Australia’s ‘devastating’ rise in anti-Semitism, Penny Wong warns in 25th Bob Hawke lecture after Synagogue terror attack

Australia has suffered a “devastating” rise in anti-Semitism, Senator Penny Wong has warned, as she reiterated her calls for a “two-state” solution between Israel and Palestine.

• Albo’s drinks party after synagogue fire

Australia has suffered a “devastating” rise in anti-Semitism, Senator Penny Wong has warned, as she doubled down on her calls for a “two-state” solution between Israel and Palestine.

In a hard-hitting speech in Adelaide amid outrage at Labor’s Israel position, the Foreign Minster lashed right, and fellow left-wing, MPs or activists “whose business model is outrage” for inciting Australians to hate each other.

She condemned rising levels of anti-Semitism across Australia, including last week’s “shocking” bombing of a Melbourne synagogue that is being investigated as terrorism as it was clear it was designed to “cause terror among its community”.

Despite her speech toughening Labor’s anti-Semitism rhetoric, Senator Wong said this did not exclude criticising Israel, expecting the country to obey international law like Russia and China, ensuring children and other civilians be protected or calling for a two-state solution.

“It is not antisemitic to expect that Israel should comply with the international law that applies to all countries,” she told the 25th annual University of South Australia Hawke lecture, which was marred by pro-Palestine protesters.

Senator Penny Wong during the October 7 vigil at the Israeli Embassy in Canberra. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“Nor is it antisemitic to call for children and other civilians to be protected, or to call for a two-state solution that enables Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security.”

She said Australia can’t “pick and choose which rules we are going to apply” and said this applied to Russia with its illegal invasion of Ukraine and Chinese in the South China Sea.

She said Australia last week voted at the United National an “overwhelming majority of the international community” that supported a peaceful Palestinian settlement resolution.

Britain, Canada, Germany, Japan and New Zealand were among 157 supportive countries while eight rejected the resolution.

A member of the Jewish community recovers an item from the Adass Israel Synagogue Picture: Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Image

Labor has come under fire from Jewish groups and the federal Opposition over its Israel stance and the Gaza war as well as the delay in labelling the firebombing of the Adass Israel Synagogue at Ripponlea in Melbourne’s southeast, a terrorist act.

Senator Wong told the Adelaide Convention Centre audience: “We condemn and reject antisemitism wherever it occurs.

“Acts of hate have no place in Australia.

“In a world more uncertain and unstable than it has been in most of our lifetimes, it is especially important that we resist those who would fracture our common purpose as Australians.

“Let me be clear – we have seen a devastating rise in antisemitism in Australia and elsewhere that is unacceptable.”

In her speech honouring former Labor Prime Minister Bob Hawke - made just hours after authorities announced a special anti-Semitism taskforce - Senator Wong criticised people who “want to turn global uncertainty into domestic anxiety” instead of respecting opposing views.

She told the audience that while parts of the world were in conflict, and endless hostility, she believed Australians “don’t want that conflict reproduced here”. Perpetuating, what Mr Hawke once described as “the vicious cycle of confrontation”.

“Yet there are politicians on the right and left who see their own interests in making Australians turn on each other,” she said.

“Misrepresenting views and exaggerating differences. Delegitimising each other because of different opinions or backgrounds.

Minister for Home Affairs of Australia, Tony Burke, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Australian Federal Police Commissioner, Reece Kershaw, Director-General of Security of Australia, Mike Burgess and Attorney-General of Australia, Mark Dreyfus hold a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra announcing the anti-Semitism task-force. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“Trying to convert global uncertainty into domestic anxiety. “Exploiting the trend towards echo chambers, where people only hear bad things about others and don’t see for themselves what’s good about others.”

She added: “There are too many politicians and activists whose business model is outrage.

“We see complexity replaced with absolutism, persuasion replaced with incitement. Endless aggression and shouting. We cannot allow extremes to intimidate and overwhelm.”

Labor’s leadership, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Senator Wong, have been heavily criticised over what opponents described as a failure to call out racism or hate filled attacks on Jewish people.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has hit back at criticism the government had failed to address anti-Semitism. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“We know that cruel acts of antisemitism evoke some of the darkest episodes in the history of the Jewish people,” Senator Wong said.

“I know that so many in the Australian Jewish community are feeling scared and unsafe in a way that should never happen in a society like ours.

“You should not feel that way anywhere or at any time.”