‘I’m sorry’: Chalmers’ backflip for suggesting Jewish fears ‘unfounded’
Jim Chalmers has bowed to calls to apologise after being roundly slammed for “out-of-touch” comments suggesting the community’s fears over anti-Semitic attacks were sometimes “unfounded”.
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Treasurer Jim Chalmers has apologised for remarks made Thursday that implied the Jewish community’s fears over anti-Semitic attacks were sometimes “unfounded”
“I’ve had that relayed to me and I apologise,” Dr Chalmers told this masthead after the concerns were brought to his attention.
“My intention was to share and acknowledge the very real and understandable fears and concerns in the Jewish community in light of recent events. I could have and should have expressed that more clearly and I’m sorry I didn’t,” he said.
‘INSULTING, DISGRACEFUL’
It came after Opposition leader Peter Dutton hit out at the federal treasurer, saying he “
must update his offensive and out-of-touch talking points on this issue. He is wrong”.
On Thursday morning, Dr Chalmers gave a number of radio and TV interviews Thursday morning in which he said that a series of anti-Jewish attacks and the discovery of a caravan containing explosives showed that “some of the fears that Jewish Australians have right now are not unfounded.”
“For over 15 months, the Jewish community has been under siege. Their concerns are real, and the Government must do everything in its power to ensure their safety, Mr Dutton said.
“For the Treasurer to suggest these concerns are ‘unfounded’ is both insulting and disgraceful. He must apologise – immediately.”
‘ANGER, ABANDONMENT’
Meanwhile, Sydney MP Julian Leeser says there’s a “sense of anger, abandonment but also defiance” among the Jewish community after a potential terror attack ‘that could have killed hundreds’ was foiled.
The Jewish federal member for Berowra told reporters in Dural a “major terrorist attack had been averted”.
“The explosives in this caravan could have killed hundreds of people,” Mr Leeser said.
He added it was time for stronger measures to be taken to attack the rise of anti-Semitism over the past 15 months.
As a member of the Jewish community, Mr Leeser said there was a “sense of anger” and abandonment, but also a “sense of defiance”.
“We will continue to live in this country, we will continue to make this our home as Jewish Australians,” he said.
Earlier, Mr Dutton took aim at the Albanese government, saying it has failed to adequately respond to a rise in anti-Semitism.
Mr Dutton said the government had “tolerated” an anti-Jewish movements instead of acting decisively against it when it began to rear its head after October 7 attacks in Israel, which led to conflict on the Gaza Strip.
His comments follow the discovery of a caravan filled with explosives and a list of potential Jewish site to be targeted.
The Daily Telegraph knows the list of potential Jewish sites targeted but has chosen not to publish them at the request of NSW Police.
It comes as the NSW Police Commissioner has said there is no risk to the public days after police uncovered a caravan full of explosives and a list of addresses for significant Jewish sites in Sydney in the city’s northwestern suburbs.
Overnight The Daily Telegraph exclusively revealed police had found the caravan in Dural 10 days ago as the force continues to crack down on an anti-Semitic crime wave in Sydney.
NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said the caravan owner was in custody on unrelated charges that were laid in the course of investigations under Strike Force Pearl, which was formed to probe anti-Semitic crime.
“I don’t want to speculate too much more but it’s important the public understands the owner is out of play, in custody, the risk to the public has been mitigated very early on,” Commissioner Webb said.
“While the explosive was found in the caravan there was no detonator.”
The commissioner said it was unnecessary to tell the public about the caravan after The Daily Telegraph broke the news 10 days following its discovery.
“There was a covert investigation, and that requires us to go about our business without compromising the investigation,” Commissioner Webb said.
Deputy Commissioner David Hudson said police are liaising with the manufacturers of the explosives inside the caravan, which are exclusively used in the mining industry in Australia.
He would not be drawn on theories about potential foreign orchestrators of the alleged anti-Semitic attacks or the political motivations of those arrested.
Premier Chris Minns described this discovery, and three further anti-Semitic graffiti cases in Maroubra, Eastlakes and Eastgardens overnight as “appalling” in a scathing address at the press conference.
“It is utterly appalling and shameful that an individual would spray racist hate-filled messages on a school, it tells you everything you need to know about how appalling these bastards are,” the Premier said.
“It is antithetical to everything that Australia represents – there are some terrible people in our community and Australians stand united against this appalling racism.”
Separately, Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton blasted the Labor government, accusing it of failing to act against the rise of anti-Semitic attacks and instead “tolerating” them.
His comments come after a caravan filled with explosives was discovered in Dural, Sydney’s northwest, on January 19.
Inside, police found a note listing the addresses of a Sydney synagogue and other Jewish buildings, along with the message “f**k the Jews.”
The discovery has sparked fears that the van may have been part of a planned terror attack.
A local resident initially found the abandoned van in an unsafe location in December and towed it to his property, where it remained untouched for more than five weeks before the chilling contents were uncovered.
Speaking on 2GB, Dutton said the Jewish community was already under threat and that the latest revelations only reinforced their fears.
“It’s devastating and it’s shocking, and already people are living in fear in the Jewish community. Armed guards already patrol outside Jewish schools at the moment, and this is in our country in the 21st century,” he said.
Dutton also condemned ongoing anti-Semitic protests, arguing that authorities had failed to act decisively.
“It’s completely unacceptable for mobs who gathered on the steps of the Opera House a couple of days after the October 7 terrorist attack … (to have) just morphed into the protests on our streets, the protests at universities for months and months.
“The ache that was spewed, the bile that was directed at people of the Jewish community wasn’t stamped out. It was tolerated.”
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