Delaying action on anti-Semitism based on poor understanding

Opposition legal affairs spokesman Julian Leeser is correct that “any act of Islamophobia is unacceptable and must be unequivocally condemned” (“Labor urged to act on anti-Semitism”, 18/7). But he’s also right to criticise Education Minister Jason Clare for delaying the government’s response to anti-Semitism envoy Jillian Segal’s plan to combat anti-Semitism until it receives an unrelated report from Islamophobia envoy Aftab Malik.

There’s no reason to conflate these different issues. Anti-Semitism is a distinct and more complex problem than Islamophobia. Jews are targeted not only as a religion but also as a race, ethnicity and nation. The Jewish community is this country’s principal hate target: synagogue arson, car firebombings, home business and office vandalism, doxxing and hate speech are all intended to intimidate Australian Jews.

In Islamophobia, the “phobia” is a fear of societal violence. Islam is associated with terrorism, intended to cause fear, because a small but significant proportion of Muslims support it as resistance to Zionist and Western oppression or as the path to sharia rule. Anti-Semitism is far more prolific than Islamophobia.

The Executive Council of Australian Jewry has been keeping statistics on formally reported anti-Semitic attacks for decades. ECAJ’s definition of an attack excludes speech and social media posts that don’t contain specific threats of violence. It captured 2062 incidents in 2024. If online anti-Semitic content were included, the number of attacks would be closer to 6700. The Islamophobia Register of Australia claims 932 incidents during 2024. The 100,000 members of the Australian Jewish population are an eighth the size of our 813,000 Muslim population (2021 census figures). For Jews the relative intensity of the two problems is, therefore, considerably worse.

The two illnesses have different histories, reasons, intensities, culprits, victims and cures. Given the worrying situation the Jewish community faces, it’s a pity Clare clearly doesn’t understand the differences between them.

Anthony Bergin, Reid, ACT

The response of Education Minister Jason Clare to requests for action to be taken on Jillian Segal’s report on anti-Semitism is peculiar, to say the least.

First, to equate the issue of anti-Semitism with that of Islamophobia or Asian racism is insulting and appallingly bad judgment when this is a specific and deteriorating situation. Second, Clare’s prevarication postpones productive action, allowing the situation to become worse. Third, the vast majority of Australians recognise allowing this behaviour to become entrenched is against our national ethos of giving people a go in life. Fourth, for decent Australians this is shameful. Fifth, it’s like watching a nurse recording the observations of a patient dying while neglecting to call the doctor to give treatment that would save a life.

Rosemary McGrath, Kensington, SA

Housing crisis

More than 550,000 migrants being forecast to arrive in Australia in 2025 will be bitter news for many would-be home buyers as well as commuters in capital cities (“Immigration crisis leaving our national identity homeless”, 18/7).

With the housing industry clearly unable to support the volume of additional dwellings required, the affordability and availability crisis will simply worsen. Personal growth and development will be stunted for a few generations of people as they are unable to leave their parents’ homes and rent or buy their own dwelling.

Because of excessive immigration rates, they are facing the prospect of not being able to progress into adulthood as past generations have.

In an effort to provide the infrastructure and services that all these additional people need, most state governments have borrowed to the brink of bankruptcy as they scramble to accommodate this massive influx.

All so the federal government gets a pass mark on annual GDP growth. After years of this Ponzi scheme, we obviously need a whole new vision for the nation’s future to arrest the decline that is becoming ever more entrenched.

M. Knight, Malvern East, Vic

Missing the big issues

Few would disagree with the column by Sussan Ley (“Surcharge reform must be fair to small business, consumers”, 18/7). But many will be asking about her priorities.

It’s not as though there is a lack of alternative issues. We have just endured a full week of watching Anthony Albanese’s tour through China, excruciating in its subservience. All the while delaying a meeting with US President Donald Trump.

Meanwhile, at home the wheels are falling off the green energy fantasy and the anti-Semitism response is sidelined. We know Ley has been busy apologising for the election disaster she was part of, but if she wants to be taken seriously she needs to start tackling the big issues.

Jim Wheeler, Tamborine Mountain, Qld