‘Action, not sympathy’: what Jewish leaders want from ‘long-overdue’ national cabinet

Ahead of Tuesday afternoon’s meeting, Jewish leaders are demanding Anthony Albanese introduce tougher penalties for anti-Semitic attackers, stronger hate-speech reform and ban masks at protests.

Anthony Albanese pictured visiting the childcare centre in Maroubra that was firebombed in anti-Semitic attack overnight. Picture: Julian Andrews

Jewish leaders are demanding Anthony Albanese introduce tougher sentencing for anti-Semitic attackers, stronger hate-speech reform, “no-mask laws” at protests and mandatory anti-Semitism education ahead of an emergency national cabinet meeting on Tuesday afternoon.

The leaders welcomed the Prime Minister’s “long overdue” national cabinet meeting, which was called after a childcare centre was firebombed and vandalised in the latest anti-Semitic attack in Sydney.

However, the leaders have said the nation’s anti-Semitism crisis has spiralled out of control and only tangible, far-reaching measures would alleviate it.

“This (national cabinet) is a step that we called for in early December, and it is deeply saddening that the announcement comes in the wake of an arson attack on a child care centre,” Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Peter Wertheim said.

On Friday, the former eastern suburbs home of the ECAJ’s other co-convener, Alex Ryvchin, was targeted by attackers who doused it in red paint and torched two cars parked on the street.

“We look forward to national cabinet providing federal, state and territory governments with the leadership and direction needed for them to attack the problem of anti-Semitism with a co-ordinated whole of government approach,” Mr Wertheim said.

The ECAJ – Australia’s peak Jewish body – called for far-ranging measures to protect its community and stamp out anti-Semitism, and to address it at its core, asking Mr Albanese to:

• Imbue police to strictly enforce laws outlawing harassment or intimidation by protesters at schools or places of worship, and instruct his Attorney-General to enact laws if there were legislative gaps.
• Strengthen bail and sentencing laws for anti-Semitic offences.
• Introduce federal hate-speech laws that bring serious vilification into the criminal code, using similar legislation in WA as a model.
• Ban masks at public protests and demonstrations targeting places of worship.
• Introduce mandatory education in Australian schools on anti-Semitism, and similar prevalent forms of racism.
• Instruct his Attorney-General to develop a handbook on the interpretation and application of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism, particularly in an educational setting.
• Consider a national database tracking hate-motivated crimes, as well as online safety reforms targeting “anti-Semitic echo chambers”.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Peter Wertheim

Zionist Federation of Australia

Zionist Federation of Australia chief-executive officer Alon Cassuto urged national cabinet to take “decisive action” to prevent “serious consequences” for the Jewish community and the country’s social cohesion.

“(It) must urgently investigate and act on extremist hate speech, which is driving this disturbing pattern of increasingly violent anti-Semitism,” he said.

“If our laws aren’t fit for purpose, they should be changed.”

The NSW and Victoria governments are both set to incorporate inciting hatred into their respective criminal codes.

Jewish leaders have criticised the federal government’s hate-speech reform proposals, which are near-identical to those that NSW Premier Chris Minns is now seeking to strengthen.

Alon Cassuto, CEO of the Zionist Federation of Australia:

Mr Cassuto said that each jurisdiction should also adopt the approach taken in NSW where protest organisers must identify themselves and seek permits, and are not permitted to wear face coverings at protests so people can be held “accountable”.

He also urged for the adoption of the IHRA’S definition on anti-Semitism in each state and territory. He said “universities must be on the agenda”, claiming they had become a “tinderbox” and reiterating the need for a judicial inquiry on anti-Semitism on campuses.

Australian/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council

Australian/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council executive director Colin Rubenstein said Tuesday’s attack “underscored the reality” that anti-Semitism had been a national “chronic illness”.

“(The latest attack) shows the immediate need for stronger government action to confront this profound challenge to Australia as a multicultural liberal democracy,” he said, welcoming Tuesday’s “belated” convening.

“(Too many) have dismissed incidents of hate, incitement to violence and violence itself as mere anti-Israel or anti-Zionist political activism. But these attacks are escalating, and have become a clear and present danger first and foremost to Australian Jews, but also to the wider community.”

Dr Colin Rubenstein.

Dr Rubenstein said national cabinet should declare all recent attacks on the Jewish community and its places of worship as acts of terrorism, and implement better co-ordination between the federal police, their state counterparts and counter-terrorism agencies.

“While greatly increasing the resources available to the relevant law enforcement task forces,” he said, echoing calls for an Australia-wide strengthening of laws that targeted hate speech and racially-motivated violence.

NSW Jewish Board of Deputies

NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip said national cabinet was “long overdue” and should have been called well before the country “reached crisis point”.

Mr Ossip, whose state has seen the most prevalent of anti-Semitic attacks, echoed calls for stronger protest laws, uniform sentencing and action at universities.

“The Prime Minister must also finally reign in his colleagues who have often used incendiary and provocative rhetoric,” he said, fearing that there was a real possibility the crisis would escalate to the violent targeting of individuals.

“Overwhelming security resources need to be allocated to protect the Jewish community, laws must be changed to deal with hate speech and incitement to violence and penalties must be strengthened to restore deterrence.”

NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip. Picture: John Appleyard

Australia's Special Envoy to Combat anti-Semitism, Jillian Segal. Picture: The Australian

Pressure mounted on Mr Albanese last week after his hand-picked envoy to combat anti-Semitism, Jillian Segal, urged him to convene national cabinet as a priority and introduce mandatory sentences for those who attacked places of worship.

He initially rejected the calls, saying “what people want to see isn’t more meetings, they want to see more action”.

Ms Segal said Tuesday’s national cabinet was “welcome” and that she hoped any outcome led to “meaningful legal reform”.

“My discussions with the Prime Minister and Mr Minns have been constructive and they understand the need to see laws, prosecutions and sentencing change to protect Jewish communities,” she said.

Anti-Defamation Commission chairman Dvir Abramovich said “at long last the alarm bells had been heard”, calling for “swift and unrelenting action” at national cabinet that should prioritise tangible outcomes as opposed to more discussions.

“The Jewish community deserves more than words of sympathy – they deserve action that ensures they never have to endure this again,” he said.

Dr Abramovich welcomed the Coalition’s proposals, which were introduced on Monday, and would bring in minimum jail terms for anti-Semitic attackers and minimum sentences of at least 12 months for displaying hate symbols, such as flags associated with terror groups.