot ofAhlus Sunnah Wal Jam'ah Association of Australia (ASWJA), was arrested for on terrorism charges including producing propaganda encouraging attacks on the Australian Jewish community.[72]
The sale and distribution of antisemitic literature is one area of concern for the Australian Jewish community. In 2000, theAustralian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) found thatFredrick Töben had engaged in unlawful conduct in contravention of theRacial Discrimination Act (1975) in publishing material that was racially defaming of Jewish people on theAdelaide Institute website. Töben was ordered to remove the contents of the Adelaide Institute website from the internet and not to re-publish the content of that website in public elsewhere. He was also ordered to make a statement of apology.[73] In the following years, Töben was unsuccessful in his efforts to appeal the ruling. In 2009, after Töben's website continued to house antisemitic material, Töben was sentenced to prison for three months forcontempt of court.[74][75]
In 2011, during an open day event at theLakemba Mosque, a visitor reportedly discovered that copies of the antisemiticProtocols of the Elders of Zion were available for sale at the mosque.[76][75] The same year, reports were made of extensive antisemitic literature being housed by theAustralian League of Rights.[75]
Attacks on Jews also appeared linked to conflicts overseas, such as the2014 Israel-Gaza war. Incidents included various acts of violence and harassment of Jews on the street, at universities, the use of newspaper cartoons relying on Jewish stereotypes, and the use of anti-Israel discourse to intimidate Jews.[77]
Australian antisemitism was linked to extremist ideology concerning theCOVID-19 pandemic.[78][79]
A notable case of antisemitism directed at Jewish students involves the allegations raised by Jewish students atBrighton Secondary College. Jewish students alleged that they faced extensive antisemitic bullying and harassment and that the school administration was notified on multiple occasions but took no action.[80][81][82] Victorian MPsDavid Southwick andJames Newbury advocated for an investigation into the school's response. Subsequently, former students filed a lawsuit against the school and alleged that the school principal, Richard Minack, had referred to Jews using derogatory language,[83] and had spoken positively about his father who served in the German army in World War Two.[84] other schools noted for allegations of insufficient administrative response to antisemitism includes Lindfield Learning Village in North Sydney.[85]
There had been no fatal attacks targetingJews in Australia until the2025 Bondi Beach shooting, which killed 15 people at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beech..[9][10]
Since the outbreak of theGaza war andgenocide, antisemitic attacks and other incidents surged in Australia.[86][87][88] Incidents centred in Sydney and Melbourne as well as other regions such as theSunshine Coast andPerth. Included in this round of antisemitic incidents were death threats to prominent Australian Jews, bomb threats to synagogues, and vandalism of Jewish owned shops.[86] In November 2023, hundreds of prominent Australians signed a letter condemning the rise in antisemitism. The signatories includedDaniel Andrews,Gladys Berejiklian,Lindsay Fox andAnthony Pratt.[89]
In one incident, on 9 October, apro-Palestinian rally inSydney organised by Palestine Action Group took place in front of the Sydney Opera House with rally members chanting anti-Jewish statements. The event led to widespread criticism of the rally.[90] This rally was widely covered with special attention to the alleged use of the chant "Gas the Jews".[91][92] Months later, a police review found no evidence that the phrase was chanted, positing the possibility that the phrase being chanted was "where's the Jews". The police said that there was evidence of other chants used at the rally that were deemed offensive and socially unacceptable.[93][94] On 10 October, several individuals in Melbourne made death threats against Jews, one group harassing a rabbi and his son, and another asking where to find Jews, saying they were "hunting for Jews". On 11 October, a man inBellevue Hill, New South Wales threatened to kill four Jewish teenagers in a car with an Israeli flag draped on it. He was later arrested and charged.[91]
In another incident,Jenny Leong,[verification needed] a New South Wales Member of Parliament was condemned for her use of antisemitic language. At a Palestine Justice Movement forum in late 2023,Jenny Leong,Greens Member for theElectorate of Newtown in the NSW Legislative Assembly, launched the accusation that "theJewish lobby and the Zionist lobby are infiltrating into every single aspect of what is ethnic community groups ... they rock up and they're part of the campaign and offer support for things like the campaign against the 18C racial discrimination laws, they offer solidarity, they rock up to every community event and meeting to offer that connection because their tentacles reach into the areas that try and influence power. We need to call that out and expose it."[95] After condemnation of the remarks, Leong apologised for her statements.[96] Australian Jewish press and community leaders described the incident as exposing Leong's use of a 'vile antisemitic slur' and criticised her attempt to minimise the incident.[97][98][99] The pejorative term is reported to be historically associated with Nazi propaganda.[100] Leong's comments were condemned by Australian Prime MinisterAnthony Albanese.[97] Jewish community members subsequently protested in front of Leong's office, with some protesters dressed as inflatable squids.[101][102]
In November 2023, a Jewish school in Sydney was denied services from a localjumping castle business. In response to an email request for a booking fromMasada College in St Ives, the business owner wrote that "There is no way I am taking a Zionist booking, I don't want your blood money. Free Palestine". No official complaint was made by the school.[clarification needed] The incident promptedChris Minns,Premier of New South Wales, to condemn the business owner's actions. After an inquiry, NSW police took no action against the business owner.[103][104][105][106]
In February 2024, more than 600 Jewish Australians working in academia and creative industries were targetedin a mass doxxing incident. A group of anti-Zionist activists shared a leaked transcript of a private WhatsApp group of over 600 people called 'J.E.W.I.S.H creatives and academics', leaking the names, images, professions and social media accounts of members. The leakers referred to it as a "leaked zionist group chat"[2] and described the leak as an act of pro-Palestinian activism, stating the information had been leaked from the WhatsApp group by pro-Palestinian anti-Zionist Jews.[107] The details leaked did not include home addresses, email addresses, or telephone numbers. The leakers referred to the list as the 'Zio600'. David Slucki, Director of the Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation and the Loti Smorgon Associate Professor of Contemporary Jewish Life and Culture atMonash University, said that the term 'Zio' is "an antisemitic dog-whistle popularised by American white supremacistDavid Duke".[108] Some members of the group had previously discussed campaigns targeting pro-Palestinian figures, including writerClementine Ford,[109] who was involved in the doxing;[110][111] Leaders of Australia's Jewish community condemned the incident, includingAlex Ryvchin, the co-CEO for the peak body for Australian Jews, theExecutive Council of Australian Jewry,[2] the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies[112] and MPJosh Burns, who stated members of the leaked group had faceddeath threats, including a five-year-old child[107] and one family had been forced into hiding.[3] Several Jewish Australians whose details had been included in the leak reported on the personal and professional toll the leak had taken on them, including being forced to close their businesses[113] and saw the leak as part of growing antisemitic intimidation that had previously been absent in Australia.[114][115] The Albanese government was strongly critical of the publication of the list, and shortly thereafter announced new laws to combat doxing, the malicious release of personal information.[116][117] In September 2024, Victorian Police arrested a woman in relation to the case.[118]
Antisemitism at Australian universities was a focal point in the aftermath of the 7 October attacks. Of primary concern were allegations against theUniversity of Sydney.[119] In June 2024, the Australian opposition called for a Senate enquiry into campus antisemitism.[120] In September 2024,Jillian Segal, the government's special envoy to combat antisemitism, stated that antisemitism at universities has become 'systemic'.[121] On 20 September 2024, at the senate inquiry into campus antisemitism,Mark Scott, the Vice-Chancellor of theUniversity of Sydney admitted that the university had failed its Jewish students.[122][123]
According to Yesodei HaTorah College High School in Melbourne, in September 2024, a student at the school was assaulted in an unprovoked attack, in which one alleged attacker punched the student in the face and another reportedly filmed the incident. The victim's father said the victim sought assistance from bystanders but was ignored.[124][125] In October 2024, a popular Jewish owned bakery in Sydney was vandalised with antisemitic graffiti.[126]
Antisemitism appeared in religious settings with reports of antisemitic rhetoric had been included in sermons delivered by extremist Islamic preachers in Sydney.[127][128]
TheGaza war-relatedwave of antisemitic incidents continued into 2025. On 10 and 11 January, two synagogues in Sydney were targeted by vandals (see§ 2000–2020s).[129] On 17 January 2025, four vehicles and the home of a former Jewish community leader were vandalized in Sydney. Two of the vehicles were set on fire, with one was marked with an antisemitic slogan.[130] On 19 January, NSW Police discovered a caravan filled with explosives with evidence suggesting that a Sydney synagogue was the intended target. The explosives were sufficient to create a blast capable of destroying up to 40 meters (130 feet).[131] Notice of the incident was leaked to the public on 29 January.[132] It was later reported that the explosives in the caravan were 40 years old and no detonator was present. Anonymous sources said the caravan was put in place by criminals who were aiming to obtain reduced sentences in return for informing police about the explosives.[133]
On 21 January 2025, a childcare center inMaroubra, Sydney, was targeted in an arson attack. The centre, located near a synagogue and Jewish school, was set ablaze, causing significant property damage and antisemitic slogans were graffitied on the wall of the centre.[134][135][136] The attack was condemned by the Prime Minister, the NSW Premier, and the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies.[137][138] Calls were reissued for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to convene theNational Cabinet to address the issue of antisemitism in Australia,[137] which occurred later that day.[139] Additionally, NSW Police added an additional 20 investigators to Strike Force Pearl, the state's antisemitism taskforce, doubling the size of the team.[129][140] Albanese and the AFP Chief Commissioner stated that the AFP were investigating whether the perpetrators of some of the incidents were "criminals for hire" paid to carry out the crimes, rather than ideologically motivated individuals.[141] Following this, the federal police launched an investigation whether "overseas actors or individuals" are paying criminals to carry out antisemitic acts.[142][143]
According to a survey commissioned by Israeli NGOCombat Antisemitism Movement, conducted between June 27 and July 1, 2025, 24% of Australians describe public attitudes toward Jews as positive (9% "very positive" and 15% "slightly positive"). In contrast, 28% of respondents characterize the attitudes as negative (8% "very negative" and 20% "slightly negative"). Moreover, among Australians aged 18 to 34, one in five reported witnessing or hearing about antisemitic incidents in their area.[144]
Antisemitism and other forms of hostility to Jewish interests found in contemporary Australian politics is determined in part by Jewish advocacy organisations. In some instances, concern over political parties being positioned as hostile to Jews and Jewish concerns is viewed as arising from different ends of the political spectrum, such as theAustralian Greens, a left-wing party, andOne Nation, a right-wing party.[145] The case of the Greens involves allegations that the partyfostered antisemitism.[146] Charges of anti-semitism against the Greens appears to hinge in part upon their advocacy for thestate of Palestine, criticism of theIsraeliNetanyahu government's actions in theGaza genocide and competingdefinitions of antisemitism.[147] In the same month, the Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, criticised the Greens party for not sufficiently condemning the rise of antisemitism in Australia following the 7 October attacks.[148] Jewish members of the Greens have alleged that party leaders ignore internal efforts to ensure a response to antisemitism is incorporated in the party's anti-racism response, and to ensure that opposition against the policies of the Israeli government does not provide cover for antisemitic sentiment.[149] Following the vandalism and attempted firebombing of the Newtown Synagogue in Sydney's Inner West in January 2025, the local mayor accused the Greens of fanning the flames of antisemitism.[150]
On Saturday 8 November 2025, there was a neo-Nazis rally held by theNational Socialist Network outsideNew South Wales Parliament in Sydney.[151]The rally has prior approval by fromNew South Wales Police despite the previous rallies from the group turning violent.[151]The police were criticised for inconsistently applying laws prohibiting antisemitism at protests.[151]
On 14 December 2025, amass shooting occurred at Bondi Beach inSydney during the annualHanukkah lighting event hosted byChabad of Bondi, killing at least 16 people, including one of the gunmen involved, and injuring 42 people, including 2 police officers.[152] About 30 shots were fired during the attack.[153]A suspect was taken into police custody, after the other gunmen, his father, had been shot dead by police.[154] The suspects are said to have been inspired byISIS, as a handmade ISIS flag was found in the attackers' car near the scene of the shooting. According to police, Sajid Akram was licensed to own six firearms. The Australian Prime Minister also said that one was investigated in 2019 on suspicion of "connections with ISIS" however was cleared at the time. Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu, himself under domestic pressure from theOctober 7th Hamas attack, responded to the terrorist attack by accusing Australia of failing to combat "anti-Semitism."[155][156][157][158][159][160] It is the second deadliest mass shooting in Australian history, after the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, which prompted the government to introduce strict gun control laws.[161][162]
In response, on 8 January 2026, the Australian government established theRoyal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, to examine the impact of antisemitism on the life of Jewish Australians and works to promote social cohesion. The final report is due by 31 December 2026.[163][164] These incidents[which?] prompted concern from Jewish community organisations and civil society groups, who warned about the visibility of antisemitic and extremist rhetoric at public protests in Australia[citation needed]
During an anti-immigrationMarch for Australia rally on 26 January 2026, a 31-year-old man was arrested and charged with inciting hatred after allegedly makingantisemitic statements during an open-mic speech, and police reported the presence of individuals displaying extremist symbols at the event.[165][166] The incident was cited in media reporting and public debate as part of broader concerns about the visibility of antisemitic rhetoric within far-right activity in Australia.[166][167]
Queensland is preparing to ban a controvesial pro-Palestinian chant as part of their combat against antisemitism. If the proposed legislation is passed, Queensland would become the first state to specifically prohibit the phrase "from the river to the sea", a slogan commonly used at pro-Palestinian rallies. The laws would also outlaw the phrase "globalise the intifada", with anyone found using or displaying either slogan facing penalties of up to two years in jail.[168]
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In Australia,attacks on synagogues have occurred from as early as 1920 (impacting the synagogue inToowoomba, Queensland).[18] Attacks on synagogues occurred with greater frequency from the 1990s onward.
Synagogue attacks in this period include a 1991 arson attack on the North Shore Temple Emanuel in North Sydney.[173][174] That same year an arson attack targeted theBankstown Synagogue in Western Sydney which resulted in the total destruction of the synagogue building.[175][174] The Bankstown Jewish community had been active since the first decades of the 20th century and had first established a synagogue in 1914.[176] The site was redeveloped and serves as a Uniting Church Aged Care facility.[177] Several other synagogues in Sydney were also targeted by arsonists that year.[173] Synagogues in other cities also suffered from attacks in 1991. Bricks were thrown through a window at the Newcastle synagogue, and a bloodied pig's head was placed at the Brisbane synagogue.[178] In 1993, on the anniversary ofKristallnacht, the Newtown synagogue, Sydney's second oldest synagogue, was subjected to an arson attack.[179] In 1995, an arson attack took place on the Adass Israel synagogue inGlen Eira (in South East Melbourne).[180] In 2024, the same synagoguewas firebombed, sustaining significant damage. Other incidents include a 1990 attack where petrol bombs were thrown at a synagogue in Melbourne.[181] And attacks on synagogues and Jewish schools occurred through the 1990s and continued during the 2000s.[182]
| Year | State | Local area | Synagogue | Date | Incident |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | New South Wales | North Sydney | North Shore Temple Emanuel | 28 January 1991[173] | Arson |
| 1991 | New South Wales | Eastern Sydney | Sephardi Synagogue | 26 February 1991[173] | Arson |
| 1991 | New South Wales | Western Sydney | Bankstown Memorial Synagogue | 5 March 1991[173] | Arson |
| 1991 | New South Wales | North Sydney | North Shore Synagogue | 12 March 1991[173] | Arson (averted) |
| 1991 | New South Wales | South East Sydney | Illawarra Synagogue | 28 March 1991[173] | Arson |
Between 2000 and 2023 (prior to 7 October, see below), synagogues across Australia were targeted in acts of vandalism or arson. Attacks have occurred in 2000 (Sydney, Canberra),[183][184] 2001 (Canberra),[185] 2002 (Melbourne, Sydney),[186] 2004 (Perth),[187][188][189] 2005 (Melbourne, Newcastle),[190] 2006 (Sydney)[190][191] 2008 (Melbourne, Sydney),[192][193] 2010 (Perth),[194] 2011 (Brisbane),[195] 2016 (Sydney),[196] 2018 (Canberra),[197] 2019 (Brisbane),[198] 2020 (Launceston),[199] 2022 (Melbourne, Launceston),[citation needed] and 2023 (Maitland).[200]Operation Shelter is a NSW Police operation aimed at preventing antisemitic and other hate-related incidents.[201][202]
Other anti-Jewish incidents involving synagogues have come to public attention. In one case, in 2017, the likelihood of attacks on Australian synagogues led a NSW council to block the construction of a new synagogue over security concerns.[203] In one instance, apublic menorah, a large religious display placed in public, organised by a Melbourne synagogue was vandalised in December 2022.[204][205][206]
| City | State | Years of Attack |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney | New South Wales | 2000, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2016 |
| Maitland | New South Wales | 2023 |
| Newcastle | New South Wales | 2005 |
| Melbourne | Victoria | 2002, 2008, 2022 |
| Brisbane | Queensland | 2011, 2019 |
| Canberra | Australian Capital Territory | 2000, 2001, 2018 |
| Perth | Western Australia | 2004, 2010 |
| Launceston | Tasmania | 2020, 2022 |
Following 7 October 2023, antisemitic actions directed at synagogues continued. In an incident occurring on 8 October 2023, in New South Wales, two individuals walked past a synagogue and shouted "Allahu Akbar", before saying that they would "blow up the synagogue".[207] On 11 October 2023, in Melbourne, a synagogue received a bomb threat.[208] On 23 November 2023, in Western Australia, an individual threw two glasses of red paint at a synagogue.[207] In December 2023, hoax bomb threats were made to several synagogues across Australia.[207] On 25 November 2024, pro-Palestinian protesters targeted a Melbourne synagogue where a panel discussion was organised by the Australian Israel and Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC). An altercation between protesters and counter-protesters led to the police restraining a man wearing a keffiyeh.[209] On 26 November 2024, aChabad synagogue in St Kilda, Melbourne was vandalised with pro-Palestinian and antisemitic graffiti.[210] On 6 December 2024,an Orthodox synagogue in Melbourne was firebombed,[211] destroying holy books and injuring one witness.[212][213][214] Shortly after the attack, the Victorian Premier,Jacinta Allan visited the synagogue site to condemn the incident and to announce funding to help cover rebuilding costs.[citation needed] Following the attack, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that the attack was anact of terrorism,[215] and later visited the site where he also faced hecklers.[216] Additionally, in the wake of the synagogue attack, theAustralian Federal Police (AFP) launched a specialised operation to investigate antisemitism in Australia.[217][218]
On 10 January 2025, one month after the establishment of the taskforce, the AFP stated that 124 cases were referred to the taskforce, with 102 selected for investigation.[219] The targeting of Australian synagogues continued after the Melbourne firebombing incident with a synagogue in Southeast Sydney vandalised on 10 January 2025,[220][221][222][223] and Newtown Synagogue in Sydney's Inner West was vandalised on 11 January 2025.[224][225][226] The Newtown incident also involved an attempt to burn down the synagogue. By 23 January 2025, NSW Police arrested two men in connection to the Newtown Synagogue case.[227]
In August 2025, Prime MinisterAnthony Albanese announced thatIran and theIslamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) wereresponsible for the attack on Lewis’ Continental Kitchen in Sydney and thesynagogue attack in Melbourne. In response, he expelled the Iranian ambassador from the country and declared the IRGC as aterrorist organization.[228][229][230]
In January 1960, Prime MinisterRobert Menzies condemned recent manifestations of antisemitism in the country: "I think that I should now say that there is absolutely no room in Australia for anti-Semitism..."[231][232] In 1995, Prime MinisterPaul Keating condemned an incident where dozens of Jewish graves in Adelaide were vandalised.[233][234][235] In a 2013 speech delivered byMalcolm Turnbull on an attack on a Jewish family in Sydney, described the importance of condemning antisemitism in Australia.[236] In 2023, following the attacks conducted byHamas on 7 October, Prime MinisterAnthony Albanese and the majority of the Australian Parliament passed a motion concerning hate speech targeting Jews and others in Australia in the aftermath of the attack.[237] Shortly thereafter, six out of seven of Australia's living former prime ministers (John Howard,Kevin Rudd,Julia Gillard,Tony Abbott,Malcolm Turnbull,Scott Morrison) signed a statement against the rise of antisemitism in Australia in the wake of the attack and the threat to national cohesion, stating that "the there is no more tenaciously evil race hatred than antisemitism".[238][239] Howard, Gillard, and Albanese later appeared on a 2024 documentaryNever Again: The Fight Against Anti-Semitism.[240] In the wake of continued antisemitic incidents in Sydney in November 2024, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was criticised by the Chief Minister and President of Sydney'sGreat Synagogue and by former Prime MinisterJohn Howard for perceived inefficiency in combatting antisemitism in Australia.[241][242] In January 2025, following Anthony Albanese's claim that his government did all that it could to combat the issue of antisemitism in Australia, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, the peak Australian Jewish organisational body, criticised the Prime Minister for listing his achievements during a crisis where police action have fallen short in its enforcement of existing laws. The peak body called on the Prime Minister to convene a National Cabinet meeting to address the issue.[243]
In 1942, theJewish Council to Combat Fascism and Anti-Semitism (JCCFAS), a Melbourne-based group, was founded to combat antisemitism and fascism. The group operated until 1970.[244] Another Jewish group based in Melbourne, known as Research Services, was formed in 1960 and operated until the 1970s. The group involved itself in gathering information on antisemitic activities in Australia. The group's members included Jewish ex-servicemen and ex-servicewomen.[245] Since then, other Australian Jewish organisations have responded to antisemitism including theExecutive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) which produces annual incident reporting of antisemitism in Australia (starting from 1989),[65] theAnti-Defamation Commission (ADC), which was originally formed byB'nai B'rith, and the Community Security Group (CSG). Other organisations approach the issue through educational programming such asCourage to Care (C2C) which focuses on upstander behaviour, andMoving Forward Together (MFT) which focuses on promoting harmony through multicultural activities.
The Jewish community in South-East Queensland adopts varied responses to antisemitism, including education initiatives, interfaith dialogue, and security measures. These actions are framed as both protective and performative, aiming to assert Jewish identity within a multicultural framework.[246]
Community experiences of and attitudes toward antisemitism have been reported on in community studies produced in partnership withMonash University's Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation. Findings from a 2017 study include reporting that direct or personal experience of antisemitic insults and harassment over the last 12 months was experienced or witnessed by roughly one in ten respondents, with higher rates forHasidic andHaredi Jews.[247]: 67–71
In the aftermath of the sharp rise of antisemitic incidents in Australia following 7 October 2023, Jewish communal organisations campaigned for the Australian government to create a position to oversee the response to antisemitism.[248] in response, on 9 July 2024, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese appointedJillian Segal, a former president of the ECAJ, as the special envoy on antisemitism to the Australian Government.[249] A local development following 7 October 2023, involvedJewish House, a Sydney-based non-profit organisation, partnering withLifeline, a crisis support service, to document how antisemitic incidents, including the public support for the7 October attacks, and other anti-Jewish incidents, invalidate the experiences Jewish community members, leading to increased anxiety and require culturally-specific responses from mental health support workers.[250] Jewish House also created a dedicated resource website supporting practitioners with clients facing antisemitism.[251][252] A response by Chabad of St Kilda to the 2024 antisemitic targeting of the home and property of the Chabad emissary family involved increased the number ofpublic menorahs in Melbourne.[253] Legal avenues to address antisemitism include a 2024 suit in Australian Federal court against an Islamic preacher in Sydney whose sermons are alleged to have incited hatred against Jews.[127][254]
In 1989, following a number of racist and antisemitic incidents, a community group was formed, known as the Community Alert Against Racism and Violence (CAARAV), led by the Rev. Dorothy McMahon of thePitt Street Uniting Church. The group's aims were to distribute published materials to counteract racist and neo-Nazi activity. The group was endorsed by religious leaders in the Jewish community.[255][256]
In 2024, Australia outlawed the display of Nazi symbols.[257] Prior to this legislation, similar laws were passed in New South Wales (2022),[258] Victoria (2023),[259] ACT (2023),[260] South Australia (2023),[261] Queensland (2024).[262] Tasmania (2024).[263] and Western Australia (2024).[264] Notable cases involving the early application of these laws include the arrest of the owner of a prominent restaurant in Sydney.[265]
In January 2025,Jillian Segal, theAustralian Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism, criticised lenient sentencing for antisemitic offenses as a factor undermining efforts to address hate crimes against the Australian Jewish community, and called for mandatory sentencing for individuals attacking synagogues. Following an increase in attacks on synagogues and Jewish homes in the prior months, Segal called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and state premiers to convene a national cabinet meeting. She argued that urgent action is required to implement tougher sentencing guidelines and ensure more consistent prosecution of antisemitic hate crimes.[266][267] In response, Anthony Albanese rejected both of Segal's requests, and stated that sentencing should be left to judges and that he would not need to convene a national cabinet as he discussed the matter with the premiers of Victoria and New South Wales.[268] However, following an attack on a childcare centre in Sydney, calls for a national cabinet were renewed. The Prime Minister convened the national cabinet to discuss coordinating efforts to combat antisemitism.[137][139] A key outcome of the meeting was the announcement of a national database to track antisemitic-related crime, incidents, and behaviours.[269]
Theanti-Zionist Jewish advocacy groupJewish Council of Australia has criticised what it viewed as conflation of antisemitism withcriticism of Israel. It accused some Israel supporters of "weaponising theHolocaust",[270] and that in regards topro-Palestine protests on university campuses, accusations of antisemitism are "being used to crack down on legitimate political expression and peaceful protests on campuses".[271] In addition, in a submission to theAustralian Senate in regards to antisemitism at Australian universities, the group criticised proposed legislation as having "potential to create a hierarchy of categories of racism, exacerbate division, and undermine collaborative, multicultural, multi-faith efforts to tackle racism".[272]
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Little did they know that later that day, they would witness the first deadly attack ever targeting Jews on Australian soil... But despite the unprecedented wave of antisemitic incidents, none had previously involved a deadly attack against Jews on Australian soil.
Domestically, immediate changes took place in Australia following 9/11. Travel and airport security measures that we now take for granted were seen for the first time... To their credit, Australian security agencies have so far managed to prevent a large-scale terrorist attack on Australian soil, and many potentially deadly attacks have been thwarted. But a darker side inevitably emerged from the sense of fear and anxiety fed by a 24-hour news cycle. Racism and Islamophobia coloured arguments to restrict immigration and change Australia's refugee policies, and fuelled hate-based attacks on individuals of middle-eastern appearance.
The state government has been criticised after it was revealed the event proceeded with approval from the New South Wales Police... That's New South Wales Premier Chris Minns describing a neo-Nazi rally held outsideNew South Wales Parliament on Saturday 8 Nov. Around 60 black-clad members of the National Socialist Network, or N-S-N, gathered outside Parliament, chanting Nazi slogans and holding a banner that read "Abolish the Jewish Lobby"... The N-S-N was founded by neo-Nazi leader and convicted criminalThomas Sewell... He is currently facing charges of 25 offences including alleged violent disorder and assault after a group of N-S-N members broke away from the March for Australia protest in Melbourne back in August, storming the First Nations site, Camp Sovereignty.
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