James Morrow: Why Jim Chalmers’ words point to a government that doesn’t understand a community in crisis

The Treasurer’s reaction to the discovery of a list of targets inside an explosives-laden caravan goes to the heart of why so many in the Jewish community feel the government simply doesn’t understand their fears, writes James Morrow.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has for months now fought back against charges that his government just doesn’t get it when it comes to the epidemic of anti-Semitism in Australia.

Perhaps instead of putting out statements telling us that “hate (has) no place” here, he ought to have a word to his treasurer, Dr Jim Chalmers.

Doing the rounds of breakfast TV and radio Thursday, Dr Chalmers – who was hoping to spruik falling inflation figures – was instead quizzed about the discovery of a caravan laden with explosives and a list of Jewish targets.

His response to the discovery?

“It shows that the fears that a lot of Australians in the Jewish community have are not always unfounded.”

Gosh, Treasurer. A few thousand years of history could have told you that the Jewish community’s fears of being targeted “are not always unfounded.”

What’s worse, it implies that sometimes the Jewish community’s fears are unfounded.

But, at least this latest incident made you alive to the problem.

Jim Chalmers comments go to the heart of why so many in the Jewish community feel like this government simply doesn’t get it when it comes to their fears.

Lest anyone think that this was a one-off miscue in the heat of the moment, the Treasurer used on the ABC’s AM and Nine’s Today. This was no slip of the tongue.

And it goes to the heart of why so many in the Jewish community feel like this government simply doesn’t get it when it comes to their fears.

Every time someone from the Albanese government does the both-sides thing with anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, or weakens Australia’s support for Israel on the world stage, or in this case suggests that maybe the Jews are just overreacting, it tells the true story.

As the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies chief David Ossip said, “This an outrageous comment by Mr Chalmers and he must immediately specify what “unfounded concerns” of the Jewish community he was referring to.

“This goes to the heart of the problem with the Albanese Government - they never took our warnings seriously until we reached a state of absolute crisis.”

Minister Jo Haylen’s office has been targeted in another anti-Semitic graffiti attack. Picture: Damian Shaw

A list of anti-Semitic incidents around Sydney since the October 7 horrors could fill this newspaper, and in fact have, many times over.

Remember: Israel had barely started to tally its dead before the Opera House forecourt was filled with goons lighting off flares and chanting the various things they wanted to do to “the Jews”.

There was much controversy over exactly what the words were, but there was no doubt the crowd wasn’t asking them to come to an interfaith prayer breakfast.

Meanwhile in Sydney, locals egged on by various preachers and sheiks cheered the attacks against the Jewish state.

Members of the local Jewish community in Maroubra arrive with their children outside the childcare centre firebombed in an anti-semitic attack.

Since then, it’s only gotten worse: firebombings, “f--- the Jews” graffiti, vandalism, marches and rallies with Hezbollah gear proudly on display, caravans of hoons driving through Jewish neighbourhoods intimidating locals, the list goes on and on.

So yes, looking through this list of incidents and attacks, Dr Chalmers is technically correct.

The fears of the Jewish community are not always “unfounded.”

But the question remains, when have they ever been?