There has been an explosion of Jew-hatred and anti-Israel hysteria in Australia

Blocking a road or getting into people’s faces as they go to worship is bullying – and an attack on other people’s freedom to meet and speak.

Every new law proves something’s gone wrong.

That’s sure the case now, with politicians promising laws to stop protests outside places of worship.

What’s wrong is that we’ve had rabid anti-Israel protesters abuse and threaten Jews at synagogues in Melbourne, and even force a lockdown this month of worshippers at Sydney’s Great Synagogue.

Blame that in turn on an explosion here of Jew-hatred and anti-Israel hysteria, thanks in part to mass immigration from the Middle East, indoctrination in universities, and inflammatory anti-Israel posturing from the Albanese government.

Pro-Palestine supporters rally in Melbourne. Picture: Diego Fedele

But the Labor premiers of NSW and Victoria offer Band-Aids instead – new laws to stop protests at places of worship, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese agrees.

Last Wednesday he said he “cannot conceive of any reason, apart from creating division in our community, of why someone would want to hold a demonstration outside a place of worship”.

Of course, he made those demonstrations more likely the very next day by voting against Israel at the UN.

Gee, Albo, Jews thank you for suggesting they get more police protection from the hate you help whip up.

But the bans may force us to talk about the difference between protest and intimidation.

Victoria’s Labor government in 2015 made a mistake, excusing protesters from move-on laws, which allow police to move people who seem threatening.

We may be forced to talk about the difference between protest and intimidation. Picture: NewsWire

Now we see what Labor’s “reform” led to, with protesters gathering outside synagogues to scream abuse at Jews just going to worship. But the problem goes beyond synagogues.

Why do protesters block our streets, rather than just rally in a park where they’d inconvenience no one? Why do they blockade meetings, intimidating people who choose to lawfully attend, rather than just hold their own meetings nearby?

Why do they shout down other speakers or crash their rallies, as leftists and neo-Nazis did to a women’s rally in Melbourne?

Holding a protest in a park is free speech. Blocking a road, or getting into people’s faces as they go to worship, is bullying – and an attack on other people’s freedom to meet and speak.

I’ve had protesters shut down one book launch, physically fight me at another, and force a lockdown at two events where I was speaking.

That’s anti-free speech, and too many of the Left excuse it.

Keeping bullies away from a place of worship is only a start.

Originally published as There has been an explosion of Jew-hatred and anti-Israel hysteria in Australia