Labor must learn a fast lesson about anti-Semitism

Labour Party leader Keir Starmer. Picture: AFP / Jessica Taylor

Much has been made in both the Australian and UK media of how British Labour, and in particular Sir Keir Starmer’s team, are learning from their Australian Labor counterparts how to win the UK general election due later this year

Equally, Starmer has been reported as dull and dependable, a good speech reader, but not a great communicator.

Anthony Albanese by contrast cultivated an image of a left-wing warrior and inner-city hipster who had an ale named after him. He has appeared as a guest DJ at pubs.

Albanese won with a small-target “conservative lite” campaign message after three general election losses in a row for Labor in Australia.

But now there is huge turmoil within the Australian Labor Party over the Gaza conflict and Israel’s self-defence against Hamas’s terrorist attack on October 7.

Albanese and Labor should instead be learning from Starmer.

The ALP has been riven with division, with many MPs being pro-Palestinian.

The most overt of these have been Muslim MPs, but many others have joined in to appeal to the Palestinian-supporting rank-and-file party membership.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong was in Israel but flatly refused to go to the sites of the October 7 massacres. From the Left faction, she is inflaming tensions with Australia’s Jewish community.

Labor’s message in Australia is confused, even as local imams call for war against Israel and a pro-Palestinian rally in front of the Opera House in Sydney heard chants of “F..k the Jews” and “Gas the Jews”. Many prominent ALP minsters and members refused to condemn these actions.

This is familiar territory for British Labour and Starmer, who have worked assiduously to seek out and remove anti-Semitic elements within their own party.

This has resulted in Jeremy Corbyn’s expulsion, charged with standing by and watching open anti-Semitism flourish under his leadership.

He is, rightly, still on the crossbench and hopefully will exit parliament this term in everlasting shame.

Starmer on Sunday addressed the Jewish Labour Movement’s conference and vowed the Labour Party would never again be infected with anti-Semitism.

He went further, saying: “I see no greater cause in my leadership than this. This is my role.”

Finally, the leader we all knew was there was on full display. Starmer called out those who hide their hatred for Israel cloaked in the support of being pro-Palestinian. What a fantastic contrast to Corbyn, who once revelled in a congratulatory message of support from Hamas.

This is where it comes full circle. Wong has joined the Corbyn club as the only Labor foreign minister to also be publicly thanked by Hamas – for her recent support at the UN.

Hamas is a defined terrorist organisation. It was responsible for the worst slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust. It still holds more than 100 Jewish people hostage.

Corbyn was a cult hero of Anthony Albanese and they shared many similar views. Albanese initially distanced himself from his Foreign Minister’s decision not to visit the October 7 massacre sites – he should have followed his political instincts.

By an interview on Monday, however, the Prime Minister was saying a visit to the site would only amount to a photo op – such is the level of confusion within the Labor Party over these matters, and misunderstanding of the strong message of joint loss and support such a visit would show Israel and Jews around the world.

Albanese was elected on a small-target strategy of say nothing, promise nothing; he has eschewed values based on conviction politics.

His government is struggling in the polls and floundering on the international stage.

When asked by his AUKUS allies to send a warship to the Red Sea he sent two – just two – navy staff to the operations headquarters in Bahrain.

The contrast couldn’t be stronger with Starmer, who is taking the opportunity to show voters what he stands for and to deliver a strong message against terrorism and anti-Semitism.

Starmer is leading while Albanese stumbles. Labor in Australia, rather than the other way around, should watch the UK more, and specifically the moral and political leadership on display from Keir Starmer.

Cameron Milner is director, GXO Strategies.