Labor must end Israel obsession if it’s serious about stopping homegrown anti-Semitism

Anthony Albanese visits the Adass Israel Synagogue on Tuesday, four days after the place of worship was firebombed. Picture: Getty Images

Anthony Albanese’s promise to fight anti-Semitism must start with reining in Penny Wong’s obsession with Israel and Labor’s naivety that Australia can influence peace in the Middle East.

Wong’s foreign policy speech associating Israel with China and Russia continues the Albanese government’s pattern of using a megaphone to attack the Israeli government while hardly ever calling out Beijing over its abhorrent human rights record.

Labor’s rapprochement with Xi Jinping’s government in return for China removing its outrageous $20.6bn bans on Australian products has resulted in the most timid criticisms of the Chinese Communist Party.

The CCP has committed human rights atrocities against Uighurs, put the lives of Australian Defence Force personnel at risk, acted aggressively towards neighbours in the South China Sea, jailed pro-democracy activists and orchestrated foreign interference, cyber and espionage operations targeting Australia. Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, assassinations of pro-democracy figures and hacking of Western governments and companies is equally appalling.

Wong’s speech was a clear attempt to hit back at criticism from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after he linked Labor’s “extreme anti-Israel position” with the Melbourne synagogue firebombing.

In her Hawke Lecture on Monday night, the Foreign Minister declared that criticism of Israel had no link to anti-Semitism.

“It is not anti-Semitic to expect that Israel should comply with the international law that applies to all countries. Nor is it anti-Semitic to call for children and other civilians to be protected, or to call for a two-state solution that enables Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security,” Wong said.

“We expect Russia to abide by international law and end its illegal full-scale war on Ukraine. We expect China to abide by international legal decisions in the South China Sea. We also expect Israel to abide by international law.”

Wong’s language is a clear defence of the Albanese government’s foreign policy shift on Israel, rejection of Netanyahu’s criticism and a nod to voters in key Labor seats.

While Wong claims there is no link between anti-Semitism and criticism of Israel, pro-Palestinian activists weaponise anger about the actions of the Israeli government among supporters to justify protests and harassment of Jewish Australians at synagogues and university campuses.

Most Australians, who don’t profess to be Middle East experts, want Israeli hostages to be released and support peace and security for Israeli and Palestinian civilians. They do not want violence imported to Australian streets or for Jewish communities to be targeted.

Wong and her ministerial colleagues have consistently singled out Israel in speeches, changed Australia’s UN voting positions, rebuffed calls to expel Iran’s top diplomat after he praised slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, accused Israel of war crimes and maintained funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency despite established links with Hamas.

In the immediate aftermath of the October 7, 2023 attacks, Wong upset Jewish Australians by calling for “the exercise of restraint and protection of civilian lives”. Travelling to Israel on behalf of the government, Wong declined opportunities to visit massacre sites where Hamas terrorists brutally slaughtered, raped and abducted innocent Israelis. Well before October 7, Wong upset the Israeli government after reversing the Morrison government’s recognition of West Jerusalem as the Jewish state’s capital.

Wong, a powerful Left-faction supporter of Albanese, has enjoyed greater independence than most foreign ministers in leading Australia’s foreign policy repositioning following the 2022 election. Ahead of next year’s election, Donald Trump’s return as US president will test the Albanese government’s international agenda, including its positions on trade, closer ties to China, clean energy and climate change.

Albanese’s visit to the Adass Israel Synagogue on Tuesday, four days after it was firebombed, was an important step for the Prime Minister. After copping criticism, Albanese finally described the incident as an “act of terrorism … fuelled by anti-Semitism and stoked by hatred”.

While Albanese has strengthened his language around anti-Semitism, Jewish Australians remain anxious the government will struggle to end the harassment, vilification and violence that has befallen their communities.