Think tank launches ‘three-year, data-driven’ project to ‘combat’ anti-Semitism, religious discrimination

The Centre for Independent Studies said anti-Semitism and other forms of religious discrimination was an issue ‘perhaps too pervasive and urgent to be left to government alone’.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visiting the Adass Israel Synagogue after a firebombing in Melbourne, Tuesday, December 10, 2024.

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A three-year landmark project to “analyse and combat” anti-Semitism and other religious discrimination has been launched by the Centre for Independent Studies, describing it as an issue “too pervasive and urgent to be left to government alone”.

The project by the centre-right think tank, which will survey Australians yearly on their perceptions of anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and religious discrimination, is being championed and funded by the Luminis Foundation – the philanthropic arm of advisory firm Luminis Partners – and its executive co-chairman Simon Mordant, a leading Australian arts figure.

Simon Mordant.

Luminis Partners’ Ron Malek and Jamie Garis condemned the “alarming” explosion of anti-Semitism in a statement, and said it would be a “vital project for all Australians”.

“(Anti-Semitism) is a major issue for all our communities because left unchecked it will erode our shared Australian values and totally undermine social cohesion across the country,” Mr Malek said.

Along with the surveys, the CIS will release publications on anti-Semitism, online hate, legal protections, and civic education, with a focus on “robust, data-driven insights”.

Anti-Semitism will be defined in the project along the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition, and “look at both overt and coded hostility toward Jewish individuals and institutions”, while Islamophobia will be examined as “a related form of intolerance, with attention to its sociopolitical dimensions and overlap with issues of security and visibility”.

Anti-Semitic attack on the Newtown Synagogue. Picture: NewsWire / Simon Bullard.

CIS director of culture, prosperity and civil society Peter Kurti said anti-Semitic behaviour and sentiment in Australia was “not a passing trend” but a “seemingly deepening challenge that touches schools, universities, the arts, media, politics, and civil society”.

“We believe it requires a long-term, independent effort to understand not just the expressions of anti-Semitism, but also the ideologies, networks and narratives driving it, especially those that may be cloaked in the language of social justice or activism,” he said.

Asked why the CIS, Mr Kurti said “as an independent think tank, we are well positioned to examine these issues without fear or favour”.

Centre for Independent Studies’ Peter Kurti.

“While government inquiries like those led by the Australian Human Rights Commission play an important role, they can often be limited by political constraints, short timelines, or hurdles in trying to confront ideological contributors to the problem.

“CIS intends to dig deeper, make clear uncomfortable truths, and offer evidence-based policy and cultural recommendations free of institutional pressure.

“Our focus is not just on documenting anti-Semitism (and Islamophobia), but on challenging the social and intellectual currents that allow it to flourish, whether that’s in identity politics, conspiracy culture or imported ideologies.

“Ultimately, we believe civil society, including independent organisations like CIS, must step up, because the problem is both pervasive and urgent. Perhaps too pervasive and urgent to be left to government alone.”

CIS executive director Tom Switzer said the project would be “grounded in rigorous research, and is a vital step in promoting tolerance”.

At the end of the three years, CIS will present a final volume of research and policy recommendations.