Mike O’Connor: Those who fail to denounce anti-Semitism are blind to history or choose to ignore it

Civil libertarians claim anti-Semitic demonstrators have a right to protest, but when you incite people to murder Australian citizens, you lose that freedom, writes Mike O’Connor.

When you enter politics, do you leave your cloak of integrity and sense of what is right and wrong at the door in exchange for a cheap suit or dress labelled self-interest?

It’s a moot point given recent events in the Middle East and the limp-wristed response by some of our most senior elected representatives to the slaughter of the innocents that took place in Israel at the hands of Hamas.

The response by Labor frontbenchers such as Tony Burke and Chris Bowen was muted at best and fell well short of outright condemnation.

It’s no coincidence that their electorates contain a significant Muslim population, so was it with an eye of the next election and their political survival that they failed to denounce the atrocity in the strongest possible terms lest it cost them votes?

Brisbane’s Jewish community holds a peaceful gathering in Roma Street Parkland in support of Israel. Picture: Lachie Millard

So much for leadership, courage and conviction.

The response of the Greens and teals was just as odious, with some hiding metaphorically under their desks and declining to offer any comment at all when asked.

We have as a nation just emerged from one of the darker periods of modern times with millions of us accused either directly or indirectly of being racists.

We shredded these accusations at the ballot box by declaring that we regard all Australians as equal, thus ensuring that in the words of Bob Hawke that “in Australia there is no hierarchy of descent; there must be no privilege of origin.

“The commitment is all. The commitment to Australia is the only thing needful to be a true Australian.”

Israeli troops gather near the southern city of Ashkelon. Picture: AFP

Why is it then that while people will swear that they have never entertained a racist thought and denounce racism as one of the great evils, when it comes to calling the cold-blooded massacre of people murdered on account of their race and religion out for what it is, there are those among us who would look the other way?

Events in Sydney, with pro-Palestinian protesters chanting “gas the Jews” and preaching genocide have revealed that there are malevolent elements in our society that have no respect for our rule of law and who applaud wholesale bloodshed in the name of their religion or political beliefs.

These are the people who are not true Australians.

They have no commitment to our country.

Albanese government ministers Tony Burke and Chris Bowen. Picture: Ray Strange

They abuse the freedom of speech and assembly our democracy grants them.

Civil libertarians have been quick to claim that the demonstrators have a right to protest, but when you incite people to murder Australian citizens – and it is absolutely clear that this what happened – you lose that freedom.

Can you imagine the outcry if a mob was to start yelling “kill the Poms”, “kill the Italians” or “kill the Catholics”?

The members of our political class would trample each other underfoot in their stampede to demand that the offenders be dealt with harshly, but when it comes to anti-Semitism and calls to kill Jews, be they be living in Australia or elsewhere, the outrage is filtered.

In Sydney, to their eternal shame, the police stood by and did nothing.

In Germany in the 1930s, the police stood by and watched as Adolf Hitler’s Brownshirts smashed and burnt Jewish businesses, dragged their owners into the street and beat them. Much worse was to follow.

A woman in the crowd weeps for her country as Brisbane’s Jewish community holds a peaceful gathering in the Roma Street Parkland in support of Israel. Picture: Lachie Millard

Those who fail to denounce anti-Semitism are either blind to history or choose to ignore it.

Wokeism, alas, does not extend to anti-Semitism.

It is not seen as worthy of attention by the virtue-seekers.

Will Qantas paint an Israeli flag on the tails of its aircraft to signal its abhorrence of anti-Semitism or will the corporate elites, who in the light of last Saturday’s result have gone strangely quiet, denounce it? Never.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was fond of warning us that if we did not pass the referendum, the world would think less of us.

I can assure him that images of crowds referring to the gas chambers of the Holocaust and the systematic murder of more than six million people will have well and truly damned us in the eyes of many in the international community.

It’s easy to dismiss those responsible as a bunch of ignorant clowns, but it would be dangerous to do so.

The Jews have an expression that encapsulates the horrors that they suffered in Europe 80 years ago.

It is “Never again.”

It falls to those of us who regard ourselves as true Australians to make sure it never does.