A letter to Anthony Albanese: Enough is enough on anti-Semitism, what will you do?
When will the penny drop for the Prime Minister and his ministers on anti-Semitism? To do your job, enforcing the law, leading from the front and not merely mouthing worthless words that mean nothing and lead to nothing?
Dear Prime Minister,
The firebombing of the Adass Synagogue in Melbourne is an absolute outrage.
The latest in a long list of dangerous anti-Semitic attacks that has occurred on your watch.
Social cohesion has broken down. The Jewish community is living in fear. Anti-Semitism has been normalised.
So toxic has our environment become, one of our most distinguished Australians, former governor-general Sir Peter Cosgrove, has felt the need to say “Hitler would be proud”.
Prime Minister, what will it take for the penny to drop?
For you and your ministers to step up, not step back from the challenges we face?
To do your job, enforcing the law, leading from the front and not merely mouthing worthless words that mean nothing and lead to nothing?
Your government’s inaction has emboldened those that hate and those that harm. It is clear to all those who want to see.
This week hundreds of people were locked down in Sydney’s Great Synagogue, including your former colleague, Indigenous champion, Olympic champion Nova Peris, as pro-Palestinian protesters made it unsafe to leave.
The week before in Woollahra, cars were torched, property defaced with anti-Semitic messages of hate.
Days before that crowds openly called to globalise the intifada, called Jews Nazis, as they freely waved the flags of Hezbollah, a listed terrorist organisation.
And on and on it goes.
On a daily basis Jewish Australians are intimidated and harassed, in our streets, on our campuses and in their workplaces.
Jewish artists are doxxed and cancelled. Jewish-owned businesses are boycotted and attacked.
Young Jews are now fearful to publicly identify with their faith while Holocaust survivors, long given a safe refuge and warm embrace here in Australia, now talk openly about leaving this country.
Prime Minister, how have you let it get to this?
Responsibility rests at your door.
Our community which has contributed so much to our country now feels alone and vulnerable.
If our Prime Minister does not and will not answer the call to action, what hope do the rest of us have of effecting real change?
Let me be clear, this is not about Israel.
Although your government’s abandonment of a fellow democracy whose security and intelligence co-operation has saved Australian lives has been all too clear.
This is about Australia, the country we want to be and not what we have become.
We are at a pivotal moment in our history. Our treasured values of tolerance, respect and the freedom to live freely and proudly practise one’s faith and traditions has been undermined, leaving us all less safe as a result.
Once social cohesion has broken down it is only a matter of time before another community is next.
This is why the attack on Adass was not an attack on one, it was an attack on all.
All Australians are paying the price as our leaders have gone missing.
Please Prime Minister, see what is happening, understand what is happening, and act.
To do otherwise is a dereliction of duty.
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