Australia has seen a rise in anti-Semitism, including vandalism, arson attacks, and a potential bomb threat after a caravan full of explosives was found.
On day one of the last session of Parliament before the elections, Australian MPs delivered a united message against anti-Semitism.
Teal MP Allegra Spender moved a motion condemning escalating attacks on Jewish institutions and communities, gaining cross-party support.
- Deplores the appalling and unacceptable rise in anti-Semitism, including violent attacks on synagogues, schools, homes, and childcare centres;
- Unequivocally condemns anti-Semitism in all its forms; and
- Resolves that all parliamentarians will work together to combat it.
Spender stressed that Parliament must set the standard.
“This is not just a matter of the laws. It is also a matter of culture. We must lead by example. The message from this parliament today must be unambiguous … We are all united against anti-Semitism.”
Federal Independent candidate for Wentworth Allegra Spender speaks to the media during a press conference following the Fuel Security Summit in Sydney, Australia, on April 21, 2022. AAP Image/Bianca De Marchi
‘You Will Be Caught, You Will Be Punished’: Albanese
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, facing criticism for not acting decisively, defended the government’s response while supporting the motion.
“This house condemns anti-Semitism and recognises that generations of Jewish people have been subject to this hateful prejudice. I said this on that day [after the Oct. 7 attacks in 2023]. I know I speak for every member of this house when I say that this kind of hateful prejudice has no place in Australia.”
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He issued a warning to those responsible for anti-Semitic crimes: “You will be caught, and you will be punished.”
“Our government has no tolerance for your actions. That is why we introduced a landmark ban on the Nazi salute and hate symbols, the first ever, which came into effect in January last year.
“It’s also why we criminalised doxxing legislation that some failed to support in this Parliament, just at the end of last year. Our groundbreaking legislation has made it easier for our law enforcement bodies to deal with the perpetrators of anti-Semitic acts.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks to media in Queensland, Australia, on Jan. 6, 2025. AAP Image/Russell Freeman
Albanese reassured Jewish Australians, “We want to make sure that we have not just the words as we repeat them—never again. We want to make sure that this is a reality.”
Between May 2024 and January 2025, the country a swathe of anti-Semitic incidents including vandalism sprees, arson attacks targeting cars and a childcare centre, the major firebombing of the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne, and the discovery of a caravan full of Powergel explosives alongside a note with Jewish targets.
Dutton Slams Government’s ‘Weak’ Response
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton criticised the government for responding too late and too softly.
“It has been building since the horrible, dreadful circumstances of Oct. 7, 2023. Two days later, before any response from Israel, people were out chanting on the steps of the Sydney Opera House. The time was then for our country to take a very definite and strong stance against those actions.”
He added that what began as protests escalated into university demonstrations, with no red lines or boundaries. Jewish students and academics faced hostility in institutions that once championed inclusion, and academic freedom.
Australian Opposition Leader Peter Dutton during post Budget media interviews at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia on May 15, 2024. Tracey Nearmy/Getty Images
Dutton highlighted that the MP Spender removed a broader clause condemning “all similar hatred directed to any groups in our community,” arguing that the motion’s sole focus should remain on anti-Semitism.
“We also think it is inexplicable to try and mount the argument that this sort of hatred and this sort of racism and this sort of anti-Semitism is being conveyed against any other pocket of the Australian community.”
He accused the government of blocking the opposition’s attempt to amend the motion to make it stronger.
Senate Joins the Fight Against Hate
The Senate also took up the issue, with Senator Jacqui Lambie moving the motion and calling anti-Semitism “un-Australian.”
“This is not who we are. This is not who Australians are. Having a go at anybody because of the colour of their skin or their religion is totally unacceptable,” she said.
Leader of the government in the Senate, Penny Wong, echoed similar sentiments.
“We have seen a devastating rise in anti-Semitism in this country … this has been just so distressing for the Australian Jewish community, such a valued part of our pluralist nation.”
Newly appointed leader of the opposition business, Senator Michaelia Cash, accused the government of failing Jewish Australians.
“This motion will pass the Senate. But quite frankly, based on the government’s track record to date, it’s going to be mere words. Words, quite frankly, is not what the Jewish community or Australians need. They need leadership, and they need action.”
Greens and Thorpe Demanded Broader Focus
Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi, despite her party’s earlier abstention from a motion commemorating the one-year anniversary of the Hamas’ attack, backed this motion.
“It is appalling. And there should be no place for that kind of hatred in this country. No place for that kind of hatred and racism against anyone living in this country.”
Senator Lidia Thorpe, known for her vocal activism, also supported the motion but pushed for an amendment to explicitly reference “racism.”
“Anti-Semitism is a form of racism and white supremacy. That’s how Nazis saw it and how they justified the Holocaust. They saw the white race as a superior race, and that’s how Neo-Nazis see it. I have experienced this personally. In fact, I experience it every day from the Neo-Nazis,” she said.
The amendment was not passed.
