Richard Marles urges for social cohesion after high school targeted with anti Semitic graffiti

Enhanced federal hate speech laws have come under focus following a disturbing incident at a Jewish school in Melbourne.

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles has condemned “confronting” levels of anti-Semitism in Australia after a Jewish school was vandalised with threatening graffiti.

Mr Marles visited Mount Scopus College in Melbourne’s east on Monday after the school’s fence was found sprayed with the words ‘Jew die’ on Friday night.

Speaking alongside Labor MP Josh Burns, the deputy prime minister said the number of incidents of extreme hate speech he had observed over the recent months were higher “than any that I’ve seen during my lifetime.”

“The sorts of words that we saw written on the walls of this school have no place in our society and it is critically important that the nation stands up against this anti-Semitism, which is why we are here today,” Mr Marles told reporters.

Mount Scopus' is one of the largest Jewish schools in the country. Picture: Carly Douglas.

“The Jewish community are proud Australians and they have every right to be able to pursue their life as Australians to enjoy the benefits of your country, to do so in a way where they proudly wear the symbols of their culture without feeling abuse, without feeling intimidation, without feeling prejudice.”

Escalations in the Israel-Hamas conflict have led to a dramatic increase in hate incidents targeting people who are Jewish, Muslim or Arab, with community advocacy groups reporting a spike in abuse since war was declared on October 7.

The federal government will soon introduce legislation that will criminalise extreme forms of hate speech after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promised to fast-track new laws in February.

The laws are separate from the Labor’s religious discrimination reforms and are expected to be introduced into parliament in the second half of this year.

Mr Marles said it was important for the government to “get this right” and said consultation with religious groups, women’s organisations, racial groups and members of the LGBTIQ+ community was still underway.

“We need to have these laws in place as quickly as we can have them in place without obviously compromising the thorough consultation which needs to be undertaken,” he said.

Nationals leader David Littleproud agreed that existing hate speech laws needed to be strengthened. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Martin Ollman.

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said there had been “active discussions” to refine details of the planned laws and said the government was looking closely at criminal penalties for vilification based on a person’s race, sexuality, gender, disability, or religion.

“I will say that the area of penalties is one that has been examined very closely in terms of ensuring that these laws are effective,” she told Sky News.

Greens leader Adam Bandt said there was no place for anti-Semitism and Islamophobia anywhere in Australia.

“I think what we are seeing across the country is a very strong push for peace, people are fighting not only against anti-Semitism, but are fighting to the end invasion of Gaza as well,” he told ABC.

Nationals leader David Littleproud said social cohesion in Australia was at a “tipping point” in terms of people feeling unsafe, and said he would carefully look at Labor’s proposed changes.

“We’ll go with open minds, but it’s important we see the detail around getting the balance right of protecting free speech, but making sure that comes with responsibility and respect,” he said.