Peter Dutton pledge to open up anti-Semitic cold cases, end hate spree against Jewish people

The Coalition will order federal police to revisit dozens of anti-Semitic incidents since October 7, 2023, that law enforcement officials have previously decided not to pursue.

Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton at an anti-Semitism summit in Sydney in February. Picture: NewsWire/Jeremy Piper

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Peter Dutton will order federal police to revisit all reports of anti-Semitic hate they have received since the October 7, 2023, mass­acre unleashed a torrent of abuse against Jewish Australians, in an election bid to end the attacks prompted by the conflict in the Middle East.

After nearly 18 months of Jewish Australians being targeted in their homes and synagogues by alleged criminal operatives and other anti-Semites, the Coalition has told the Executive Council of Australian Jewry that an anti-Semitism taskforce within the Australian Federal Police will be made to investigate all outstanding complaints of hate.

It will also be ordered to revisit dozens of anti-Semitic incidents since October 7, 2023, that police previously decided not to pursue.

With both Labor and the ­Coalition submitting to an election policy questionnaire put out by the peak Jewish body in recent weeks, ECAJ has also declared there is a “stark” difference between Anthony Albanese and the Opposition Leader on Israel – particularly the ALP insistence to keep up its support for Palestinian interests at the UN.

The Coalition has again said it will not do deals with the Greens.

Labor has not clarified whether it will deny preferences to the anti-Israel party outside its decision to run an open ticket in the inner-Melbourne seat of Macnamara, which has one of the ­nation’s larger Jewish voter bases.

As Mr Dutton reiterated his support for the Jewish community at his campaign launch on Sunday, the Liberal Party told Jewish leaders it would pursue a major crackdown on outstanding anti-Semitism crimes and cancel visas for anyone caught spewing anti-Jewish hate.

“We will also issue a new ministerial direction to the AFP to prioritise addressing anti-­Semitism, including outstanding complaints and unsolved crimes against the Jewish community since 7 October, 2023, including doxxing, public display of terrorist symbols, incitement, harassment, and other offences,” a Liberal Party spokesman told the ECAJ questionnaire.

“This would include re-evaluation of any decisions to not proceed with charges for these offences. We will direct the anti-Semitism taskforce to refer any visa holders involved in acts of anti-Semitism for immediate cancellation and deportation.”

The Coalition’s law and order pledge came after Jewish leaders in March lashed the AFP and ­politicians as “reckless and irresponsible” for dismissing anti-Semitism as a ­motivating factor behind a series of violent attacks over the summer, following revelations the alleged mastermind has a long history of extreme anti-Semitic views.

The result of an anti-Semitic attack in Melbourne.

At a press conference in March, police said the mastermind of the attacks was hoping to leverage a lenient court sentence by providing fabricated information to police about an ­explosives-laden caravan and other attacks on Jewish homes, synagogues and childcare centres. The attacks were carried out by low-level criminals and drug ­addicts with no anti-Semitic views and were being led by criminals for personal gain, police said.

The Australian ­has revealed that Sayet Erhan Akca, the fugitive alleged to be behind the “terror caravan plot” and a string of arson and graffiti attacks on Jewish targets, had posted anti-­Semitic slurs for years before fleeing Australia, after being charged with alleged drug importation offences.

Labor has in recent months set up a federal police taskforce on anti-Semitic crime, appointed Jillian Segal as special envoy against anti-Semitism, outlawed Nazi symbols, increased security funding for Jewish places of worship and schools and criminalised doxxing.

Yet the ALP’s responses to ECAJ’s questionnaire focused on foreign affairs, including its defence of supporting Palestinian representation in the UN.

“The Albanese Labor government has made clear that we will be guided by whether recognition of a Palestinian state will advance the cause of a just and enduring peace. Like many in the inter­national community, Australia has been frustrated by the lack of progress towards a two-state solution,” a Labor spokesman told ECAJ.

“And like Canada, Germany, the UK and other partners, the Albanese Labor government no longer sees recognition as only occurring at the end of the process. It could occur as part of a peace process. The Albanese Labor government has made clear it sees no role for Hamas in any future Palestinian state.”

ECAJ co-chief executive Peter Wertheim. Picture: Thomas Lisson/Daily Telegraph

ECAJ co-chief executive Peter Wertheim told The Australian that many Jewish Australians would welcome Mr Dutton’s tough law and order politics, but would hold concerns about some of Labor’s stances on Israel.

“On domestic policy, there will be many within and beyond the Jewish community who will support the Coalition’s policy to ensure that individuals who engage in anti-Semitic conduct have their visas rejected or cancelled so they can be deported, and that organisations affiliated with anti-Semitic views do not receive taxpayer funding,” he said before Passover.

“While there is still some important common ground between the two major parties on the Israel-Palestinian conflict, including their united opposition to the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign against Israel, there are also stark differences.

“We do not understand Labor’s position on west Jerusalem. The western part of the city has never been a final status issue, so it makes no sense for the ALP to say its status must be resolved as part of peace negotiations.”