Auschwitz-Birkenau 80th commemoration: Mark Dreyfus slams opposition over politicising Holocaust, anti-Semitism

Hours before the 80th commemoration of the liberation of the Nazi death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus has slammed the opposition over attempts to ‘politicise’ the Holocaust and rising anti-Semitism in Australia.

Australia’s delegation to the commemoration of the liberation of Auschwitz, Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus. Picture: Jacquelin Magnay

Australia’s Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus has labelled opposition criticism about Australia’s representatives attending the 80th commemoration of the liberation of the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau as “grotesque” and said “we need to get politics out” of combating anti-Semitism.

Mr Dreyfus stood alongside Foreign Minister Penny Wong – who has been heavily criticised for coming to Poland for such a significant anniversary – demanding a bipartisan approach to tackling the scourge of anti-Semitism that has risen across Australia.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Attorney General Mark Dreyfus arrive at the Jewish Community Centre in Krakow on Sunday January 26, 2025. Picture: Jacquelin Magnay

His comments came after the two politicians conducted a tour of the Jewish Community Centre in Krakow on Sunday, meeting Holocaust survivor Zofia Radzikowska and where Mr Dreyfus remembered his great-grandmother Ida Ransenberg who died at Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Ida’s husband Albert Ransenberg died in another Nazi death camp Theresienstadt. Mr Dreyfus’ other great grandmother Paula Dreyfus took poison on the eve of being deported to Theresienstadt.

While there has been no criticism of Mr Dreyfus’s attendance here in Poland for Monday’s commemoration, the inclusion of Senator Wong in the official delegation has angered Australian Jews upset at Australia’s changing relationship with Israel following the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023 and subsequent war in Gaza.

Senator Wong meets Holocaust survivor Zofia Radzikowska at the Jewish Community Centre in Krakow. Picture: Jacquelin Magnay

Opposition leader Peter Dutton said Senator Wong had trashed Australia’s relationship with Israel and has questioned why Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had sent her as Australia’s representative.

But Mr Dreyfus said: “it is an appropriate place to actually reject attempts to politicise the Holocaust or to politicise anti-Semitism. Combating anti-Semitism, remembering the Holocaust does not belong to the left or the right.

He added: “It does not belong to the progressive side of Australian politics or the conservative side of Australian politics. It is the solemn duty of everybody, of all of humanity to remember the Holocaust, to say never again. And it’s been grotesque. I use that word again to see the rise in anti-Semitism since October the 7th, but it has been equally grotesque to see attempts being made to politicise either the commemoration of the Holocaust or combating anti-Semitism.

“We need to get politics out of this. It’s a joint effort for the whole of humanity to remember the Holocaust, to remember the six million murdered Jews, and to say never again.”

Senator Wong said she hadn’t engaged with Australian Governor-General Sam Mostyn when asked why a “neutral person” wasn’t considered to be the official Australian representative at the commemoration.

She said: “I haven’t engaged with the Governor-General about that. Mark and I and the Deputy Prime Minister and I spoke about this, and we believe this was his delegation.’’

Senator Wong said “this is not the time for politics. This is a time to be above politics, because this is such a solemn and sad occasion, but also a time to recommit ourselves to learning the lessons of the Holocaust, the murder of 6 million Jews, and to say never again.”

She said the anti-Semitic attacks in Australia weren’t just attacks on the Jewish community, “but actually an attack on who we are as Australians”.

Penny Wong at the Jewish Community Centre in Krakow. Picture: Jacquelin Magnay

“People came to came to our country because of who we are: a country that welcomes people of all faiths, people from all over the world, and we treat each other with respect, we treat each other with tolerance, we are accepting and we ensure that we provide a safe community for all our people. That is part of what it is to be Australian and what we must hold on to.,’ Senator Wong added.